Actor Yoon Kyung Ho opened up about his past struggles, his journey as an actor, and how becoming a father changed his perspective while discussing the success of SBS drama Agent Kim Reactivated.
During an interview, Yoon Kyung Ho reflected on the challenges he faced before gaining recognition, revealing that he worked numerous part time jobs while pursuing his acting career.
Agent Kim Reactivated became a major hit, starting with a 9.5% viewership rating for its first episode and surpassing 20% ratings by its fourth episode. The drama ended with a peak rating of 23.1% nationwide, according to Nielsen Korea. It also ranked No. 1 on Netflix's Global Top 10 Non English TV category for three consecutive weeks and gained strong attention from viewers worldwide.
In the drama, Yoon Kyung Ho played Park Jin Cheol, a former fighter who becomes a devoted father. His character gained attention for balancing intense action scenes with a warm and humorous personality.
Looking back on his early years, Yoon Kyung Ho shared that he took on many temporary jobs while working toward becoming an actor.
"I did about 30 different part time jobs in the past. Since it was difficult to have a fixed job while doing theater, I mostly worked short term and daily jobs," he said.
The actor explained that he worked various jobs, including construction work and promotional events, while continuing his acting activities.
He revealed that his biggest emotional turning point came after getting married and learning that he was going to become a father.
"Before that, I thought I could handle everything alone, even if I had financial difficulties. But after having a child, I thought, 'I don't want to pass this on to my child,'" Yoon Kyung Ho shared.
He admitted that he once considered giving up acting and learning another skill because he worried about supporting his family. However, preparing for the film The Battleship Island became an important moment in his career.
"I told my daughter in my stomach, 'I'm sorry, Dad. I've never taken on a role like this before, but I want to do well this time. Even if you have to wait while being a little hungry, please wait for me,'" he recalled.
Following that period, he continued building his career through projects including Okja and Goblin.
Yoon Kyung Ho also explained how becoming a father helped him connect more deeply with his role in Agent Kim Reactivated.
"After having a daughter, the way I looked at the world changed. Women I saw before were no longer just juniors or colleagues. I started seeing them as someone's daughters," he said.
The actor shared that his current goal is to continue working steadily and build a long-lasting career.
"I hope my work does not stop. I want to save enough money until my children can become independent," he said.
He also remained humble about his recent popularity, describing it as "a passing lottery of luck" and expressing his desire to continue growing as an actor.
