[news] Lee Min Ho’s Interview March 19, 2009

May 25, 2009

In his interview with ISplus (reporter Lee Dong Hyun) published on March 15, Lee Min Ho reveals his sleeping habits, favourite food, and ideal woman.

ISplus (IS): The “Crash Min Ho” scene at the PaekSang Arts Awards was a hot topic.

Lee Min Ho (LMH): I was embarrassed and humiliated. However, fans warmly cheered me on. I could verify my fans’ love.

 

IS: What is your life motto?

LMH: “Those who give up cannot gain victory.” It’s not victory that is so important, but the fighting spirit. Even if you fail, I think even just the attitude of not giving up is beautiful in itself.

 

IS: Have you had a crisis in life that was difficult to endure?

LMH: The car accident I experienced in 2006. During the six months I had to stay at the hospital, I worried a lot about what I would do if I could no longer act. At first, I broke down thinking I may not even be able to walk again.

 

IS: What method do you use to relieve extreme stress?

LMH: I simply sleep. If I feel like the stress is still there when I wake up, I go back to sleep until the stress goes away. There was a time in the past when I slept for 24 hours straight.

 

IS: Which negative comment had the biggest impression on you?

 LMH: It wasn’t an internet comment; it was a malicious remark that was broadcast. When Gag Concert character Wang Bi Ho (Yoon Hyung Bin) said, “Lee Min Ho, what are you going to do when Boys Over Flowers finishes?” (negative connotation – “What the heck is going to happen to you after BOF finishes?), my chest felt a chill. Figure out how to make a transition from the Gu Jun Pyo character is a big homework project for me.

 

IS: What do you consider the most when looking at women?

LMH: Her overall style and feeling is most important. Even if she is not beautiful, my heart can be pulled by a strong feeling that comes to me.

 

IS: When/Where/Who was your first kiss?

 LMH: It was in my first year of high school (grade 10) with my girlfriend in front of her house.

 

IS: If you get a girlfriend, what kind of present would you most want?

 LMH: I just wish I had a girlfriend. A girlfriend in herself is the present what I want most.

 

IS: Approximately when did you date your last girlfriend? How long ago was it, what age and what occupation does she have?

 LMH: I haven’t had a girlfriend since I dated a fellow university student when I was 20 (Korean age).

 

IS: If you get a girlfriend, what endearing nickname would you want to call her?

LMH: It would be different depending on her style.

 

IS: It must have been perplexing when photos of you with some female colleagues were publicized on the internet a while ago.

 LMH: It was a little exasperating. They are pictures that could hurt me. Even though they weren’t my girlfriend, people misconstrued them to be. I felt so sorry toward the other people in the photos due to the malicious gossip that was spread.

 

IS: What will you do if your parents oppose your marriage like Boys Over Flowers’ Gu Jun Pyo?

LMH: I would run away with her. Even if we have to elope (”flight by night”), I would marry her.

 

IS: Which female actress do you want to co-star opposite?

LMH: I would like to work with my ideal type, Song Hye Kyo sunbae (senior). Although she has an elegant and classic style, her charisma is also strong and her acting talent is outstanding. If we act together, I think I could learn a lot from her. But I’d probably tremble (be nervous) a lot .

 

IS: Who is the person you want to meet most?

LMH: I would like to meet Hollywood actor, Edward Norton. The way he gives off a comfortable vibe while oozing out charisma is so impressive. If I meet him, I’d request, “I’d like you to be my master (teacher)”. First, I think I need to diligently learn English.

 

IS: Which athlete do you like the most?

LMH: Manchester United’s Cristiano Ronaldo. On top of having extraordinary talent, he is also good looking. I also dreamt of being a soccer player when I was in elementary school. If I was able to continue playing soccer, maybe I would have been an athlete like Cristiano Ronaldo by now.

 

IS: What kind of food do you like and is there anything you’re good at cooking?

LMH: I like all meats and am good at cooking all meats. Cooking method? I just grill/roast it. I have a secret grilling method. Beef, pork, chicken, etc. – there’s a different grilling method for each meat. Even if it’s the same meat product, you will marvel if you taste the meat I grill.

 

IS: Which song is your specialty at karaoke?

LMH: Toy’s “내가 잠시 너의 곁에 살았다는 걸”. Although Boys Over Flowers‘ Jun Pyo has a rough and defiant image, I’m a sweet romantic. Although I don’t have a talent in singing, I [still] sing because people tell me I do it coolly.

 

IS: What are some objects that you always carry around in your bag?

LMH: I make sure to pack cologne because I want to be a fragrant guy all the time.

 

IS: What is your drinking capacity? Which alcohol do you like, where do you drink and with whom?

LMH: I can’t really drink much. It’s difficult to drink past three shots of soju. The alcohol I like are western liquors, although I can’t drink past one or two glasses. I’m not picky about the location. I can adapt to any environment and enjoy myself. However, I want to drink with people I’m confortable with and who don’t pressure me to drink alcohol.

 

IS: Do you have any jinxes, superstitions or customs?

LMH: I get injured during every film or movie project. Even if I’m careful, I get injured due to unforeseen circumstances.

IS: Do you have any sleeping habits?

LMH: They say I grind my teeth and talk gibberish. When we go on vacation, my friends try to avoid sleeping with me.

 

IS: Which three objects would you take with you if you had to be stuck on a deserted island?

LMH: A bed, a lighter, and a cellular phone. I’ll need to take a good bed in order to sleep well. Even if I’m on a deserted island, I’ll need to cook the food in order to eat it. Especially for someone like me who loves meat, a lighter is a mandatory requirement. Even if I’m stuck on the deserted island, I’d need to talk with people on the phone so that I don’t get bored. Plus, I have a lot of games downloaded on my cellphone.

 

IS: Name a characteristic that you’re jealous of from each F4 member.

LMH: Kim Beom’s small face, Kim Joon hyung’s big eyes, and Kim Hyun Joong’s white (pale) face. Still, overall, I’m the most……..

Lee Min Ho in Vogue Girl (6/09)

May 16, 2009

Vogue Girl (VG): Your blood type is A. [Type As] abide well by social norms, have a timid side, and are perfectionists. Is your personality similar to that? Is it not?
Lee Min Ho (LMH): My personality is not like a type A. First of all, I can’t become a perfectionist, I’m not shy, and I don’t maintain social norms well either (laughter). Neither am I that precise.

VG: Are you a morning person or an owl-like night person ?
LMH: I’m like an owl. To the extent that the oriental medicine doctor said that my physical constitution doesn’t allow me to use energy in the daytime. Although due to my schedule, there have been occasions recently that make me a morning person.

VG: What does the owl Lee Min Ho usually do at night?
LMH: It’s not possible now, but before I’d go out with friends to eat good food or play [computer] games at home.

VG: If some time frees up in the middle of the afternoon, do you do outdoor activities like basketball or soccer or play games indoors?
LMH: It depends on [my] condition. I like sports so if [my] condition’s good I guess I’d play basketball or soccer but if it seems bothersome, I play games or watch movies. If I were to choose now…, I like activities I can do at home.

VG: Which acting style would you like to adopt – Choi Min Sik’s way of melting into heartbreaking, wretched characters or Song Kang Ho’s way of making the character his own to the point that it’s provoking/detestable.
LMH: I think it’d be half-half? If [I] put in effort to melt into the character, wouldn’t it become my own? Even if I think I’m wholly true to the character, I think my [own] image would still appear. Because I’m human.

VG: If you were to choose a movie to dissolve stress, which would you watch between a blockbuster action movie, mystery crime thriller, and a slapstick comedy?
LMH: Mysteries or suspense are what I like but if it was to relieve stress, it’d likely be a blockbuster movie.

VG: Then what’s the most recent film you’ve seen?
LMH: It’s been too long since I’ve been to a movie theatre. Since A Frozen Flower was the last film I saw. I watched with my manager and stylist. The audience consisted only of us three. I was origally going to go with just my manager, but if it had been so, it would have caused big trouble from the embarrassment.

VG: What if an offer for a character like Zo In Sung’s in A Frozen Flower came in?
LMH: I think it would be a bit difficult right now. Although I think I could consider it after some time goes by and I gain experience.

VG: Which is the movie you’ve thought of seeing out between the recent topics of conversation – director Park Chan Wook’s Thirst or Bong Joon Ho’s Mother.
LMH: If I were to choose just one out of the two people, will I…, be ok (laughter)? I think I’m on the side of Thirst.

VG: They say gatherings between close friends are divided by two types [of people] – those who liven up the atmosphere by being loud and making people laugh and in contrast, those who see the appropriate, opportune responses and laugh. Which side are you on?
LMH: It varies widely depending on the circumstance. With my friends from middle school or high school, I’m the former, but as I began acting and entered [that] social life, I’ve realized that there are times when it’s necessary to be the latter. Now I’m almost closer to the latter.

VG: Is the type of opposite sex that catches your eye like Gianna Jun or Song Hye Kyo? Or like Kim Tae Hee?
LMH: I’ve said a few times before, but Song Hye Kyo’s style.

VG: If a girl who is your ideal type appears in front of your eyes, do you just look ahead and make a move or do you send telepathy while staying away and make her approach [you].
LMH: I think I’d send telepathy first. It’s good to have be cautious in love.

VG: Where would you proceed to – a gathering with close friends that you haven’t seen in a long while or an urgent (sudden) summons from your girlfriend?
LMH: Barring if you have a girlfriend that you can’t live without seeing even for one day, wouldn’t you usually go to a friends gathering where you can see many people at once? When I’m busy like I am these days, I particularly need to and miss meeting up with friends.

VG: Would you prefer Tokyo, Japan or Paris, France if you were to leave on a trip alone?
LMH: Paris, France, since I’ve never been.

VG: Is the weather you like rainy or sunny?
LMH: It’s the cloudy weather preceding rainfall. I can’t stand when it’s hot because of the bright sun, and I don’t like rainy days because it’s damp. That’s why I also like the cool season of autumn.

VG: Is your head clearer at 2pm or 2am?
LMH: I’m like an owl, so 2am.

VG: Which musical artist are you most curious about nowadays, between Girls’ Generation (SNSD) and Kiha & the Faces (장기하와 얼글들)?
LMH: Kiha & the Faces. They’re really fascinating. There was a time I watched a video clip [of them] and they really caught my eye.

VG: Do you tend to listen to a song you like continually for several months or do you diligently check for new song updates?
LMH: I listen to a song I like on repeat but I get sick of it quickly. I listen to it until I get sick of it. Just like how I listened to SNSD’s “Gee” too much until a bit ago, which is why my answer to the previous question was Kiha & the Faces.

VG: Are the shoes you enjoy wearing white-as-new hightops or faded sneakers?
LMH: Faded sneakers, although fans and the people around me think that I’d wear white hightops a lot.

VG: In your closet, are there more black jeans or blue jeans?
LMH: Black jeans. Not only jeans but I mostly wear only the colours black, white, and grey.

VG: When you think of the words, “cool guy”, does George Clooney wearing a fitted suit come to mind or Johnny Depp in vintage jeans and a hat come to mind?
LMH: Men are [for] suits. Therefore, George Clooney.

VG: After trying it out directly, which did you feel “that suits me surprisingly well” about between Gu Jun Pyo’s curly hair and the dark, smoky eye make-up in the beer CF?
LMH: Not so much that it suited me well but I’ve recently gained an interest in new styles such as smoky eye make-up. And it was a fun experience to film with that appearance.

VG: Tonight, if you could just see one production, what would you choose between a musical or a play?
LMH: I think I’d see a play. I haven’t been able to go often since the beginning of Boys Over Flowers. The last [theatrical] production I saw was From the Bottom starring Kim Su Ro sunbae (senior) in the middle of filming [BOF].

VG: Is the sport you like to watch, soccer or baseball?
LMH: Soccer. I played when I was young, you see. For some reason, if there’s a sport that men like, I think they dislike the [sport] matches that oppose it.

VG: Which event are you confident in between the 100 metre dash and a long distance race.
LMH: 100m dash. I can’t run with perseverance.

VG: Does your sense of humour lean towards real variety show Infinity Challenge or comedy show Gag Concert?
LMH: Real variety. In the past, I had fun watching the show Survivor, where the last person that remains on a remoted island wins.

VG: In your opinion, is the best harmony between ‘beer and chicken’ or ’soju and pork belly’?
LMH: [This is] difficult…(laughter). Alcohol-wise, I like beer but I like pork belly way better so [my answer] would be soju and pork belly. I’m not good at drinking alcohol. Four shots of soju is my limit.

VG: Do you prefer the playing of an electronic guitar or an acoustic guitar?
LMH: Acoustic guitar.

VG: Which animal would you like to raise as a pet – a dog or a cat?
LMH: I prefer dogs but these days I don’t have time to take care of one so I think it might be ok to raise a cat that doesn’t feel loneliness.

VG: If you come across a baby or an animal on the street, do you tend to say something or touch it, or do you just pass by?
LMH: It depends on the situation. In general if I see a baby, I tend to affectionately touch its cheek or foot.

VG: When shopping, do you make comparisons multiple times or purchase immediately if it appeals to you?
LMH: I tend to buy as soon as soon as it catches my eye.

VG: When sleeping, do you sleep lying on your side or on your stomach?
LMH: I sleep lying on my side or my stomach. I sleep most often on my side, but don’t sleep lying properly on my back.

VG: Which do you remember better – your friends’ phone numbers or movie leading actors’ names?
LMH: Movie leads’ names.

VG: Do you like white rice or do you like mixed rice?
LMH: White rice. The reason being that it just tastes better. Meat side dishes suit it best.

VG: Do you like to be seated in a corner far from the entrance of a cafe or by a window?
LMH: A corner seat in a quiet space. That was comfortable from a while ago.

VG: Do you drink quietly while sitting at a club or do you enjoy dancing on the floor?
LMH: As I drink a little bit of alcohol, I dance timidly (laughter).

VG: If there’s something like a missing button, loose thread, or small stain does it consume your nerves the entire day or do you forget about it?
LMH: It completely consumes my nerves.

VG: On a day when the forecast calls for rain, do you make sure to take an umbrella when you leave or do you just go out?
LMH: I don’t take an umbrella.

VG: Do you write a journal or diary?
LMH: No.

VG: Do you suppress your tears if possible or do you cry when you feel like it?
LMH: I suppress [them].

VG: Is your outlook on life one that sets plans [for the future] to abide by or is it happily living a full life in the present?
LMH: I’m devoted to today. I don’t really think about tomorrow and I tend to leave things to flow [naturally]. That’s why I need people around me that set up long-run plans and guide me all the more. Everything tends to be impromptu. Even with trips I like to leave by suddenly deciding, “Let’s go!”, rather than scheduling [ahead of time].

VG: If possible, would you want to stay in your twenties, or do you think it’d be nice to quickly go into your thirties?
LMH: I want to remain in my twenties. Forever. Continually.

(Of course, he’d want to stay in his twenties forever because BOF made him super famous and have the good life.^^)

credits:kpculture