(continuing from interview ②) 'Honour' Jung Eun-Chae conveyed the burden and responsibility of portraying a lawyer specializing in sexual crime victims.
On the 13th in the morning at a café in Gangnam-gu, Seoul, a wrap-up interview was held with lead actress Jung Eun-Chae of the ENA Monday-Tuesday drama Honour.
Honour is a passionate mystery chase about three women lawyers who confront a past that has returned as a huge scandal head-on. Jung Eun-Chae played Kang Shin-jae, the head of the L&J (Listen&Join) law firm, which specializes in defending sexual crime victims.
When asked why she chose Honour, Iyoo Jung Eun-Chae said, "When I first received the script offer, I think this was the project I agonized over the longest before choosing. Beyond simple entertainment or such things, I had to consider that it was heavy and that I had to take it on with a sense of responsibility, so I thought about it a lot. So I ran away, but the more I ran, the closer it felt, and I realized 'this is a fate I must take on,' so I chose it."
She spoke about the sense of "responsibility" she felt, saying, "I think it was a responsibility for each character within the overall story as well as responsibility for the overall direction of the drama and the message given." She also explained why she ultimately decided to appear, saying, "It took time to meet with the director, the writer and the production team at first. But after meeting and talking, I felt they were people who fit the drama's tone very well. It didn't feel forced, and I felt their tendencies and logic matched the nature of this drama, so I believed they would make this drama with conviction and do it well, which led me to participate."
She described her efforts to prepare the character, saying, "The Kang Shin-jae character I play is the head of L&J law firm and is like the leader who has to lead with friends of 20 years. So there are parts that must be rational and meticulous rather than overly emotional or appealing to sentiment. I felt a strong responsibility to keep the center and not lose it. Due to the nature of being a lawyer, there is also an ethical awareness about the future lives of the clients I represent. The responsibility for the direction the character must carry coexisted until the end."
In the actual work, stories of sexual violence victims, especially female victims, are dealt with heavily. Jung Eun-Chae said, "I think there was a point where I inevitably felt more empathy. In the drama, the victims—those friends we have to represent—were much younger than us, and we play the roles of people who have passed through that time. So I think we were emotionally much closer to them."
When asked about the difficult scenes, she reflected, "I think it was from the beginning. Because the stories were intertwined from start to finish and went on unresolved, I carried a heavy heart throughout. But because the overall tone of this drama is not one that appeals to or explodes with emotion at every moment, the heaviness was rather condensed. So it was more internally difficult, I think."
When asked whether she had been interested in such social issues in her daily life, Jung Eun-Chae said, "Personally, I tend to be interested in stories about people in difficult situations and social underdogs. Expressing those aspects in a drama is not easy. Nonetheless, my mind kept going toward it, and looking at this point where I ultimately chose it, I think I have always had curiosity about those things."
The incidents appearing in 'Honour' left a heavy aftertaste with stories that recalled real cases. When asked about the focus she placed on taking on a work that deals with sexual violence, which also exists in reality, and what message she wanted to convey, Jung Eun-Chae said, "Our law firm's name is 'Listen and Join.' It means 'to listen and be together,' and I think that is the overall message of the drama. I acted with the importance of not letting go of that part for many difficult scenes and victims we deal with. Rather than speaking rashly and easily, taking a step back and reaching out a hand together—that meaning, I think this drama expressed it cautiously and well." She expressed her cautious thoughts. (continues to interview ④.)<
[photo] project Hosu
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