Veteran actor Choi Deok-mun transforms for new SBS drama

Choi Deok-mun is providing comic relief as a North Korean defector in the SBS drama 'Doctor X: Age of the White Mafia'. The veteran actor, who has appeared in three films that surpassed 10 million viewers, uses a radical afro hairstyle and North Korean dialect to portray Yang Eung-gu.

In the SBS Friday-Saturday drama 'Doctor X: Age of the White Mafia', there is an actor responsible for bringing laughter to viewers with a radical afro hairstyle and a sly North Korean dialect. Appearing as a North Korean defector oriental doctor who enjoys board games, he leaves a strong impression, but he is actually a veteran actor who has appeared in all three films that surpassed 10 million viewers: 'The Thieves', 'The Admiral: Roaring Currents', and 'Assassination'. The person behind this transformation, which makes even familiar faces difficult to recognize at once, is Choi Deok-mun.

Choi Deok-mun is refreshing the atmosphere of the drama playing the role of Yang Eung-gu in the SBS Friday-Saturday drama 'Doctor X: Age of the White Mafia'. Yang Eung-gu is a North Korean defector oriental doctor belonging to an oriental doctor service agency operated by Jang Hui-suk (Lee Jung-eun). While he was once known for having such excellent manual skills that he was called a "Grim Reaper," he now appears as a cheerful freelancer who lives enjoying board games.

Above all, his radical appearance captures the eye. With a puffed-up afro hairstyle reminiscent of an afro and the addition of a North Korean dialect, he radiates a unique presence from the moment he appears. As this is far from the serious and heavy impressions he has left in his previous works, not an insignificant number of viewers realize late that it is Choi Deok-mun.

In the broadcast on the 17th, Yang Eung-gu's unique way of speaking induced laughter. He delivered a cheerful reprimand with the line, "South Koreans, work harder," and showed a reversal charm by naturally mixing modern slang such as 'hal-mal-ha-am' and 'beon-tta' while using a North Korean dialect. He left a clear impression with only short appearances, creating breathing room in the medical noir genre that could have otherwise become heavy.

However, looking at Choi Deok-mun's filmography, it is difficult to explain his acting world with only the comic image of Yang Eung-gu. He played a casino manager in the 2012 film 'The Thieves', and in 2014's 'The Admiral: Roaring Currents', he appeared as the general Song Yeo-jong who assists General Yi Sun-sin. The following year, he played Hwang Deok-sam, who was deployed in an independence army sniper operation, in director Choi Dong-hun's 'Assassination'. As all three works are hits that surpassed 10 million viewers, his name is connected to major moments in Korean film history.

Since then, Choi Deok-mun has built a filmography regardless of genre and character. He showed unique acting in films such as 'The Throne', 'The Swindlers', 'Black Money', and 'The King's Letters', and in the 2022 release 'Noryang: Deadly Sea', he played the role of Song Hui-rip, appearing again as a person guarding General Yi Sun-sin alongside him following 'The Admiral: Roaring Currents'. In the 2023 Disney+ series 'Moving', he met viewers as Jeon Yeong-seok, and in the film 'Good News' released last December, he played the role of the Minister of National Defense.

His acting career, which began with the 1999 film 'Peppermint Candy', has led to appearances in over 60 films. His strength lies in being a supporting actor who makes the lead characters stand out in every work while giving a unique color to the characters he takes on. His qualities as a so-called "scene-stealer" who remains in the audience's memory even with short appearances are being fully revealed in 'Doctor X: Age of the White Mafia'.

His activities have also been steady on the small screen. He made his face known to viewers as Scholar Jo in the KBS2 drama 'Chuno' and as Samcheonpo's father in the tvN drama 'Reply 1994', and subsequently showed his presence in various works such as 'Vincenzo', 'Green Mothers' Club', 'Chief Detective 1958', and 'Good Partner'. Earlier this year, he showed a heavy performance different from his comic image by playing the role of Ha Ryun, the strategist for King Taejong, in the tvN drama 'The Queen Who Crowns'.

Choi Deok-mun has captivated audiences and viewers with the vitality of the characters themselves rather than flashy lead titles. While his history as an actor appearing in three 10-million-viewer films is impressive, his true competitiveness lies in his free-flowing transformations, moving between a general in historical dramas, a father in modern dramas, mysterious figures, and a sly North Korean defector oriental doctor.

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