Actor Jeong Su-bin talked about the drama 'The Good Competition,' which concluded with an open ending.

Jeong Su-bin delivered a passionate performance as Woo Seul-gi in the STUDIO X+U drama 'The Good Competition' (written by Kim Tae-hee and Min Ye-ji, directed by Kim Tae-hee), filling each other's deficiencies between friendship and desire while writing a growth story.

'The Good Competition' is a mystery girl thriller surrounding the question of the mysterious death of the father, who was a Commissioner for the college entrance exam, and friends revealing their desires at Chehwa High School, where fierce entrance examination competition unfolds. It is not just a simple academy story, but a tension-filled narrative that intertwines a detailed plot and aesthetic direction centered around the various desires toward the college entrance exam and the father's mysterious death, providing viewers with high immersion. In particular, during this process, the relationships between characters that shift between friendship and solidarity, trust and suspicion, longing and jealousy left a strong impression, earning praise for pioneering a new genre called mystery girl thriller.

'The Good Competition' broke all-time original drama records across U+tv, U+Mobile TV viewing numbers, audience counts, and new viewer influx simultaneously upon its release, showcasing astonishing achievements as it dominated domestic popularity charts. Additionally, it topped global OTT platforms in Japan and Taiwan, and received acclaim on the largest global review site IMDb with ratings surpassing 9. Furthermore, it secured a spot in the TOP10 since its premiere on the popularity chart released by the K-content analysis platform Fundex, demonstrating its resilience by reaching 2nd place in the TV and OTT integrated drama sector on the chart announced on March 5. Alongside this, Lee Hye-ri (playing Yoo Je-i) and Jeong Su-bin (playing Woo Seul-gi) ranked 3rd and 9th respectively in the actress popularity chart, proving their strong interest, and they continue to gain popularity by reaching 1st on Tving.

Jeong Su-bin, who played Woo Seul-gi in the series, revealed the mystery surrounding her father's death, sometimes cooperating and sometimes confronting Yoo Je-i and others. Adapting her gaze, expressions, voice, and gestures flexibly depending on the counterpart and situation, she heightened the drama's weight. Jeong Su-bin, who left a deep impression through 'The Good Competition,' has perfectly jumped to 'rising star' status with her recent successful film 'It's Okay, It's Okay, It's Okay!'

Jeong Su-bin and Lee Hye-ri, playing Yoo Je-i, ignited significant dopamine with their kissing scene. When asked if the most intense reaction was the kissing scene, he noted, 'The reaction to Yoo Je-i's death was very heated among the actors,' adding, 'I didn't think Yoo Je-i would choose death. We were cast while the script wasn't fully revealed, and we received the final episode's script midway through filming; I believe this scene gave us a big shock.'

'The Good Competition' had a shocking ending that seemingly hinted at death with its kissing scene. Although it was a story bursting with dopamine, the provocative elements required careful expression. Jeong Su-bin reflected, 'The scenario reflected each character's inner narrative, so we just aimed to perform faithfully to the script, and I'm grateful that people acknowledged those scenes as somewhat dopamine-inducing. I found it intriguing that the drama structure was something rarely seen in Korea, and I felt curious about it, but I believe it was a script that allowed us to faithfully engage with.'

Regarding the open ending, Jeong Su-bin expressed, 'I was very shocked, and I thought that perhaps Seulgi couldn't take the college entrance exam because of Je-i, as she turned her back and left the classroom at the end. So, in a sense, Seulgi was the only one who could believe in and support Je-i at the last moment, and I felt a significant sense of guilt for not being able to do that.' He added, 'However, with the belief that Je-i is still alive, I experienced both affection and longing in the ongoing dream while losing Je-i, and I felt glad that this open ending allows us to look forward to Season 2.'

Jeong Su-bin hopes for Season 2. He mentioned, 'Since it was an open ending suggesting that Je-i is alive, if Season 2 were to come out, Seulgi might do very well on the college entrance exam and set out to find Je-i. Given that Je-i provided endless protection and warm trust, if Seulgi finds Je-i again, their bond is likely to deepen.'

Continued in Interview ③.

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