Korean Artist Kang Pool Reveals Park Jung-min Was Cast for 'Moving' and 'Lighting Store' Three Years Ago

In a recent interview, renowned webtoon artist Kang Pool disclosed that he had envisioned actor Park Jung-min for roles in both 'Moving' and 'Lighting Store' three years prior. The interview took place on December 24 at a café in Samcheong-dong, Jongno-gu, Seoul, where Kang discussed his latest Disney+ original series, 'Lighting Store' (조명가게), which recently concluded.

'Lighting Store' tells the story of a mysterious lighting shop that attracts customers with hidden secrets, and it follows Kang's previous success with 'Moving' (무빙). With the production of 'Moving 2' confirmed, Kang is gearing up for the next installment. The series finale featured a surprise cameo from Park Jung-min alongside Go Yoon-jung, thrilling fans of the franchise.

Park Jung-min plays Kim Young-tak, the protagonist from Kang's webtoon 'Timing' (타이밍), which has generated significant buzz. Kang revealed, "I actually cast Park Jung-min three years ago. I thought he should appear briefly in 'Moving' as a background character."

Kang recounted how he had a meal with a mutual acquaintance to discuss the possibility of casting Park for a significant role in 'Timing'. They both expressed their familiarity with the webtoon during their conversation.

Kang had always intended for Park to make a cameo in 'Moving', but due to production constraints, they used another actor for the brief appearance. However, with the assurance of 'Moving 2', Kang felt it was the right time to connect the stories in 'Lighting Store' and reached out to Park early in the filming process, humorously stating, "The time has come."

He explained that the ending of 'Lighting Store' features two post-credit scenes, one of which was written specifically for Park Jung-min and filmed in just one day.

Interestingly, Kang noted that he hadn't initially considered the physical resemblance between Park and the character Young-tak, but later found that they share similar features. He described Young-tak as a character who reluctantly engages in tasks despite his good nature, a trait he sees reflected in Park's acting style.

Kang also mentioned that during the initial release of 'Moving', fans speculated that actor Yoo Seung-ho would be cast as Kim Young-tak due to a coincidental detail in the script. He expressed surprise at the coincidence and shared his initial hesitation to ask Park for a cameo, fearing it might be inappropriate.

'Lighting Store' consists of eight episodes and is available for streaming on Disney+.

(Continued in Interview Part 3)