Actor Ju Ji-hoon plays the role of a shopkeeper in Disney+'s new original series “Light Shop.” Courtesy of Walt Disney Company Korea

Disney+'s new original series “Light Shop” might initially appear as a horror mystery. However, beneath the chilling suspense of its ghostly storyline lies a deeper message about the various relationships of loved ones standing at death's door.

Actor Ju Ji-hoon / Courtesy of Walt Disney Company Korea

“I don't think this series is a type of work that is driven by the actors' emotions. The message comes first and then the actors,” the drama's protagonist Ju Ji-hoon told The Korea Times during an interview at a cafe in Jung District, Seoul, Friday.

The eight-part series, based on the webtoon of the same name by “Moving” creator Kang Full, follows a group of strangers on the brink of the afterlife, who are mysteriously drawn to a light shop situated in a dubious alley. A cautious shopkeeper, Jung Won-young (Ju), guards the shop, which holds the key to the strangers' past, present, and future.

Ju took on his role in the series without hesitation, drawn by his admiration for Kang's storytelling, particularly since the series was adapted by the writer.

“I'm a fan of writer Kang. I grew up reading all his webtoons from when I was young and I really, really love the plots that Kang creates … In this work, there are no supporting characters. Each character has their own narrative and these narratives all interconnect and push the plot forward. Ultimately, they all intertwine,” he said, expressing his appreciation for the depth and intricacy of the series.

“Without alienating anyone, as a writer, he diligently creates stories by putting himself into each character one by one. And I love that warm perspective that Kang has.”

Ju plays the enigmatic shopkeeper, who harbors his own traumatic past. To save his daughter, he sacrifices himself to become the sole owner of the shop, positioned between the afterlife and the world of the living. While tending to the shop, he encounters a variety of strangers, helping them choose their fate before death.

A scene from the thriller mystery series “Light Shop” / Courtesy of Walt Disney Company Korea

The actor interprets his character not merely as a figure, but as an observer, focusing on finding the balance needed to assist each visitor with their emotions.

“Rather than thinking of my character as a specific individual, I thought he reflects the director's and the viewer's perspective … Instead of focusing on how I would act, the point was about what needed to be conveyed in scenes and through the interaction with each character in front of me,” he explained.

“This light shop itself drives the plot. As the host, the guests keep changing, and each one has a different rhythm and character... So, there was nothing I could prepare alone. I had to discuss each counterpart with the director, and we monitored and adjusted accordingly.”

Ju shared that he experienced an emotion he'd never felt before in acting during a poignant scene where he cries upon realizing he survived a building collapse alone, without his daughter. This devastating moment ultimately leads him to become the shopkeeper. The shop's original owner passed it on to him against his will, and the weight of surviving without his daughter overwhelmed him, bringing him to tears.

“It was a strange feeling. If I remember correctly, it was an emotion I was experiencing for the first time. Until then, sad acting was about my own emotions, the grief I felt. But this wasn't about me being sad. It was the emotion of 'what do I do, my daughter is so helpless' — a feeling of empathy,” he said.

“It wasn't that I was sad, but rather that I felt such deep concern (leading to sobbing). It felt strange both while I was doing it and even afterward. I think I've felt a similar emotion somewhere before.”