[OSENWORLD] Lee Byung-hun thoughtfully reflects on time, dignity, and the quiet strength that comes with letting go in his latest WWD Korea cover story.
The acclaimed actor graces the magazine’s November issue, titled “The Weight and Grace of Time.” In the editorial, Lee embodies restrained elegance and calm authority, revealing the quiet presence of an actor shaped by decades in film.
In his accompanying interview, the veteran star — who will mark his 35th year in acting next year — opened up about his approach to life and longevity. “Whether things are going well or not, I always tell myself, ‘I’m okay,’” he said. “I believe that learning to let go is what truly makes you stronger.”
He continued, “Grace isn’t something you show to others; it’s an equilibrium that comes from being honest with yourself.” His words carry a quiet wisdom that mirrors his long and introspective career.
Lee also discussed his upcoming film, tentatively titled Can’t Be Helped, marking his first collaboration with acclaimed director Park Chan-wook. “Through this project, I explored the irony of how human-made systems can paradoxically strip away our humanity,” he said. Reflecting on one of the film’s key moments — a scene where his character pulls out a tooth — Lee described it as “a paradoxical moment of collapse and liberation, despair and freedom coexisting in one frame.”
When asked about the values he hopes to pass on to his child, Lee named “innocence” as the most precious. “There’s a ten-year-old child within everyone,” he said. “Keeping that sense of purity alive is the most enduring value one can hold on to.”
Touching on the passage of time, Lee admitted, “The older I get, the more I feel how limited time really is. Rather than trying to control everything, I’ve learned to let things flow naturally — and that’s where real strength begins.”
/k_inside@osen.co.kr
Courtesy of WWD Korea
