It’s hard to believe that after a nearly 30-year career in film, Song is only now starring in his first TV series. In the period drama Uncle Samsik, Song plays the title character, a political operative whose mission is to keep his community fed at a time in history where everyone is living in poverty. In Korean, “sam-sik” translates to “three meals.”
Amid South Korea’s major turmoil of the early 1960s, the Uncle Samsik character attempts to maneuver his way through the political process and guide a new generation of leaders to steer the country in the right direction.
During a recent interview with the Current, Song, 57, via an interpreter, talked about the South Korean history behind Uncle Samsik and why he’s not concerned with fame.
Uncle Samsik is currently streaming on Hulu in the U.S. and on Disney+ internationally.
Uncle Samsik is the first TV series of your career. Why do you think it took so long to take on a project like this?
I didn't deliberately not do TV shows. I just happen to do a lot of movies. Now, as you probably know, we have many more channels through which we can communicate with the audience and the fans with different content. So, I think it was very natural for me to try this new environment as well.
What did you like about this particular TV show that made you want to be a part of it?
This might not be an answer that you expected from me, but I chose it because it's not trendy at all. I think we now live in an influx of streaming shows, and a lot of those shows are very trendy. They have provocative subject materials, and they're very fast paced. I think [Uncle Samsik] is a slow-cooking kind of show. That's what really drew me in.
Was this part of South Korea's history something you learned growing up?
The show is set against the early ’60s, which was about seven or eight years before I was even born. So, I didn't experience it myself. But if you're raised in Korea, you are very well educated on this turbulent era. It was a very crucial era in Korean modern history. It was about seven years after the Korean War, which meant that we had to build everything from the bottom up: politics, society, economics, culture. Everything was so turbulent and not well rooted. So, that's why we call it a tumultuous period. Because it was such an important era, we all knew very much about it.
Can you explain the significance of eating three meals a day in the Korean culture during that time?
The era was just after the war, which means that everyone was really poor. Everyone struggled to survive literally by eating. So, having three meals a day was like a blessing. It was the biggest hope that people could have. It's only in Korea, where you [say] “Hello” by asking, “Have you eaten?” We were very worried that people would starve. We would be curious about whether you have eaten or not. That's how much meaning “three meals” had to people at the time.
How did your life change after Parasite became an international hit?
I don't think my life should change because of one event. It doesn't affect me much as an actor. I mean, actors are congratulated on what they have achieved. But actors and artists, their careers should be like a long marathon. It should just be like our lives. It's a long marathon that shouldn't change course. So, while there could have been some change, I don't think that change really impacted me much as an actor.
As a Korean actor, is it important to you that you’re known outside of Korea and have an international following?
To be honest, I'm not sure if I can say it's important. It is definitely a blessing that Korean culture, Korean cinema and Korean content are gaining more acknowledgement. People love it a lot. That is true, for sure. But then an actor's life or an actor's career should not change because of fame. It should not affect the actor. What's important is what's within them.
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