The grass might be greener on the other side but not necessarily better.
South Korean actor Choi Jin-hyuk plays second-generation heir Kang Du-jun in his new K-drama Positively Yours, and in a recent interview, AsiaOne asked what he loves and dislikes about the chaebol lifestyle.
“I would be lying if I said I wasn’t envious of the way a chaebol can do as he pleases without much thought or concern haha,” the 40-year-old said.
“But at the same time, the way people constantly treat him with formality and keep a distance felt a bit burdensome for me personally, since that’s quite different from my actual personality.”
But apart from Du-jun’s career, Jin-hyuk feels they are “very similar in many ways”.
“We share a lot of core values including his sense of responsibility, loyalty and his desire to protect the people he loves,” he explained.
In the drama, Du-jun and his employee Jang Hui-won (played by Oh Yeon-seo) have a one-night stand, which later turns into chaos when she gets pregnant.
Having no previous romantic history with each other, they are forced to navigate their changing relationship both at work and in their personal lives – especially because they can’t keep a baby a secret forever.
Yeon-seo told us she feels her character Hui-won is different from herself.
“Don’t get me wrong, I work very hard too, but Hui-won is a truly career-driven woman — she’ll power through late nights and commit 100 per cent of her life to her job,” said the 38-year-old.
But if there is one thing they have in common, it’s that even during discouragement, they get back up immediately and keep going, she added.
Much like that fling with Du-jun unexpectedly changing everything, was there a time when life didn’t go Yeon-seo’s way?
She shared vaguely: “In life, we’re constantly faced with choices, and with those choices often come moments of regret. But within all of that, there are also small moments of happiness and warmth.
“I think that’s what life is about, and I try to embrace and enjoy the entire process without regretting the choices I make.”
‘Best partner I could wish for’
Regarding their dynamic in real life, Yeon-seo told us that she and Jin-hyuk “clicked instantly”.
“Although we went through preparations separately, it felt as if we were together through the entire planning process whenever we met on set,” she shared.
“Jin-hyuk is a wonderful actor, which made every scene enjoyable to film, so I want to take this opportunity to thank him again.”
Jin-hyuk felt similarly: “Yeon-seo was truly the best partner I could wish for. We had great chemistry and I couldn’t have asked for a better co-star.”
Memorable moments on set
When asked about memorable moments that happened on set, Kim Da-som — who plays Hui-won’s close friend and drinking partner Hwang Mi-ran — recalled a scene where Mi-ran got drunk with a friend.
“I had to hold back my laughter more during the actual shooting itself than the rehearsal. It really felt as if we were long-time friends having a drink or two, so I think the naturalness was portrayed really well,” said the 32-year-old.
The scene that stayed with Jin-hyuk most was Du-jun and Hui-won’s one-night stand in a hotel, which he also felt was a difficult one to film.
“From the preparation of the scene to the actual shoot, I remember it was a scene everyone approached very carefully. Because of that approach, we paid extra attention to every detail, which made it a particularly memorable scene for me,” he recalled.
For Hong Jong-hyun who plays Hui-won’s best friend Cha Min-uk, rather than having one specific scene that was the most difficult, he found his worries more significant.
“What worried me most was the pressure of joining the drama midway through. However, contrary to my concerns, I was able to adapt quickly thanks to the incredible staff and actors,” explained the 36-year-old.
Actor Yoon Ji-on originally starred as Min-uk but left the drama two months into filming. He was arrested for allegedly driving under influence after stealing a parked motorcycle.
Positively Yours ranked first in 116 countries on its streaming platform Viki, and the cast told us they didn’t see it coming.
Jong-hyun said he found out through news articles and people around him: “I did not expect it at all… To be honest, it still doesn’t quite feel real. I’m beyond happy and thankful that the drama is receiving so much love.”
Da-som was also surprised: “It amazed me that the emotions of our story could transcend borders, and I felt incredibly grateful. Thanks to all of our loving viewers, it has been such a great source of encouragement for us as well.”
Yeon-seo added: “I honestly didn’t expect it, so I was beyond happy and grateful. It’s really such an honour that international fans are tuning into and enjoying our drama as well! I hope viewers continue to watch until the very end, and that it remains in a special place in their hearts for a long time.”
Positively Yours is now streaming on Viki with all 10 episodes.
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