Korean star Lee Min Ho says he auditioned for his role in ‘Pachinko’


Lee Min Ho with his best actor trophy he won at the 2020 SBS Drama Awards (Facebook / MYM Entertainment)

Korean star Lee Min Ho revealed that he auditioned for his role in Apple TV Plus’ original series “Pachinko,” his first in 11 years.

Lee Min Ho will be on the cover of the February 2021 issue of magazine GQ Korea. He had a photoshoot and during an interview with the magazine, the 33-year-old star of “The King: Eternal Monarch” talked about “Pachinko,” which was based on the historical novel of Korean-American author Min Jin Lee about four generations of a Korean immigrant family.

He will play the role of Hansu, a merchant who built up wealth and power through his ties with Yakuza.
Lee Min Ho was asked if his audition for “Pachinko” guaranteed him to bag the role. He said, “Not at all. It's been more than a decade since I auditioned (for a role), but the situation has changed from then."
"I thought it would be so embarrassing if I failed the audition, so I was determined to get the role. I worked really hard to prepare for the audition,” he said, according to SBS News.

He auditioned for the hit 2009 drama “Boys Over Flowers” in which he played the role of Gu Jun-pyo.

Lee Min Ho when he auditioned for “Pachinko,” he “felt extremely pressured about having to do well. I was nervous and excited at the same time, and I was beyond happy when I got the role."

The filming in Korea was completed in December and Lee Min Ho earlier said he would go to Canada in February to finish scenes.

“I’m done filming in Korea so I have a lot of time. I have about a month of free time ‘cause I have just to go wrap up filming in Canada,” he told fellow actor Lee Seung-gi in a video posted on his personal YouTube channel.
Last Dec. 31, Lee Min Ho won the top excellence award (actor) in the fantasy/romance miniseries category for “The King: Eternal Monarch” at the 2020 SBS Drama Awards.