Park Bo Young on what she took away from 'Our Unwritten Seoul': 'Everyone's just trying to survive'

Park Bo Young on her latest hit Our Unwritten Seoul.

Our Unwritten Seoul is a coming-of-age story of twin sisters who look the same but are opposite in every other way, switching lives in search of their real selves.

At the K-drama's press conference, Park remarked, "When I read the script, I felt this would be a once-in-a-lifetime challenge and opportunity." True to her words, she delivered a sincere portrayal of twin sisters Yoo Mi Rae and Yoo Mi Ji — two women brought to a standstill by the challenges of life, offering solace to the many Mi Raes and Mi Jis out there. Not only that, she also portrayed Mi Ji pretending to be Mi Rae, and Mi Rae pretending to be Mi Ji, taking on four different personas in one drama — her versatility was on full display.

But pulling off such a complex scenario was not an easy feat for the Hallyu star. "I'm not the type who plans everything out, so I jumped into Our Unwritten Seoul without thinking it through and ended up regretting it. Honestly, the script was just so good that I thought, 'I really want to do this,' 'What if someone else gets the chance?' and 'I need to get in line for this fast.' So I said, 'I'll do it,' 'I'll give it my best,' and 'I really want to do this on.' 

But once I actually got into building the characters in detail, I started wondering, 'What confidence did I have to say I could pull off a double role?' I spent a lot of time struggling with that."

She added, "At the time, it wasn't even about playing a double role that compelled me. Rather, the story itself, the drama's concept, and Lee Kang's dialogue were just so good that I said I wanted to do it. But later, the pressure of playing two characters hit me like a wave, and I honestly wanted to run away — even the day before filming."

Talking about the show's central message, Park Bo Young shared, "In the drama, apart from Mi Rae and Mi Ji, a range of characters appear — and many of them are dealing with some kind of deficiencies of their own. Someone else's life may seem better than ours, but when you really look closely, you realize, 'They're dealing with stuff too'. The drama's core message was centered around the idea of asking, 'What if I applied that same willingness to look deeper — not just into others, but into myself too?'"

She added, "It feels like an extension of what I said in Daily Dose of Sunshine — that I hope we can be kinder to ourselves and see ourselves as good people." "In the drama, there's a line where the grandmother says, 'No matter how bad it looks, everyone who tries to survive is brave.' That line really aligns with what the drama, and I, want to say." "There's also a line that goes, 'Yesterday is over, tomorrow is far away, and today is still uncertain.' I've found myself repeating that in real life. To me, it means: tomorrow is far away, and I'll work hard on what I have to do today. That's one of the messages I really want to share."

The following is an excerpt from the Q&A with Park Bo Young:

It seemed like you were playing what was essentially four roles in a dual-role setup. Was it challenging? 

I had a lot of concerns even before filming began, and it definitely wasn't easy. During rehearsals, the stand-in actor would watch my performance, record it, and try to match it exactly, and then I would react to that. But later, when I saw the CG and final footage, I noticed the eye lines didn't always match up. Eventually, we started placing a mark where I needed to look and I would perform alone without a stand-in. 

One thing I realized is that I'm not as calculated in my acting as I thought. It was really hard to anticipate and act out a scene that hadn't been coordinated yet. Especially when moving — I had to calculate exactly when to say certain lines and at what pace I'd arrive at the mark. It was my first time doing this kind of thing, so it wasn't easy. But I think it became a valuable opportunity for me to grow.

Despite worries and concerns, [the show] was loved a lot.

What made me want to take on this project after reading the script was that I had confidence in the writing. I felt like everything would be fine as long as I did well. But at first, I was quite worried. I was the first to watch the edit of Episode 1, and I think director Park wanted to boost my confidence by encouraging me to watch it — but instead, it made me more nervous. 

What I was most worried about was that it looked like "Park Bo Young 1" and "Park Bo Young 2," rather than Mi Ji and Mi Rae. That's what it looked like. Even the tone of my voice came across differently than I had intended. I was flustered because the difference wasn't as noticeable as I expected. So after watching that cut, I made a conscious effort to emphasize their differences even more. For me, making sure Mi Ji and Mi Rae felt like two clearly distinct people was very important.

How do you feel about the ending? 

There was a scene during filming where I cried a lot. I was so overwhelmed with emotion that I couldn't control it. I was shaking, and the director told me, "Step out for a moment." It was the scene where my character encounters her grandmother in a dream and says goodbye to her...
There were people in my life I never got to properly say goodbye to, and I wanted to send them off like this. We ended up reshooting the scene while holding back the emotions, so I'm not sure how much of that feeling came through in the final version. As for the ending, I think it really reflects the writer's style. It's not a full stop, but an open ending — and I am satisfied with it. Personally, I tend to prefer closed endings, but this one reminded me that both characters Mi Ji and Mi Rae are still rooted in reality. It made it feel like I could see myself in them.

You've mainly done films and OTT projects for the past few years. This was your first TV drama in four years since tvN's Doom at Your Service. 

It had been a while. I found myself searching for the ratings every morning as soon as I woke up (laughs). It had also been a long time since I'd seen the real-time reactions during broadcast, and thankfully, people really seemed to enjoy it. That was fun. I always give my best in every project, but this time it felt like I gave twice as much, and the response feels different too.

Between Mi Rae and Mi Ji, which character was easier to play? 

Honestly, neither was easy (laughs). But if I had to choose, Mi ji was a bit easier, since she could express everything outwardly and was an extension of the bright characters I've played before. 

Playing Mi Rae, on the other hand, required a lot of restraint — that part was difficult. I had to hold back my facial expressions. I think I have both sides within me. In social settings, I'm more like Mi Ji, but when I'm with close friends, I am like Mi Rae. I just amplified certain aspects of myself for each character. If you looked at it in MBTI terms, how it shows the percentages, I'd say I'm about 60% Mi Ji and 40% Mi Rae.

You go by as the epitome of youth, but this time, a younger actress was cast for the high school scenes. 

From the very first meeting, the director and I were on the same page. I really want to stop playing young kids (laughs). And honestly, if I had taken on those scenes too, I don't think I would've survived this project.

Lee Jae In did such a great job portraying the characters. I'm truly glad I didn't do it myself. That kind of fresh youthfulness  — I don't think I can pull it off anymore. It's hard.

What was it like acting as one twin pretending to be the other? 

The director told me that even though it's a dual role, "let's not make them too different." In fact, he even said, "Think of them as one person." So he asked that I avoid giving them completely different tones, which made it quite challenging.

When twins switch and communicate, they often mimic each other's outwardly manners, right? So we decided to come up with subtle details that only we would notice. For example, when tying her hair, Mi Ji leaves some hairs around her ears, while Mi Rae keeps it neat. When doing makeup, Mi Rae fills in her waterline with eyeliner (laughs) — to make her eyes look more defined. Mi Ji has freckles as part of her character, so we made sure they emerged after she washes her face. Even the bob haircuts were different. Mi Rae's is slightly neater in length and cut, while Mi Ji's has a more shaggy style.

How did you handle filming the Mi Ji and Mi Rae scenes? 

We filmed by grouping locations — like shooting all the house scenes at once, then all the office scenes — so at times when I had to switch from Mi Ji to Mi Rae, my reactions would unconsciously still be Mi Ji's. In those moments, the director would say, "I don't think Mi Rae has come yet."
That kind of attention to detail really helped me grow. Eventually, I reached a point where I could switch characters just by changing outfits. On set too, Mi Ji would be joking around, while Mi Rae wouldn't say a word. So even the staff would say things like, "Ah, it's Mi Rae today," or "It's Mi Ji."

Mi Ji comes to Seoul from the countryside. You've also mentioned that you're from Jeungpyeong, Chungcheongbuk-do. Did your own experiences help you connect with the character? 

Definitely. That's why I could really understand Mi Ji. The place I grew up in didn't have tall buildings like in Seoul. There weren't really any city lights or night view to speak of. My aunt lived in Seoul, so I'd visit sometimes, and every time, the subway seemed so fascinating to me. I'd even get on in the wrong direction sometimes. Seoul truly felt like an unknown world.
Once I moved here and started working, I realized, "Wow, this isn't easy at all." That [experience] made me relate to Mi Ji's feelings a lot. I think those experiences made reading the script that much more fun.

Also, my hometown was so quiet that I never had to go out of my way to find a quiet place. But in Seoul, you have to seek out quiet places. Like Mi Ji, I came to like the Han River. When things got especially tough, I used to go to Hangang Park and cry a lot. Even now, I have a place I go to when I feel overwhelmed or just need a good cry. I go there to let everything out. Sometimes I even make a promise to myself, saying, "If I'm going to fall apart like this, let's not come back again."

You mentioned feeling consoled reading the script. Which part made you feel that? 

There's a line where Mi Ji says, "Don't quit, but don't force yourself to endure either. I'll do it for you." And I think that was something I really wanted to hear myself. And when Mi Rae tells her grandmother, "I'm not going to do anything," and the grandmother replies, "Everyone's just trying to survive" — that line really hit home.

I've had moments of regret as well. Even though I made those choices because they felt like the best I could do at the time — my best choice to survive — there were moments when I wondered, "Is it really right to regret that?" That's why that line really struck a chord with me.

There were a lot of lines, including the narrations, that were really good. The [story] seemed to say: It's okay to live like this. Even if some people don't think much of you, you're not the only one. Just live your life the best you can."

It sounds like you went through puberty after becoming an adult. 

That's true. When I was young, I was very obedient and didn't really go through that rebellious phase. But when I was 20, I left home after a fight with my mom (laughs). I had never once said "no" to her or disobeyed, but after moving to Seoul and starting work, I became quite sensitive. I felt like my mom didn't understand me.

So I said, "I'm working, you know. I have to be a part of the society," and stormed out of the house. I even turned off my phone and that lasted for about four days. Eventually, my dad called and said, "Let's pretend it never happened. Just apologize and come," so I did. I had actually run off to Gangneung. But from the first night, it was really hard. I wanted to go home right away. I sat by the sea. Sorted my thoughts out in 30 minutes. But, I couldn't go home (laughs).

There's a scene where Mi Ji snaps at her mom, and when her mom starts crying, her anger breaks down and she ends up comforting her. That feels like such a mother-daughter thing. I've done that too — said things to my mom, and then ended up thinking, "Yeah… I was wrong," and it all kind of settles. In that sense, I feel like I'm closer to Mi Ji.

 Do you think being a second child yourself had an effect? 

I think so. When I looked at Mi Rae, she really reminded me of my older sister. She has a strong sense of responsibility and is overly rational, while I tend to process things more emotionally. So Mi Rae often made me think of my sister.

At the same time, I was quite worried acting as Mi Rae. She's a working professional, and I wasn't sure how to portray experiences I've never had, or if people with real office jobs would find her relatable. 

But then I watched the first episode with a friend who works in an office, and while watching Mi Rae at work, she said, "This is giving me PTSD," (laughs). That's when I thought, "Okay, I pulled it off."

If you are offered a double role again, would you take it?

I don’t think I could ever do that again. You know the saying, "You are brave when you are ignorant." I only took it on because I didn't fully understand what I was getting into. If I'm asked to do it again, I don't think I can. Still, I learned a lot, and most of all, I got to know myself better. I realized I’m not the kind of actor who calculates every little thing before performing.

You're known for your baby-face image but you've expressed a desire to be recognized for your acting. 

I've struggled a lot with this image. I was worried about getting stuck in that. That's why I took on projects like the film Concrete Utopia and Netflix's Daily Dose of Sunshine. Even in Our Unwritten Seoul, while Mi Ji is cheerful, she carries pain, and Mi Rae is exhausted and struggling. I've been trying to explore more subdued characters within my own boundaries.

But lately, I feel like I've quenched that thirst to some extent — and now I find myself wanting to do a bright project again. It feels like my baseline energy has dropped. And I keep ending up in stories that try to deliver some kind of message (laughs). 

So now I'd really like to try something that is easy to watch. The Disney+ series Gold Land, which I'm currently filming, is probably the darkest project I've ever done. That's why I'm already thinking, "After this, I definitely want to do something bright."

More than anything, I'm really grateful for being called "baby-faced" and for the "forever young" image. I want to keep that going.

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