The Shin CEO Project is about to premiere, and actor Han Seok-kyu conveyed the social message embedded in the work and his sincere conviction.
The tvN Shin CEO Project, which premieres at 8:50 p.m. on the 15th, is a dispute-resolution hero drama in which the former legendary negotiator and current chicken shop owner "Shin CEO" solves cases and enacts justice by operating on the border between illicit methods and compliance.
At a previous press conference, director Shin Kyung-soo said about the planning intent of this work, "On the first page of the proposal the writer handed me, there was the phrase 'a drama needed for us living in an era of communication breakdown and an era of regret for the times,'" and added, "I wanted to offer viewers warm consolation through dialogue and understanding."
When asked about the "moment when Shin CEO was actually needed," director Shin recalled, "While preparing for the work, two points came to mind. The first was that after finishing filming and coming home, my wife was crying. She said there had been a parking dispute in the alley in front of the house. Normally my personality would have made me run out and shout 'Get out!' and fight. But the drama I'm doing now is about dialogue and compromise. I thought this isn't right, and wondered what Shin CEO would have done then."
He also said, "Last winter there was a standoff between farmers and police at Namtaeryeong. I thought of Sion (played by Ire). I wondered what would have happened if someone had brought a lot of chicken with both hands to that place and tried to reconcile the two sides." He added, "There were many incidents last and this year, and recently some of our workers were detained in the United States, but I thought it would be good if Shin CEOs existed in many places for big and small matters. I hope viewers can meet Shin CEO through our drama."
Lead actor Han Seok-kyu also expressed regret about social realities. He said, "It seems like only extreme outcomes come out of everything today. The very words 'gap and eul' are too divided, and the sense of dominance and subordination is strong. It's truly distressing," and added, "Not long ago someone was sacrificed in a conflict between a franchise store owner and the headquarters."
That incident occurred in August at a pizza shop in Gwanak District, Seoul, where a man in his 40s, identified as A, shocked the public by killing three people with a weapon, including a headquarters employee and a father-and-daughter team of interior contractors. A had reportedly been in conflict over construction defects with a company designated by the headquarters.
Han Seok-kyu continued, "The origin of extreme and heartbreaking acts seems to start with emotion rather than reason," and cautiously said, "Acting is a field that works with emotions. But people seem to live their whole lives swayed by certain emotions and feeling them. I live thinking about how to control these emotions, what mindset to have, and how to live sharing them."
He added, "Our society today seems more extreme, communication with others has deteriorated, and I feel we are losing it, which is heartbreaking. That is precisely the topic and subject matter I want to discuss in this work," and emphasized, "I hope this work becomes a moment for viewers to pause and gather their own emotions as they watch."
[Photo] OSEN DB / tvN provided
[OSEN]