Lee Jae-wook and Choi Seong-eun's warm love story is revealed through 'Last Summer'.
On the afternoon of the 29th at The Saint in Guro-gu, Seoul, a press conference was held for KBS 2TV's new Saturday-Sunday miniseries Last Summer (directed by Min Yeon-hong / written by Jeon Yu-ri / produced by Monster Union, Slingshot Studio). The event featured director Min Yeon-hong and actors Lee Jae-wook, Choi Seong-eun, and Kim Gun-woo, who appeared and spoke.
Last Summer is a remodeling romance drama in which a man and woman who have been friends since childhood confront the truth of first love hidden in Pandora's box, and it premieres on Nov. 1 at 9:20 p.m.
On the day, director Min Yeon-hong said he took the director role because the script was extremely fun. He said, "It was lively, the characters are lovable and cute, and I thought it was fun while reading the script. It's a drama about beautiful love set against summer, and it's a human romance genre about healing each other's pains, which is a genre I personally like, so I wanted to do this work and took on the directing."
Lee Jae-wook described Last Summer as "The summer setting is the main focus, and while it's a warm drama as you see, I remember filming in summer clothes even when it was cold. The three of us were tightly united during filming, and I hope it reaches viewers as a warm drama," and Choi Seong-eun pointed out the viewing highlights, saying, "The biggest charm of Last Summer is its small moments, and within them the script gives off people's kindness and a human scent. I believed in the power of that script and joined. I hope viewers can gain empathy and strength from this drama because it contains the charm and taste of summer and universal emotions people often feel."
Kim Gun-woo, who transforms into a lawyer with a 99% win rate, said, "First of all, the script came across as very warm to me, and as I read it I kept wanting to see the next part, so I chose it without hesitation. Jae-wook and Seong-eun are both good people, so I only have fun memories of filming."
The seasonal setting of Last Summer is, as the title suggests, summer. Why was summer chosen as the setting? Director Min said, "It's the fateful story of two people who meet every summer, and construction often can't proceed in winter. We're not actually telling the story of building a house; it's about projecting each person's pains onto an already built house and how that house can be remodeled into our home. That part is the focus. There is talk about construction, but the construction of the heart will likely be the important keyword."
Recently KBS dramas have recorded somewhat low ratings, so it was speculated that there would be pressure on the follow-up Last Summer. In response, director Min Yeon-hong said, "Actually, somehow we ended up telling a summer story in the cold winter," adding, "I think it will be a drama that lets viewers feel new warmth while watching during a season when they are colder, huddled and staying home, and it's a kind, warm drama concept that contrasts with the intense image of the previous drama."
Director Min explained, "As you watch, it's a story that can go anywhere. The characters themselves have unique ways of responding, so the drama also develops in an unusual way. Will the characters resolve things? What choices will they make? It could be fun to watch like solving a puzzle while enjoying it. Instead of giving a strong impression for impact, maybe the slow, seeping warmth can make the winter feel warmer."
How was the chemistry among the actors? Lee Jae-wook said of Choi Seong-eun, "Actually the feelings I felt at our first meeting with Seong-eun nuna have continued. She had many roles that left a strong impression when I watched her work. I met her thinking of the Song Ha-gyeong character at our first meeting, and she is someone with a lovable side. It was fully reflected, and while watching the work you might think, 'Choi Seong-eun as an actor has this charm,' she is that charming."
Choi Seong-eun responded to the praise by saying, "Thank you," then added, "When I first saw actor Jae-wook, I actually felt he was a solid, diligent and polite young man. While filming, he seemed playful and a mood maker. He jokes well, puts people at ease, and makes the set atmosphere pleasant. I envied that. He has so much talent that I wanted to steal it all; he has a knack for attracting people. I envied his composure and humor."
Director Min Yeon-hong and Lee Jae-wook teamed up for the second time following Royal Order. Director Min said, "Getting to know Lee Jae-wook, I realized he is someone who can really portray Baek Do-ha and Baek Do-young well. He has loveliness and playfulness and is a very bright actor, but in previous works he handled dark and heavy stories so he was only able to show serious tension, which was a shame. I liked that this work allowed him to fully let loose. It was a project Jae-wook could enjoy, so we worked together."
In Last Summer, Lee Jae-wook plays both twins Baek Do-ha and Baek Do-young. Taking on a dual role for the first time, he confessed, "It was burdensome because it was my first time playing two roles." He said, "We discussed that there had to be distinguishing features, and due to the script's nature there are scenes that create confusion between Do-ha and Do-young. So while they have similar aspects, making them express differently was difficult. Among many discussions, gestures and hand movements that could show an impromptu side emerged. Do-young performed emotionally and calmly. Looking at the overall frame, I thought having the same face might be confusing, but after filming I feel it was expressed better than expected, so I'm satisfied with myself."
Kim Gun-woo, who received great love for his previous work You and Everything Else, was asked about the distinction in this role. He explained, "If Kim Sang-hak in You and Everything Else was mainly warm, Seo Soo-hyuk in Last Summer is a character who may be somewhat distant from warmth. He has a cynical and cold charm and is a unique person who lives by his own beliefs. I tried to express that aspect well. Within the coldness and cynicism there is a character with humor and wit, so I emphasized those parts."
When asked to rate the romantic chemistry between Lee Jae-wook and Choi Seong-eun, Choi Seong-eun replied, "I think the chemistry was good." She added, "Although Jae-wook may have more experience, this is my first romance drama. I am new to this genre of acting, so I received a lot of help. I worried and wondered, 'Am I doing well?'"
He continued, "I think I received help from the inherently charming actor Jae-wook. I believe he can bring out a lot in chemistry. I don't have a specific thought about what the ratings will be, but I hope many people watch it. My score is 100 points."
Following Choi Seong-eun's answer, Lee Jae-wook laughed and said, "Honestly, I wouldn't give 100 points." Lee Jae-wook said, "Seong-eun is much older than me and has more acting experience, but she showed many beautiful and lovely aspects on set. I would give 95 out of 100, and if there are five points missed because I was a bit scatterbrained, that's my fault."
When announcer Park Cheol-gyu, listening to this, interpreted, "Giving 95 points seems to imply there is no 'blemish'," Lee Jae-wook laughed and said, "That's right. I should use this somewhere," prompting laughter.
Finally, when asked about the target ratings for this work, Lee Jae-wook candidly said, "I always hope ratings hit 20% or 30%. Sometimes it's hard to distinguish and understand viewers' needs about what they like or want. Honestly, it would be nice if ratings reached around 10%, but I hope the graph gradually rises."
Kim Gun-woo also said, "These days, more important than quantified numbers or ratings is that this drama stays long in the hearts of those who watched it; even if they don't watch all 12 episodes, it's better if they say, 'This drama was so good' or 'It resonated with me.' I think our drama will be like that. I hope the ratings come out high."
Director Min Yeon-hong said, "I hope the ratings do well. I want many people to feel the drama's fun and be moved and to hear that they liked it. I hope it hits around 30%." his frank answer drew laughter.
Meanwhile, KBS2's Last Summer premieres on Nov. 1 at 9:20 p.m.
[Photo] Reporter Min Kyung-hoon
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