Park So-Dam stars in The Journey to Gyeong-ju, a gripping family revenge drama laced with sharp dark comedy, following a mother and her three daughters as they embark on a deadly road trip eight years after the disappearance of their youngest family member, Gyeongju, who never returned from a school excursion. With consecutive invitations to major global film festivals, including the 24th Florence Korea Film Festival’s Korean Horizons competition section, the film is rapidly emerging as one of the most talked-about Korean releases of the year
For Park So-Dam, whose unforgettable work in Parasite left a lasting mark on world cinema, this new chapter feels both powerful and deeply personal. In conversation, she reflects on the comfort and quiet happiness shaping her life at the moment, the emotional force that drew her instantly to The Journey to Gyeong-ju, and the way love, vulnerability and strength continue to inform how she sees the world. She also opens up about the thrill of stepping onto set, the kinds of roles she still dreams of playing, and the small, restorative rituals that help her reconnect with herself away from the demands of work. Warm, thoughtful and emotionally precise, Park So-Dam reveals the same depth off-screen that continues to make her such a magnetic presence on it.
First of all, how have you been lately? What does life feel like for you these days?
These days, I think my life can be described with words like comfort, warmth, calmness, and happiness.
When you read the script for The Journey to Gyeong-ju, what made you feel that you wanted to be part of this story?
As I was reading the script, I already felt as though I had become that character and was flowing along with them. After I finished it, every character remained vivid in my memory, and a hot energy was bursting out from deep within my heart. That was when I became certain that I had to go on this journey with them.
Parasite was a landmark work not only in Korean cinema but in global film history as well. When you look back on that time, what stays with you most deeply?
What remains most are all the wonderful people I met at once, all the time I spent with them, and the people themselves. When we gather together, it feels like relatives coming together during a holiday and sharing a joyful time. Everyone feels like a cheerful, warm family.
As this interview is for the “Love Issue,” what does love mean in your life right now?
I think I am someone with a lot of love. I think my parents made me this way. Even just hearing the word “love” makes me smile, makes me think of the people I love, and makes me sincerely hope that they are truly okay. And I hope that everyone, no matter who they are or what they do, has something or someone they truly love. It would be even better if that starts with loving yourself.
Does love make us softer, or does it make us stronger?
I think it does both. It can bring out the most delicate, childlike side of me, and it can also make me want to embrace the childlike side of the other person and protect them like a strong mother. The desire to hold someone warmly and the desire to protect them with strength exist together. I think love is the very act of living together: standing strong so that you can lean on one another, cherishing and protecting each other’s vulnerable inner selves.
You have taken on a wide range of projects, from The Priests and Parasite to Record of Youth and Death’s Game. What kinds of roles are drawing you in the most these days?
I would love to do more action, and I would also like to try a historical drama. I want to meet a character who can express my voice to the world. I would also like to challenge myself with professions I have not played before, such as a lawyer, prosecutor, doctor, news anchor, or teacher.
Your on-screen presence is striking, intelligent, and emotionally precise. How do you prepare yourself to fully immerse into a role?
I start by imagining the situations in my head and reading the lines aloud many times. From there, I expand on it. Acting is not something I do alone, so I build the performance through many conversations with the director and my fellow actors.
Even after working for such a long time, what is still the most exciting moment for you when acting?
For me, the moment I am looking into my scene partner’s eyes, everyone is watching the two of us, and the director’s voice rings out saying, “Ready, action” — that moment excites me every single time.
How do you rest and recharge when you are not working?
In my twenties, I do not think I really understood the meaning of recharging and just kept running. I did not even know exactly what rest or emptying myself out really meant. It was only after healing and turning 31 that I truly learned how to rest. I listen to music by myself while walking or running, quietly drink tea alone, write down my thoughts in a notebook, go to the flower market and buy myself a big bunch of flowers to arrange, or sit endlessly on a park bench. I used to always feel awkward spending time alone, but after travelling around Europe alone for 34 days, I think every act I do by myself has become a time of recharging for me.
Fashion often plays an important role in many of your projects. How would you describe your own personal style?
We all have our own style, but I think it is very difficult to express it in just one sentence. Rather than confining myself to one particular style, I keep trying small new things. Clothing is a means of expressing myself, so I think the choices I make change the way I express who I am. Depending on the weather, where I am going, or how I feel that day, I match things differently, while still keeping an overall sense of unity with small points of emphasis. I think silhouette, pattern, fabric, and colour are important. I like black, white, and blue. If you look at my social media, you will find small glimpses of how I express myself. In my work, it is always fun because I get to try different styles to suit each character. I was excited to try something new in this project as well, and I am looking forward to it.
Photo Park Yongbin
Stylist Kim Minji
Makeup Lee Sora
Hair Park Changdae
Photo Assistant: Jeon Jinok
Styling Assistant: Kim Miso
Makeup Assistant: Son Jinju
Hair Assistant Boyun