TVXQ’s Yunho Talks About His Role In “Low Life,” Important Life Lessons He Learned, And More

TVXQ’s Yunho recently sat down with Arena Homme Plus and opened up about his latest project!

Yunho stars in Disney+’s recently released series “Low Life” and has been earning praise for his portrayal of Jang Beol Gu. Based on a webtoon, “Low Life” is a crime drama set in 1977 that follows a group of down-on-their-luck country folks as they chase after a sunken treasure ship beneath the sea.

In an interview that followed the Arena photo shoot, Yunho was asked about his mindset while preparing for the role. He shared, “This is what the character description says: ‘Beol Gu, all style and no substance.’ But the truth is, Beol Gu has circumstances that others don’t know about. He has been treated like a scoundrel in the neighborhood his whole life.”

He continued, “But Beol Gu has a strong inner resolve, like, ‘Someday I’ll succeed no matter what and prove myself.’ I wanted that side of Beol Gu’s mind to really come through.”

Regarding his acting career, he shared that the role of Beol Gu was a challenge he felt he had to take on—even after more than 20 years in the entertainment industry. He elaborated, “I’ve shown many sides of myself as an actor, but I wanted people to think, ‘Yunho can do this too?’ In that sense, ‘Low Life’ was a necessary challenge for me.”

Yunho’s 2021 track “Thank U” has recently become a hot topic again in Korea, making a comeback on the charts after four years. When asked how he feels about this unexpected success, Yunho replied, “When I first heard the news, I was actually in Japan. I was pretty taken aback. Honestly, I’m still a bit dazed.”

The lyrics of “Thank U” talk about the following three life lessons: “Keeping good things to yourself,” “Bearing sadness alone,” and “Not being swayed by ups and downs.” When asked what the fourth lesson would be, Yunho responded, “Enduring and enduring again. I’ve been doing the same work for 20 years, and it’s still difficult and exhausting. But when you endure, good things definitely come back to you.”

He added, “I’m convinced that everyone gets their golden moment eventually. If things get tough, it’s okay to rest—as long as you come back. And to do that, you have to take good care of yourself.”