'Netflix 2026' Son Ye-jin shared her impressions of wearing hanbok in a production for the first time in 24 years.
On the morning of the 21st, at the Grand Ballroom on the 3rd floor of Conrad Seoul in Yeongdeungpo-gu, Seoul, 'Next on Netflix 2026 Korea' took place. In attendance were Kang Dong-han, Netflix Korea content lead VP, Bae Jong-byeong, series institutional sector senior director, Kim Tae-won, film institutional sector director, Yu Ki-hwan, variety institutional sector director, and actors Jeon Do-yeon, Son Ye-jin, Park Eunbin, Nam Joo-hyuk, chef Anh Sung-jae, and others.
Netflix marked its 10th anniversary of service in Korea, and the lead executives and directors spoke about the past decade and future vision, and those appearing in person included Jeon Do-yeon from Possible Love, Nam Joo-hyuk from Donggung, Son Ye-jin from Scandal, Park Eunbin from Wonderfuls, and Anh Sung-jae from Culinary Class Wars, all of which are scheduled for release this year.
Scandal is set in the Joseon period, when having desire itself was taboo, and delicately depicts the risky stories of those who engage in daring love and wagers of temptation. It is based on the 2003 film Scandal - Joseon Namnyeo Sangyeoljisa.
Son Ye-jin said, "Through our 'Scandal' I think you will be able to see Joseon-era landscapes, hanbok, and hanok. Usually historical dramas show many flashy and visually intense things, but our drama sought to express a sense of space grounded in Joseon-era research and to delicately capture the restrained Korean aesthetic and the multisensory qualities of hanok. I think global fans will perhaps receive the Joseon era of Korea as having had this kind of beauty, in a newer way."
That day Nam Joo-hyuk asked senior colleague Son Ye-jin, "You look so beautiful in hanbok; what is the special charm unique to historical dramas?" and Son Ye-jin replied, "Except for my debut work Chwi Hwa-seon (2002), this is my first time doing a historical drama. I knew historical dramas were very pretty and that hanbok makes you very beautiful, but the moment you put it on you can barely move. Wearing hanbok, I wondered how the old yangban lived. It felt like my hands and feet were tied. The headpiece and the ornaments were very heavy too," adding, "The hardest part was the gestures. You could never stand with one leg bent or cross your arms; you always had to keep a formal posture. Even hand movements felt awkward and uncomfortable. Maintaining that uprightness for months was truly a hardship. Maintaining beauty was so difficult," she said, revealing her difficulties.
[Photo] Provided by Netflix
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