Oh Jung-se's performance in the movie 'Wild Sing' has taken the internet by storm.
'Wild Sing', which was released on June 3, ranked second at the box office for two consecutive days. Its cumulative audience stands at 222,535. Although it has not yet surpassed 'COLONY', which recently topped 4 million viewers, the response from actual moviegoers is highly enthusiastic, raising expectations for a potential turnaround this weekend.
'Wild Sing' is a comedy film about "Triangle," a three-member co-ed dance group that once dominated the music industry but disbanded overnight due to an unexpected incident. The movie follows their reckless challenge to seize a chance at a comeback 20 years later.
Before its release, the film garnered attention as actors Gang Dongwon, Um Tae-goo, and Park Ji-hyun perfectly recreated the early 2000s group "Triangle." However, now that the movie is in theaters, it is Oh Jung-se, who plays ballad singer Choi Sung-gon, who is stealing the spotlight.
Choi Sung-gon, played by Oh Jung-se, is an emotional balladeer loved by teenage fans for his song "I Like You." However, he is an ill-fated singer who ranked second for 39 weeks, overshadowed by the meteoric rise of "Triangle." Sporting neatly combed bobbed hair and an ivory chiffon blouse, Oh Jung-se presents an elegant(?) figure while singing the simple lyrics: "I like you, I like you, I like you because you're pretty (pretty). I like you, I like you, I like you because you're kind (kind)." Oh Jung-se's "fatal" performance, complete with deadly facial expressions, delivers non-stop laughter throughout the film, carrying the comedy of 'Wild Sing'.
As images and videos of Choi Sung-gon spread across online communities and social media, the viral effect is growing. The film's distributor, Lotte Entertainment, released the music video for "I Like You" on the movie's release day, June 3.
"I Like You" is a meticulous homage to the drama-style, sad-ending music videos that dominated the music scene in the early 2000s. From lip-syncing deeply immersed in sorrowful emotions to a faint love story with a first love, it slyly summons the sentimentality of that era, simultaneously triggering laughter and nostalgia. On top of that, the nostalgic 4:3 aspect ratio, retro filters, exaggerated "soft-focus lighting," and intense eye-lighting effects perfectly recreate the analog mood of the time.
The highlight is Oh Jung-se's acting. "Choi Sung-gon," cradling an autoharp and casting a melancholy gaze, fully immerses himself in the character by striking his signature "Love You" pose whenever the lyrics of "I Like You" repeat. Oh Jung-se's passionate performance is all the more hilarious because he is so deadpan serious.
The music video surpassed 1.09 million views in just two days, racking up 5,738 comments on YouTube alone. Many showed off their wit and humor with comments such as, "This music video looks like they suddenly woke Oh Jung-se up from a nap at home and rushed to make it," "I hope people listen to it a lot so it can rank 2nd in 2026 as well," "I hate myself for coming back to listen to this again... but I'm already addicted," and "For some reason, I feel like this song will be sung a lot at weddings."
'Wild Sing' finished filming last summer. It is reported that this music video was filmed while preparing for the movie's release about a year later. Oh Jung-se once again put on the wig and sang "I Like You~" in front of the camera.
(SBS Entertainment News | Kim Ji-hye)