Would You Merry Me, featuring the sweet and deadly romance of Choi Woo-shik and Jung So-min, unveils its curtain.
On the 10th afternoon at the SBS building in Mok-dong, Yangcheon-gu, Seoul, an SBS press conference was held for the new Friday-Saturday drama Would You Merry Me. Director Song Hyun-wook and actors Choi Woo-shik, Jung So-min, Bae Na-ra, Shin Seul-gi and Seo Beom-jun attended the press conference.
Would You Merry Me is about a 90-day fake newlywed period that is sweet and deadly as two men and women try to secure a luxury newlywed home prize.
When asked about competing in the same time slot with his other directed work, the KBS2 weekend drama Walking On Thin Ice, director Song Hyun-wook said, "Originally, Walking On Thin Ice was scheduled for February or March, so it wouldn't overlap with Would You Merry Me, but KBS newly made a weekend drama and they ended up overlapping. I'm at a loss and don't know what to watch," adding, "Fortunately, the two are different genres and the actors are of different age groups, so I think viewers will have the fun of choosing. We all did our best to make it, and I hope people watch it well."
In the work, Choi Woo-shik plays Kim Woo-joo, the fourth-generation sole heir and head of the marketing team of Myeongsoon-dang, Korea's first bakery with an 80-year tradition. He confessed that this was "the richest" among the characters he has played, and said, "I've always been running away, always getting caught and chased, but this time I drive a nice car, sleep a lot in pretty places, so it felt very different. I've always wanted to show the cool image I always saw on TV, and I tried to show a lot of that cool side this time," expressing satisfaction.
He added that he chose the project because "I enjoyed Another Miss Oh and wanted to work with the director, and I thought it would be fun to be on set with the actors. I've long wanted my next project to be a place where I could play and have fun on set, and I've been looking for many such works since then. I thought this would be fun and I approached it like going to a playground," conveying the warm atmosphere on set.
Jung So-min plays Yoo Merry, CEO of product design company Meri Design. She said, "Although I've done many rom-coms, I haven't watched as many rom-com works as a viewer as I thought; I binge-watched Another Miss Oh. After it aired, I ended up binge-watching it on my own. I had expectations and trust in the director. I thought filming with actor Woo-shik would be really fun. When reading the script, you imagine. I pictured how Woo-joo would be, and I wanted to see this in person on set and try the chemistry quickly, so I decided to do it," explaining her reason for choosing the project.
Returning to an SBS project after 15 years, Jung So-min said, "I remember debuting here the same way. Don't five-year milestone numbers feel special for no reason? It feels nostalgic, and I think it's a sign to return to my original mindset and work hard," reflecting on her feelings.
They also spoke about their romantic chemistry. Choi Woo-shik said, "I've acted with many people, but this time the acting chemistry was so good that I wanted to act together again," adding, "The genre is lighter and there are more fun points where the two bumble around. Sometimes we filled in parts not in the script. Until the cut, if we had unexpected ideas or the rhythm broke, we naturally filled it in well. It felt really good, like Woo-joo and Merry's chemistry fitting together like puzzle pieces," expressing satisfaction. Jung So-min said, "He always responds so brilliantly to whatever I do. I felt I could do whatever I wanted with complete confidence. It's regrettable that this wonderful chemistry with an actor might end with just one project, and I hope we can meet again in another work."
Bae Na-ra plays Baek Sang-hyun, executive director of Botte Department Store, who becomes the watcher of Choi Woo-shik and Jung So-min. She said, "I had a strong desire to try the romantic comedy genre. I've mostly played characters who fight, glare and exert force, so I wanted to show a new rom-com image I could portray. There was no reason for me not to join a project with good actors and a great director," she said.
She added, "The charm I can show viewers is a strong and straightforward side, with softness and intelligence within. Expect a cool, sexy and fun side," teasing more anticipation.
Shin Seul-gi plays family medicine specialist Yoon Jin-kyung. She said, "Rather than choosing it myself, I was grateful the director gave me the opportunity to join. I have long respected and loved the director's works and wanted to work with him someday, so I was very happy and honored to be able to do it this time. When I read the character Yoon Jin-kyung, I saw a bright, lovable and quirky side. It's the brightest role I've played so far, and I think I can show a bright and lovable new side that I haven't shown before, so I'm happy to be part of it," she said.
Also playing a character who has an unrequited love for Kim Woo-joo (played by Choi Woo-shik), she said, "This is already my third unrequited love. Although it's the third time, it feels different. There are feelings I like and relational elements. In love, anyone experiences unrequited feelings, cries, laughs and feels despair. I tried to honestly and universally express those varied sides," she noted.
Meanwhile, Seo Beom-jun plays Merry's ex-fiancé, the former Kim Woo-joo, and is expected to provoke viewers' anger. His character, who after five years of dating Yoo Merry (played by Jung So-min) was preparing for marriage, has an affair with a colleague and faces a broken engagement. Seo Beom-jun said, "When I first met the director, while reading the script I hated Woo-joo, but the director told me not to let him look hateful. He often said he didn't want viewers to change the channel. I thought about how to make Woo-joo look lovable, how viewers might later embrace him. I can't precisely reveal each of Woo-joo's actions as spoilers, but later the staff often said, 'He turned into pretty trash.' He's trash but packaged as pretty trash. I was relieved they said he didn't look too hateful," he said.
He continued, "I also enjoyed The Beauty Inside and Another Miss Oh, so I really wanted to meet the director. Previously, after The Fiery Priest, I said I wanted to do a romance next, and when I received the script I found it very interesting. It differed from the romance I had imagined, but it sparked a sense of challenge. How can I deliver this line and action? There were many lines and actions that are not easy when read on the page. So in the first meeting with the director, discussing it made it more intriguing. How can I appear lovable, like pretty trash? It felt like a challenge for me too. I'm curious and excited to see how viewers will respond. Please don't hate too much, don't change the channel, and watch Jeon Woo-joo until the end; then he might be remembered as pretty trash," he hoped.
As various works about contract marriages have been produced, when asked about what sets Would You Merry Me apart, director Song Hyun-wook said, "The logline may seem familiar and the story may feel exposed, but because the logline is explicit, how we develop the story within it, unravel relationships and reverse dynamics—that is the point to watch. How do characters who meet through misfortune become fate and develop into love in an interesting way? That's the viewing point. How can we unfold such an obvious story? Viewers may think after episode 1, 'It's over,' but it hooks into the next, and the endings are well produced. I think viewers can watch with tension until the end," he said confidently.
When asked about target ratings, he said, "I've never exceeded 15% on any project. My goal is to exceed 15%." Choi Woo-shik said, "It's my first SBS project in three years since Our Beloved Summer. If it does well, SBS will call me again," adding, "I said 10%." Jung So-min set her goal at, "I'll do 8%."
Finally, director Song Hyun-wook said, "This work covers spring, summer and fall. We filmed when the seasons were pleasant, so it should be enjoyable to watch visually. You can fully enjoy the energetic and beautiful actors here," adding, "I expected the question of which episode is the best or most fun. It's today. Watching episode 1, you can imagine how much more fun this drama will be, so don't miss 9:50 p.m. tonight. You'll giggle, feel fluttery, smile, get angry at Merry's painful story, and enjoy it. Please watch it and we'll do our best until the end," he urged.
Meanwhile, Would You Merry Me premieres today (10th) at 9:50 p.m.
[Photo] OSEN reporter Ji Hyung-jun
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