'The Country of Villains' actors Oh Na-ra, So Yoo-jin, and Park Young-kyu showcased their exceptional father-daughter chemistry.
On Dec. 12, a production presentation for the KBS 2TV new Wednesday-Thursday drama 'The Country of Villains' (written by Chae Woo and Park Kwang-yeon, directed by Kim Young-jo and Choi Jung-eun) was held at Stanford Hotel in Sangam-dong, Mapo-gu, Seoul. Actors Oh Na-ra, So Yoo-jin, Seo Hyun-cheol, Song Jin-woo, Park Young-kyu, and Choi Ye-na attended to discuss the project.
'The Country of Villains' is a situational comedy drama that depicts the sometimes rough yet sometimes warm daily lives of K-zoomma sisters and their quirky families. Actors Oh Na-ra and So Yoo-jin play the villainous K-zoomma sisters, while Seo Hyun-cheol and Song Jin-woo portray their husbands. This marks a return to acting for Oh Na-ra and So Yoo-jin after a long time. Oh Na-ra last appeared in 'The Blood of the Mysterious: Light and Shadow', which ended in 2023, and So Yoo-jin also returns to acting in a new project for the first time in two years since her show 'Lover' aired in the same year. Joining them are comedy veterans Seo Hyun-cheol and Song Jin-woo, as well as Park Young-kyu, who created sitcom history with 'Hospital Playlist.' Choi Ye-na, a former member of the girl group IZ*ONE, is also making her sitcom debut after experiencing acting in the web drama 'Girl's World Season 2.'
Oh Na-ra takes on the title role, leading the O family. With his senior Park Young-kyu beside her, Oh Na-ra must have felt some pressure. She noted, "I'm so sorry that I'm not Park Na-ra, but Oh Na-ra, and it feels embarrassing to meet him every time. This is not my fault; it's KBS's and the director's fault," she laughed.
However, she said, "Even if we work hard, one look from Park Young-kyu makes us nervous. He doesn't have to do much; just breathing is enough to make us laugh. Since this is our first sitcom, we were curious about how it would look. We worried that perhaps we would be the only ones enjoying it. But I thought it was fortunate that he helped keep things centered. I may be Oh Na-ra, but I think being his daughter comes first."
Park Young-kyu responded, "I received Oh Na-ra's O family role and became Park Young-kyu. As an actor, you have to adapt to the passage of time. At this age, it's an honor just to act alongside such a beautiful and talented daughter. What does it matter if she is an O or not?" This caused laughter among those present.
Additionally, Oh Na-ra mentioned, "Just yesterday, I had a call with my dad. My dad, Park Young-kyu, mentioned how happy he is to work with two daughters. He said, 'I want to put Na-ra and Yoo-jin in my family registry.' He feels so much affection for this work. I follow him like that. It's touching to think he would want to add two other daughters to his family registry."
Park Young-kyu also said, "Meeting the right counterpart is really important, and it has to match well. If it aligns, real sparks fly. Working with these two daughters, I was genuinely happy, so much so that I wasn't even sure if it was acting or not. Yesterday, I had to make a currency call, and I said, 'Dad, I'll definitely bring that up tomorrow!' and I will. I want to show the viewers that we are truly a delightful pairing," he added with a smile.
'The Country of Villains' will air its first episode at 9:50 p.m. on the 19th, and will continue to air at the same time every Wednesday and Thursday.
[Photo] OSEN's Ji Hyung-jun.
[OSEN]