Stuck as Si-eun? Park Ji-hoon's Confident Answer

I need to confess something embarrassing.

Before I randomly stumbled across Weak Hero on Netflix, I knew absolutely nothing about Park Ji-hoon. Zero. Zilch. Nada.

Being Korean, I must've seen his face on TV at some point, right? But here's what puzzles me—how did I just walk past a face that's definitely not forgettable?

His parents probably high-five each other every morning when they see the son they created. That visual is just... insane.

But for the past few years, I'd basically been a working machine. Even though I'm a total couch potato, I had zero time for TV except Netflix on Friday nights when I'd come home completely wiped out.

Then boom. Got smacked by a Weak Hero accident.

Here's what made it special: It was pretty much my first time watching a drama with zero knowledge about the lead actor. I wasn't thinking "oh that's the idol Park Ji-hoon playing Si-eun." I was just... completely immersed in Si-eun himself.

I binged all 8 episodes in one night. During episode 7, I was clutching my heart, hugging a pillow, crying in the dark. After watching through to episode 8 where Si-eun transfers to Eunjang High, I finally calmed down enough to Google those three syllables: "Park Ji-hoon."

Wow.

We mainly use this Korean internet encyclopedia called Namuwiki when searching for celebrities. And wow... Park Ji-hoon was this completely popular idol that only I didn't know about?

His career looked like someone born to be an entertainer:

Isn't this the full entertainer course?

Before googling, I'd unconsciously assumed Weak Hero was his debut and he was a rookie. I couldn't help but be surprised learning he'd had a singing career as a boy group member and even appeared on Produce 101.

But here's where I thought: this kid is really smart.

Anyone familiar with Produce 101 knows—it's especially known for "evil editing."

Connecting scenes that don't match context to create negative narratives. Excessively highlighting competition to ramp up tension.

Basically, gathering desperate teenage celebrity wannabes and making them compete.

So I was worried. What if he came across as too desperately trying to win? He was still just a kid. Wasn't he hurt appearing on this brutal program?

With these worried feelings, I started checking videos of his activities...

But what do you know?

This pretty-faced cute boy was cleverly "using" the program.

Fans gave him the joke nickname "a self-employed businessman who knows how to use his face." He understood his visual appeal points really well. Watching him create his signature to be memorable to the public, I felt he had extraordinary mental strength.

He seemed like a clever teenage boy who knew exactly what expressions to make and what to say to appear cute yet likeable. I could even glimpse moments where he controlled his emotions to avoid being manipulated by the "evil editing."

Rather than getting tired and hurt by the competition, Ji-hoon accepted it while setting his goals—then rushed toward becoming known to the public and ultimately making it into the debut group Wanna One.

This was exactly why Director Yoo Su-min cast Park Ji-hoon as Si-eun.

According to what Director Yoo revealed directly:

Despite having this pretty, cat-like face full of aegyo and seeming soft in every way—there's this solid inner strength and achievement-oriented, perfectionist side.

He actually revealed in a GQ magazine interview:

Other Wanna One members confirmed:

I think this gap is exactly why Director Yoo decided to cast him as Si-eun.

The strength hidden behind his pretty appearance. His professional personality meticulously running toward goals. And the mysterious synchronization between his real self and Si-eun—all of this perfectly matched.

The more I learned about Ji-hoon, the more this question came to mind:

What would it feel like to stand in front of cameras and experience the adult world from age 7?

There are tons of cases of child actors suffering from drug addiction, mental trauma, and self-destructive behavior as adults. Stories of kids eventually losing themselves while trying to handle adult gazes and expectations.

So when Ji-hoon said in an interview:

I felt this deep loneliness.

Through various interviews, I could feel that Ji-hoon identified with aspects of himself he saw in Si-eun.

When he said he acted with the mindset "I had no friends, so at least you should have friends"—this seemed like a wish to create the childhood bonds he never experienced for Si-eun. And a longing to comfort his younger self.

But Ji-hoon transformed this experience into an asset for growth.

The emotional depth of all of Si-eun's acting in Weak Hero was extraordinary. Being lonely, isolating himself, built-up anger erupting, showing radiant smiles to friends, going absolutely ballistic after losing them.

I thought, "A rookie actor acts this well?"

But I realized I could experience adrenaline rushes and tears streaming down because of Ji-hoon's perfectionist approach.

For example:

Here's the thing about actors: Many fear getting typecast. If a role becomes too popular, they worry about being forever stuck in that image.

But what about Park Ji-hoon?

He was the complete opposite.

This response seemed like incredible confidence to me.

While other actors fear being trapped in one character, Ji-hoon seemed confident that his real self was recognized through that character.

It's not the pretty, cute winking boy image. But his authentic self—including deep inner thoughts and wounds—that was loved by people.

Pretty male entertainers often do drastic physical bulk-ups or sudden image transformations to show tough masculinity. They fear being solidified into that pretty image.

But through Ji-hoon's trajectory and interviews, I became convinced he knows the public isn't just seeing him as a pretty idol or cute boy.

He made us immersed in Weak Hero by acting so perfectly he already looked like Si-eun himself. Through deep acting skills and perfectionist professionalism, he received recognition from viewers.

I can feel that confidence from Ji-hoon. He already knows the public isn't just consuming him for cute images. So why rush into image transformation?

He's clever.