Beyond stereotypes: Justin H. Min finds freedom in Korean roles

For Justin H. Min, acting in Korean takes “10 times more” work than performing in English. Finding roles that put Asians at the center, however, is easier here.

That is part of what keeps bringing the Korean-American actor back to Korea, where he says he had spent years looking for a project before landing on “Journey There,” directed by Kim Jin-yu.

“Even though there is progress, [Hollywood is] still lagging behind in representation of Asian Americans. Being part of a Korean production, I never have to deal with the stereotypes," Min said in a roundtable interview in Seoul on Tuesday, ahead of the film’s release in local theaters on Oct. 28.

"These are stories written for us,” he said.

Min has built a career through projects including his breakthrough role in Netflix’s “The Umbrella Academy” (2019–24) and “Beef” (2023-26), as well as the film “After Yang” (2022). He has sought out characters who defy stereotypes, particularly relishing the chance to play someone “messy” and “dysfunctional” in the romance comedy, “Shortcomings” (2023).

“I’ve been very selective about the projects I’ve done in the United States that are hopefully not stereotypical. Those projects are fewer and farther between. They’re harder to find,” he said.

In “Journey There,” Min plays Min-jun, a German adoptee searching for his birth mother — and a larger sense of self — in Korea. There he meets Chun-hee, a widow played by Kim Hye-ok, as she moves into his apartment building. When her piano will not fit in her new home, he offers to keep it in his own — at their first meeting.

Min-jun is eccentric, by Korean standards and some. Outwardly, his face suggests he could be Korean, but there is something unmistakably foreign about him.

“At first, the director — he wanted me to look cool, wearing cool clothes. But I thought, ‘This doesn’t feel right,’” Min said. He "wanted him to feel like he wasn’t brought up in Korea" — or, for that matter, in the United States, where the actor is originally from, but from Germany.

That thinking shaped the character’s non-Korean typical clothes and hairstyle. The actor's conversations with German friends led Min-jun to tap surfaces instead of clapping to show appreciation and to make eye contact when raising a toast. He sips makgeolli, or Korean rice wine, from a wine glass through a straw. 

Min-jun is carefree. He wakes at odd hours. His confident but awkward Korean catches people off guard. He brings home a young piano prodigy, played by real-life pianist Park Dae-ho, and gets him to play.

Bringing levity to a drama centered on death and identity, Min says, was one of his main priorities in acting the character.

“I wanted Min-jun to bring laughter and joy and fun into his scenes. I didn’t want the character to feel heavy throughout,” he said.

“That’s reflective of our real lives. Even if we’re dealing with something difficult, there are moments of lightness and fun, even when we’re experiencing grief.”

Again, to avoid stereotypes, he refrained from reducing Min-jun’s story to a search for his biological mother. The character, raised by loving adoptive parents in Germany, could still have questions about where he came from and who he was, Min said.

At Tuesday’s interview, Min slipped Korean words into his English, much as his character mixes German and English with Korean. He referred to the director as gamdok-nim and used meosisseo, meaning “cool,” when discussing appearance.

He said his Korean is improving, with “Journey There,” which he filmed without an on-set interpreter, giving him his biggest opportunity to practice — though he isn’t quite there yet.

“There are some days when I feel like I can speak so easily. Some days I forget completely. Language is so weird in that way,” he said.

Acting in Korean takes 10 times as much work, he said, because he must first focus on the words themselves before he can turn his attention to the character’s intentions and emotions.

Despite the challenge, Min hopes to work more in Korea, where he gained wider recognition as a contestant on the second season of Netflix’s reality competition show “The Devil’s Plan” (2023-2025). He has also settled into a routine here, returning to favorite coffee shops and visiting museums.

He's getting used to the attentiveness of Korean fans, too.

“Korean fans are so sharp,” Min said. He recalled that after he mentioned liking Turtle Chips, a snack made by Orion, they were the only gifts he received for a while.

“And a month ago I said I liked hodugwaja [walnut cakes], and I have 50 boxes of hodugwaja now."

"I have to say something more healthy [next]," he said.

Asked whom he would like to work with in Korea, Min rattled off directors Lee Chang-dong, Bong Joon-ho and Na Hong-jin. There were actors on his wish list, too.

“Park Jeong-min,” he said enthusiastically. “The guy from the music video [with Hwasa]. I love him.”

BY KIM JU-YEON [[email protected]]