Bright and Warm: Lomon Park

After the success of Squid Game last year, Netflix once again found a hit with its original Korean drama All Of Us Are Dead. The zombie series broke the streaming platform’s Korean drama record, and set off a craze around the world. A highlight in the show is the performance of Park Solomon (alias Lomon Park) in the leading role of Lee Soo-hyuk. With a tall figure, sunny disposition, and an affectionate and loyal personality, Park’s character was a standout role.

On the day of this interview, news had already broken that a second season of All Of Us Are Dead had been confirmed. We had to ask Lomon what his thoughts were on the success of the show. He smiled tenderly, expressing gratitude to the show’s director, cast and crew; its many fans around the world, and hoped to bring the second season to viewers soon.

The process of filming the first season was a memorable one for Lomon, who says he’s still reminded of it today. There is a scene in episode eight, for example, when the characters are stuck on a rooftop and gather around a bonfire to sing. “That scene warms my heart,” says Lomon. “When we huddled around the bonfire—which seemed to represent little flames of hope—everyone opened their hearts to each other.” It’s been a long time since the show and that scene were filmed, but Lomon still hums the song to himself when he’s tired. “It gives me comfort,” he says. “It was winter when we filmed All Of Us Are Dead, and when I think back on it now the memories are warm and comforting.” He admits that, while every moment of making the show was special, the rooftop scene has especially stuck with him. He even recommends singing the song to anyone who’s tired and needs some comfort.

SINCERITY AND ENTHUSIASM

Lomon first debuted in 2016 as an actor in Horror Stories 3, an anthology series of short films. In the blink of an eye, he’s now been in the industry for six years and become a major actor in the Korean entertainment industry. He’s grateful for the love and support of his fans, and feels he still has room for improvement. I ask him how his performances have changed over the years. He unexpectedly confesses that as focussed and committed as he looks on screen, he still gets nervous in front of the camera.

His desire to perform well is real. When he was young, Lomon initially had dreams of becoming an idol singer. But when he accidentally discovered an interest in acting, he began studying the craft and taking acting lessons. “I’m passionate and sincere about acting, so I’ll do my best for any role I’m in. I’m as serious about it now as I was when I was younger,” he says.

Lomon’s acting career has, in this writer’s opinion, been growing smoothly. There are of course still setbacks in the process, but they’ve mostly been dealt with. Lomon has a vague memory of the difficulties he’s encountered since joining the industry. But, he says, “when I encounter these, I usually try to deal with it with a positive attitude. I’ll analyse the reasons behind these challenges, and maybe it’s my personality but I have a habit of examining my mistakes and deficiencies.” For now, Lomon is going all out and becoming the person he wants to be, with the hopes of being an actor who exudes positive energy.

TRAINING FOR POSITIVE ENERGY

In addition to the second season of All Of Us Are Dead, which begins filming this year, Lomon’s work schedule has not let up. Our conversation gradually moves from his career to how he balances work and rest. Lomon, who loves sports, says that exercise is how he relieves stress. “Even if I have to sleep less, I’ll make time for exercise. It clears my mind and strengthens me.”

He also reveals that before filming, he would amp up his exercise routine to create the right physique for the character. “Because the work I’m getting is mostly action-type, and characters who are good at fighting, I have to develop a certain figure to express a strong image.” He happens to be close to his older brother, a professional physical trainer, who has helped him in his preparation for these roles. He discusses it with his brother, and they work together to train and build a suitable figure for it.

When we talk about sports, Lomon seems to open up and share more of his observations about himself. After exercising in the morning, he has a habit of checking in on how he’s doing. “On days when I’m in a good condition, it’s very easy to start exercising and things feel like they’re going well. But when I’m tired, not only do I not want to exercise, but it’s harder for me to do or concentrate on things.” But the more he doesn’t want to, the harder he pushes himself. When he overcomes that, he says he feels a sense of pride and his mental quality improves. He also doesn’t hesitate to admit that when faced with challenges, he seeks out people around him with experience for advice.

SIMPLE PLEASURES

Even when he’s not working, Lomon maintains an exercise regimen to keep a healthy lifestyle. He also likes the simple pleasures of dining with family and friends, happily adding that “ordinary days are happy days!”

“Meeting with family and friends, enjoying food, chatting about our lives and talking about anything under the sun.” Hearing this should give one an idea of Lomon’s down-to-earth and sunny personality. The young man before me exudes warmth, and as we talk about exercise, travel and food, he expresses how important a regular diet is to him. “A perfect day to me is a day with three meals on time.” He believes that eating breakfast, lunch and dinner properly is the way to having a good day. He gets restless and irritable when he doesn’t eat, and so tries his best to keep mealtimes regular.

He also tells us about a trip to Busan he took a while ago. Taking advantage of a break in his schedule, he planned a small trip to the city with his agent and close friends. During the trip he checked out many restaurants and drank red wine in the evenings. Though short, he found it fulfilling and healing and left wanting to travel more.

Throughout the process of this interview and story, Lomon kept thanking everyone—the filming and production crews, the teams on set—for a good time. And he did not forget to express gratitude to his fans, thanking them for their concern and love. “I’ll continue to work hard in order to repay everyone’s support. It’s thanks to everyone’s support that I’ve got such good opportunities, and I want to take the chance to thank my fans and wish them happiness and good health. I love you all!”