Rowoon's Gritty Transformation Shines in 'The Murky Stream' Before Enlistment

In the weeks leading up to his military enlistment this month, Rowoon's performance in the drama 'The Murky Stream' has landed with striking clarity. The actor has dialed down his usual glamour to spotlight a steely, expressive gaze that anchors a raw portrait of survival and resolve.

Framed around the turbulent trade lifeline of Gyeonggang, the series tracks those who push back against a corrupted order to reclaim their dignity. Rowoon leads the cast as Si-yul, a onetime warrior hopeful who hides his past and toils at the Mapo ferry. As a lone wolf fighting the pull of local thugs, Rowoon compresses anger into a low flame, matching the drama's "tiger in a snare" metaphor.

Rowoon's prior period romances have informed the measured tenderness he brings to his scenes with merchant heiress Choi Eun, played by Shin Ye-eun. Their long, steady eye contact seeds a wary recognition, hinting at a bond forged in shared defiance. Director Choo Chang-min's mandate to "take away his handsomeness" has yielded a harsher, lower-class styling that paradoxically magnifies Rowoon's micro-expressions and physical storytelling, earning praise for his relentless preparation and scene-by-scene commitment.