Song Joong-ki delves into themes of guilt in ‘My Name is Loh Kiwan’

Seven years ago, actor Song Joong-ki turned down the casting offer for “My Name is Loh Kiwan” because he wasn’t convinced about the plot at that time.

Years later, he changed his mind. Suddenly the storyline made perfect sense, he said.

“I thought it was a luxury for Kiwan to fall for someone at such a dire moment in his life. Personally, I would have been mired in guilt,” the actor said during a group interview in Seoul on Wednesday.

When he was offered the role for the second time around, however, he could feel empathy for the character.

“I asked myself, ‘What constitutes a good life?’ Wouldn’t it be best for a weak person to live well by associating and getting along with others? What I thought at that time may be different now,” he said.

Netflix’s original Korean film “My Name is Loh Kiwan” follows the main protagonist, Kiwan (Song), as he precariously embarks on a journey to live life on his own terms. He tries to rediscover the meaning of life after encountering Marie (Choi Sung-eun), a woman who, like him, clings to the edge of despair after her mother’s death. The two begin to form an unexpected emotional bond with each other and see hope even at their lowest points in life.

Song explained that the film explores themes of guilt, illustrated in a scene where the tearful Kiwan kneels down to wipe away the road soaked with his mother’s blood.

“In that scene, I aimed to portray a person who feels suffocated by guilt, almost to the point of death,” he said.

He eventually comes to terms with his mother’s death and frees himself from guilt. Never once a quitter in his life, Kiwan perseveres to eventually find healing through his relationship with Marie.

In yet another crucial scene, Kiwan asks Marie if he deserves to be happy with her after all the things he thought he had done wrong, a line the actor actually suggested to the writer-director Kim Hee-jin.

“I thought Kiwan wanted to hear from the very person he loves so much that it is not your fault.”

The illustrious actor has portrayed various characters in hit movies and TV series, such as “A Werewolf Boy” (2012), “Descendants of the Sun” (2016), “Vincenzo” (2022) and “Hopeless” (2023). Despite his extensive repertoire, the director previously mentioned that audiences could still discover new dimensions of his talent in this film.

During a press conference last week, she said Song possesses a visage that evokes a sense of melancholy while exhibiting a stern countenance that could prompt a recoil.

The actor said that he purposely tries to avoid repeating similar roles.

“I don’t particularly have any roles that I want to play. But I always want to try different genres,” he said. “I am into horror films these days.”

“My Name is Loh Kiwan” was released Friday on the streaming platform.