Kim Beom: Getting To Know Him

In his interview with ISplus (reporter Lee Dong Hyun) published on March 16, Kim Beom reveals that work is more important than dating for now.

ISplus (IS): You seem like you would be a playboy like Boys Over Flowers‘ So Yi Jeong.

Kim Beom (KB): Thank you for the compliment, but we’re actually quite different. Due to my extreme shyness, I can’t get along with people that easily, let alone have the skill to seduce women. Although, I do have some characteristics similar to So Yi Jeong such as being cool-headed, not showing my inner feelings easily, etc. Come to think of it, when I was young, many girls my age used to follow me around a lot. (Laughs.)

IS: Have you ever had a girlfriend?
KB: Up til now, I have never had a girlfriend. I’ve always been very preoccupied with something, so it seems that my mind hasn’t been free to have a girlfriend. I don’t think I’ll that freedom for some time to come.

IS: Are you sure you aren’t like So Yi Jeong who is a playboy, but has blocked off his heart from women with an emotional wall?
KB: Come to think of it, that could be true too. However, Yi Jung developed that attitude due to his playboy father. I am like this because I am devoted to work, which thus far has more value and importance than a girlfriend. Still, I have a lot of female friends such as Boys Over Flowers‘ (Ga Eul) Kim So Eun, Park Shin Hye, and Go Ara, etc. that I get along well with. (KP’s note: All three actresses are his classmates in Chung-Ang University’s Theatre & Film program.)

IS: If you get a girlfriend, what kind of present would you most want?
KB: I’d like to receive a meal (lunch box) made directly by her. With a busy filming schedule, I skip meals often. At such times, if I could eat a homemade meal by my girlfriend, I think it would spring forth energy (strength) that wasn’t there.

IS: Who is number 1 on your cellular phone speed dial?
KB: The agency representative and hyung that I trust and depend on the most. There are many things to discuss (consult) with him, so I put him as speed dial number 1 in order to speak on the phone with him often. Even if I do get a girlfriend, I don’t think I will change my speed dial number 1.

IS: What will you do if your parents oppose your marriage like Boys Over Flowers’ Gu Jun Pyo?

KB: If I love [that person] to the point of wanting to get married but can’t due to the opposition of those around me, I would regret it forever. I would [try to] persuade them again and again until they give me permission. I have lived with such integrity that my parents have remarkable faith in me. They will accept my wish.

IS: What is your life motto?
KB: “You may lose once, but don’t lose again.” As you live life, you can encounter failures and you can make mistakes. I don’t want to suffer the same setback by making the same mistake again. [The motto means that] although a person cannot be perfect, one should try his or her best in order to get closer to perfection.

IS: When was the greatest crisis [you've faced] in life so far?
KB: I don’t consider a crisis you cannot overcome as a crisis. Although I’ve had trivial cases that were difficult, I’ve overcome them. I don’t think that I’ve experienced any extraordinary crisis.

IS: If you became a chaebol (plutocrat) like in Boys Over Flowers, what would you most want to do?
KB: I don’t want to become a chaebol. I want to always have dreams and put in intense effort in order to achieve those dreams. I think if I become a chaebol, I might become indolent (lazy) and lose sight of my dreams.

IS: Which websites do you have bookmarked?
KB: Portal sites such as Daum and Naver. I can come by a variety of information such as news in a short amounth of time.

IS: Do you read internet comments [regarding yourself] and take them seriously? Is there a negative comment that remains on your mind?
KB: There was a time at the beginning of my debut when I agonized over negative comments that I don’t even want to recall now. After that, I made up my mind not to pay attention to negative internet comments. I usually don’t read those kinds of comments, but there doesn’t seem to be a lot.

IS: Have you ever left a comment (reply) on the Internet?
KB: There hasn’t a single time when I have added a reply.

IS: What are some objects that you always carry around in your bag?
KB: My cellphone and wallet. I only put things that I absolutely need in my bag.

IS: How do you manage your income and how much allowance do you [get and] spend?
KB: I manage my own income so there’s no separate allowance. Truthfully, lately I haven’t even had time to spend money.

IS: Do you have any superstitions or customs?
KB: I can’t sleep before the first day of filming. I go to set after staying up all night. But I act better because my mind has become clearer. From a certain point in time, I decided not to sleep. However, there is the disadvantage of my physical condition being worse.

IS: What method do you use to relieve extreme stress?
KB: I meet up with cheerful people. Although I’m on the quiet side, I find that stress is relieved as I laugh when absorbed in pleasant conversations with pleasant people.

IS: Do you have any sleeping habits?
KB: I wouldn’t k now my own sleeping habits. People who have slept with me on vacation haven’t said anything in particular about it.

IS: Which athlete do you like the most?
KB: Manchester United’s Cristiano Ronaldo. He plays the kind of soccer that I dreamt about when I was a soccer player in middle school.

IS: Which three objects would you take with you if you had to be stuck on a deserted island?
KB: A [handheld] video game console, a DVD player, and also a cellphone. If I watched movies on the DVD player and play video games in between, I think it would be enjoyable even on a deserted island. I would need the cellular phone to request aid (a rescue) when I get bored. Does a cellphone work on a deserted island, you ask? I saw a commercial awhile ago where jjajangmyun (black bean noodles) was even ordered for delivery using a cellphone.

IS: If you were given a perfectly [schedule-]free day, what would you want to do?
KB: No matter how leisurely the one day is, wouldn’t the next day be busy? In order to prepare [for the following day], it probably won’t be completely free. I would want to just go somewhere nearby and get some fresh air and cool my head (mind) for a bit.



Source: ISPlus
Trans Credit: KPCulture