"Senior Choi Yang-rak was nervous, and I was nervous too." Actor Park Jung-min proved his passion for the 'Listening Novel' project as the representative of the publishing house Mujé.

On the afternoon of the 17th, the event titled 'How I Read Books - My Bookstore Concert' was held at the National Library of Korea International Conference Center located in Banpo-dong, Seocho-gu, Seoul. This session was organized by the National Library for the Disabled and was dedicated to discussing the debut work 'First Summer, Wanju' of the 'Listening Novel' project represented by actor Park Jung-min. Park Jung-min attended as the representative of Mujé and discussed the audiobook with author Kim Geum-hee and Baek In-ha, head of the Actor Research Institute.

The 'Listening Novel' project is an audiobook initiative for visually impaired readers launched through the publishing house Mujé, which Park Jung-min established in 2019. Mujé, which previously published 'Saving Lives' and 'Sister's Diary', is showcasing the 'Listening Novel' project through its third work, 'First Summer, Wanju'. In line with the purpose of the audiobook, the 'Listening Novel' disrupts the traditional publishing practice of releasing audiobooks after print editions, instead presenting audiobooks first. Moreover, it was first supplied through the National Library for the Disabled to visually impaired readers. The audiobook will be released through Willa on the 28th, followed by the print book's release to general readers in May.

Park Jung-min noted, "Actually, it's quite unusual for a representative of any publishing house to appear at such a book talk, so I felt quite embarrassed." Nevertheless, he expressed his responsibility as the representative of Mujé, saying, "I hope it will be an opportunity to listen to the writer's stories while I help from the side. I appreciate your cooperation."

During the book talk, several scenes from the audiobook of 'First Summer, Wanju' were revealed on-site. The first scene featured exchanges in the Chungcheong dialect between the protagonist Yeolmae and her grandfather, which brought some light laughter. Notably, actress Go Min-si provided the voice of Yeolmae, while comedian Choi Yang-rak voiced the grandfather, creating surprise. The famous voices of star actors, resembling radio drama, were vividly depicted.

Author Kim Geum-hee, whose debut was in 2009 through the Korea Daily's New Spring Literary Contest, has published numerous works such as 'The Heart of Kyung-ae', 'To Bok-ja', 'The Report of a Large Greenhouse', 'Only One Person's Claim', and 'Love in the Middle of the Day'. Additionally, she has swept major awards in Korean literature, including the Young Writer Award, the Shin Dong-yup Literary Award, the Modern Literature Award, and the Kim Seung-ok Literary Award, capturing the sensibilities of contemporary times.

Regarding Choi Yang-rak's impeccable Chungcheong dialect, Kim Geum-hee said, "It was a new experience to hear new characters come to life with the voices of actors. When it comes to Chungcheong dialect, Senior Choi Yang-rak is the original, so after listening to the audiobook, I fixed some parts. I even included the trademark phrase 'Eollariyo?' in the print book," she laughed.

The 'Listening Novel' project of Mujé features an impressive cast that amazed even the author. Park Jung-min expressed his gratitude by saying, "It was about last summer. I received the manuscript from the writer and pondered who to ask for casting. I couldn’t pay anyone. But, incredibly, all the actors I envisioned came to help with good intentions without hesitation."

Among them, the first casting that moved Park Jung-min was Choi Yang-rak. Park Jung-min recalled, "The key was the grandfather, Senior Choi Yang-rak. I was wondering who could embody this role. I wanted to ask Senior Choi, but I had no way to contact him, so I searched for his contact details. I sent a lengthy text asking if he could assist in preparing this project. He called me right away and asked, 'Who are you?' I texted, 'This is actor Park Jung-min, and I am preparing this project,' but he hadn’t seen the part saying 'actor Park Jung-min' since the message was so long," he recounted, causing laughter in the audience.

He continued, "He said, 'With such wonderful actors, what can I do?' I suggested it would be great if he could help, and he replied, 'It's a good thing, I should do it.' Then he asked, 'Sorry, but could you send me a photo?' So I took a selfie right there and sent it to him. He texted back, 'Oh, I really enjoyed that. I also liked 'Dongjoo', but I couldn't match the name with your face,'" revealing further casting anecdotes that added to the laughter.

Park Jung-min expressed his gratitude once again, stating, "Senior Choi Yang-rak was the first to record. All the participating actors recorded separately. Since they are such outstanding actors, it seems that they could naturally perform without any awkwardness." Kim Geum-hee also remarked, "Actually, I purposely didn't ask about it. After listening to the result, I reacted, 'You’re great, President! Hooray!' because he went through so much effort. And I wanted to open presents in an official setting. I remember that Senior Choi mentioned he was nervous while recording," she smiled.

In the end, Park Jung-min noted, "We were both nervous. I was nervous, and Senior said, 'What if I can't do well while the actors are recording?' However, the laughter like interjections came from the sounds we exchanged while talking, capturing that authentic Chungcheong dialect."

Mujé is a publishing house established with the intention of discussing the overlooked matters pertaining to the 'actor' Park Jung-min. Through the 'Listening Novel' project, which has opened with 'First Summer, Wanju' following 'Saving Lives' and 'Sister's Diary', it proposes a new reading experience that conveys the emotion of literature not only through print but also through voice.

[Photo] OSEN reporter Kim Seong-rak.

[OSEN]