EXO's Suho on his role as missing crown prince – 'no regrets' but not 'completely satisfied'

By Lee Gyu-lee

K-pop group EXO's Suho ventured into the period drama genre for the first time in his acting career, with a turn in MBN's romantic comedy series. Missing crown prince – which concluded with a 5.1 percent audience rating on June 16.

“That’s how much effort I put into it, so I have no regrets or disappointments. I feel relieved and much lighter. However, that doesn't mean I'm completely satisfied. I will identify my gaps and areas for improvement as I take the next step.

When Yi witnesses a scandal in the palace that jeopardizes his position as crown prince, he is forced to flee, with Choi at his side to help him. Despite their initial misunderstandings, the two develop an unexpected romance while navigating royal politics and dangers to save her father, his throne, and their own lives.

The 20-episode series was helmed by renowned director Kim Jin-man, who has previously worked on hit series like Kill me, heal me (2015) and The greatest love (2011).

Suho said the director played a big role in allowing him to make his first periodic series.

“I originally aimed to tackle historical dramas once I gained more experience, focusing on lighter characters for now. However, when I learned that the director of Kill me, heal me was going to lead the project, I got interested,” he said.

Suho also noted that after the series began airing, he began to be recognized by older viewers.

“It appealed to me that the historical genre series had a dedicated middle-aged audience, which is one of the reasons I decided to join this project… thanks to more [older viewers] By recognizing myself, I think I will also be able to take on more future projects.

The singer-actor said he studied countless period dramas to determine genre-specific tone and dialect.

“I think I've watched every series with the character of the crown prince that has come out in the last two years. When I first decided to make a historical series, I felt overwhelmed… I considered the dialect of the historical genre to be a new language.

“So I said my lines over 100 times and rehearsed them in different versions, working with the director to find the best tone and delivery,” he says, adding that his character allowed him to feel emotions deeper.

“Yi sacrifices a lot. While reading the script, I often wondered, “Does he really have to carry that much stuff?” or “Could such a person really exist in this world?” ….

“Because I had to portray extreme emotions in extreme situations, I think my expressions broadened and deepened. I feel like I grew a lot thanks to this project.