SEOUL, Nov. 4 (Yonhap) -- "Just a year ago, I was lying at home, watching other actors' activities and feeling envious. I still can't believe that the things I had long wished for are now coming true."

Actor Park Si-woo, 25, repeatedly described his current life as "like a dream" during a recent interview with Yonhap News Agency in Susong-dong, Jongno-gu, Seoul, as he travels around the world for domestic and overseas fan meetings and attends fashion weeks in Paris, Milan and Hong Kong.

"I'm having such happy days that I sometimes wonder if I'm really the person receiving all this love," he said with a smile. "The dreams and goals I want to achieve have also become more diverse."

Park rose to prominence after his first leading role in a drama based on a web novel of the same name became a hit at home and abroad.

The series was released on the streaming platform Wavve in June and topped the real-time drama rankings twice.

It also ranked No. 1 in the daily and weekly drama charts on Japan's Fuji TV streaming platform FOD. On China's global streaming platform iQIYI, it topped the daily and weekly Asian drama rankings in Europe and North America, as well as the daily, weekly and monthly rankings in Vietnam.

Park's social media following surged to 600,000 after the series' release, from just 1,000 beforehand.

Laughing, he said, "People around me thought I had bought my followers." He added, "It's true that the more fans I gain, the greater the pressure becomes. I also spend a lot of time thinking about what I need to do to show a better side of myself."

Park debuted in 2022 as a member of the boy group BLANK2Y after competing in two audition programs: Mnet's "Produce X 101" in 2019 and MBC's "Extreme Debut: Wild Idol" in 2021. His activities as an idol, however, did not achieve the results he had hoped for. In 2024, he tried again through iQIYI's Korea-China joint audition program "Starlight Boys," but was eliminated before making the final debut lineup.

After giving up his long-held dream of becoming an idol, he enrolled in an acting academy and worked to hone his skills. His decision to pursue acting opened a new path, with his first leading role drawing considerable attention.

"Since things weren't going well with my dream of becoming an idol, I began to think that it wasn't the right path for me. I had a lot of doubts about acting, too, because it was so difficult. But when I finally watched the finished series, I was deeply moved. It made me certain that acting was what I had really wanted to do."

Together with Kim Yun-sik, his co-star in the recent drama, Park has been meeting fans through events in Seoul, Macau, Bangkok, Hong Kong and Ho Chi Minh City. In China in particular, he has received such an outpouring of affection that letters sent by fans have reportedly weighed about 1 ton.

"I'm still staying up all night reading the letters, and more are still arriving by ship," he said. "Whenever I'm having a hard time, I take them out and read them to regain strength. These days, I sometimes feel that I'm living thanks to my fans' letters."

Drawing on his experience as an idol, Park has also performed dance covers at fan meetings, including ENHYPEN's "No Doubt" and TWS' "Plot Twist," earning enthusiastic responses.

"I know that fans go to great lengths and travel long distances to meet me," he said. "I want the fan meeting itself to be a happy and memorable experience for them. That's why we hold frequent meetings to make sure I show something different on every stage."

Park recently founded the entertainment agency Enough Company and became its chief executive. Leading his own agency had been a long-held dream.

"My dream was to establish my own company with the direction I wanted to pursue. I had many concerns, but I wanted to make a choice that I wouldn't regret."

As the head of the company, Park said his goal is to build an agency where both he and his employees can grow together.

"I started the company because I wanted to pursue my own dreams, so I hope the employees can freely pursue theirs, too," he said. "I think they trust me and follow the path I'm taking. I also try to listen carefully to their opinions."

He has recently been personally holding auditions for rookie actors, seeking talent who can grow alongside the company.

"Whenever I see people taking part in our auditions, I often feel moved because I see myself in them," he said. "The company is still small, but I'll work harder so that it can become a big one someday. I want us to nurture our dreams together."

From multiple auditions to debut as an idol, to his transition to acting and the establishment of an entertainment agency, Park's journey has been marked by one challenge after another. Looking back on the many moments when things did not go as planned but he refused to give up, he said he had persevered through sheer determination.

"I think sincere longing does pay off," he said. "In the past, the saying that 'if you wait long enough, an opportunity will come someday' often felt vague to me. But after receiving so much love, I've realized that opportunities really do come to those who want something desperately."

Park said he is preparing for his next project, hinting that the role will show a different side of him from his previous work.

He also has strong ambitions to showcase his abilities in various fields beyond acting, including fashion and music.

"I want to remain someone who is consistent and doesn't change. But when it comes to acting, I want to become an actor whose previous work doesn't come to mind, making people say, 'Was that really the same person?' Above all, I'll work hard to become an actor who is never a source of embarrassment to my fans."

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