So Ji-sub Covers Dazed Korea With Cartier and Opens Up About the Role That Changed His Career

So Ji-sub graces the September 2026 cover of Dazed Korea in a shoot produced with Cartier, and in the accompanying interview he was more forthcoming about his career than he tends to be, naming Kim Bujang as the project that opened what he calls the second chapter of his acting life.

The cover and editorial feature So Ji-sub in a range of looks built around Cartier watches and jewelry. In the interview, he said pairing the pieces pushed him toward combinations he would not normally attempt. "Matching Cartier pieces and experiencing a new style different from my usual one was interesting," he said. "I felt again that changing up your styling can be a good kind of stimulation." He added that the shoot made him want to approach his personal style more boldly going forward.

The role fans still call him by

The interview's more substantial moment came when the conversation turned to Kim Bujang, the recent series that clearly left a mark. "People still call me Kim Bujang," So Ji-sub said. "That tells me how much love the show received." He then offered a rare piece of career autobiography: "If Sorry, I Love You was the work that opened Act One of my acting life, I think Kim Bujang is the work that opened Act Two."

He elaborated on the affection that title now carries for him. "The name Kim Bujang has become something I genuinely treasure. As an actor, it means a great deal to know that people still remember you through a piece of work, even as time passes."

The anxiety that never fully goes away

So Ji-sub also spoke about the particular feeling he gets each time he steps into a new project, one that mixes apprehension with excitement in roughly equal measure. "Starting a new project is when I feel it most acutely," he said. "Presenting a new story and a new character always comes with a lot of worry, but just as much anticipation."

That uncertainty does not diminish with experience, he noted. "Before I start a project, I always wonder: how should I show this, and can I really embody this character? Even if I have played similar roles before, the moment I meet a new character, it feels like going back to the very beginning."

So Ji-sub debuted in 1995 as a model for Brand Storm before moving into drama. His television credits include Bali where? What Happened in Bali, Sorry, I Love You, Cain and Abel, Master's Sun, and My Secret Terrius, along with the film A Dirty Carnival. His most recent work is Gwangjang and Kim Bujang, the latter now occupying a particular place in how he reads his own career.