"Scandal" returns as a series after 23 years.
On the morning of the 9th, a press conference for Netflix's new series "Scandal" was held at JW Marriott Dongdaemun Square in Jongno-gu, Seoul. Director Jung Ji-woo attended the press conference along with Son Ye-jin, Ji Changwook and Nana to talk about the series.
"Scandal" depicts the brazen and dangerous wager of love between Lady Jo (played by Son Ye-jin), a woman whose talents make it impossible for her to live confined as only a woman in the Joseon era, and Jo Won (played by Ji Changwook), the greatest ladies' man of Joseon, and the story of a woman named Hee-yeon (played by Nana) who becomes entangled in that wager.
On the day, director Jung Ji-woo introduced "Scandal" saying, "It is a story that takes an 18th-century French original novel and sets it in the Joseon period. A man and woman who have had a deep bond since childhood start a game because feelings linger, and a new face unexpectedly becomes involved in that game. The dynamics among these three are revealed through exchanged letters; unpredictable inner thoughts are exposed and they become embroiled in unimaginable events."
Director Jung explained his focus in directing: "The late Joseon period is a more refined and sophisticated society than we think. I wanted to portray it very stylishly. The relationship between Lady Jo and the character Hee-yeon was a relationship that did not exist in previous stories. I wanted to make that relationship vivid, and I think that is a major difference."
This work is based on the French original novel "Les Liaisons dangereuses" and is a remake of the 2003 film "Scandal: The Love Affairs of Joseon". At the time, due to its high level of explicit content and intense story, it ranked fourth in audience numbers among Korean films released in 2003, was the top-rated adult-only film and the top historical film of that year.
Son Ye-jin said of joining "Scandal": "I really wanted to work with director Jung Ji-woo once. When I heard about the 'Scandal' remake and was offered the role of Lady Jo, I remembered the film and was curious how the story would be told as a series." She continued, "I think Lady Jo's charm was big in the script. I felt I had reached an age where I could express those emotions. The fact that it is set in the Joseon era where human desire is the backdrop, and that I'm doing a historical drama after a long time, were reasons I chose the project."
Ji Changwook also said, "The original is the classic novel 'Les Liaisons dangereuses,' and the subtle emotions of the characters and the relationships between them were very interesting. I found it personally intriguing that it is being reinterpreted in 2026 as a series. I was also looking forward to working with the director, and working with senior actress Ye-jin and Nana. It was really enjoyable. Acting alongside colleagues like Son Ye-jin and Nana, who have very different colors, was a fun experience and an enjoyable project for me."
Nana is taking on her first historical drama role through "Scandal." She said, "First, I have been a longtime fan of director Jung Ji-woo. I greatly respect him, and I was curious how the historical drama 'Scandal' he directs would be remade. The role of Hee-yeon given to me is a personality I have never shown in my acting career, something deeply rooted inside me. I thought I could embody that as myself and express it well. It would be an honor to work with Son Ye-jin and Ji Changwook. With that expectation, I joined the project."
Director Jung Ji-woo explained why he cast the three actors: "It is more accurate to say they chose me rather than I chose them. My first wish was to work with Son Ye-jin on Lady Jo." He added, "She is a very extraordinary person who carries the whole story on her shoulders, makes you believe in the character and thus takes responsibility for the entire drama. To me, that power is like a superhero. I felt I had to work with her because I wondered how anyone could do that."
Director Jung also said, "In the case of Ji Changwook, Jo Won is a kind man. He was excellent when portraying kind characters in previous works. I wanted to work on a kind Jo Won and was glad humor was added as an extra touch." He continued, "I hoped Nana's character would break away from the so-called traditional image of a woman. I thought Nana suited the role well and I was impressed by her ability to make the character believable, so I worked with admiration."
The actors then explained their characters in depth. First, Son Ye-jin said, "Lady Jo's given name is Jo-yun, and she has been an autonomous and independent woman since childhood. She is talented in writing and painting, but opportunities for women to develop talents were limited in the Joseon era. She lives as Lady Jo by compromising with the times; before compromising with reality she experienced great determination and frustration in her relationship with Jo Won, which led her to become Lady Jo."
Ji Changwook, who plays Jo Won, said, "Jo Won comes from a very prestigious family and is a talented man whose writing skills were acknowledged by the king, but he lives chasing pleasure and amusement. He is labeled the greatest ladies' man of Joseon. I thought that suited him, but after finishing the project I wondered if this fellow was really the greatest ladies' man." He expressed the lingering confusion he felt even after completing the work.
He added, "For me it felt like chaos itself. It was a special project because I relied a lot on the director. After seeing the work, I felt very grateful to the director. (That Jo Won agrees to the wager) is a complex emotion to call love. It could be love for me, and in some ways I felt it was revenge."
Nana said of Hee-yeon, whom she played, "Hee-yeon lost her husband before her wedding. She was a woman who had to follow the fate set by that era. So she lived a closed life. After meeting Jo Won, she becomes a character who develops a desire to live more autonomously, choosing her life herself, and changes."
For domestic audiences, 'Scandal' inevitably brings to mind the 2003 original film first. At the time, Lee Mi-Sook, Bae Yong-joon and Jeon Do-yeon gave top performances, so naturally the actors might have felt pressure. In response, Son Ye-jin said, "I watched the film back then and haven't seen it since. The film left an image imprint. Because we unfold the story as episodes, the characters' narratives are far more developed. In some ways it becomes a medium that makes an actor more ambitious."
Son Ye-jin said, "Since that was already 2003, I think younger people may not know it or may not have seen it, so they might view it freshly." She added, "With more narrative development, the characters are not one-dimensional, and the detailed triggers for starting the wager have been added. As they play the wager out, the psychological warfare between Lady Jo and Jo Won and the way they look at Hee-yeon become more uncanny. I think that will pique curiosity."
Ji Changwook said he looked for various works based on 'Les Liaisons dangereuses' and that "the 2003 'Scandal' was a work that left a strong impression on me. I couldn't help but recall the senior actors' performances. But it was so different that it didn't greatly help me portray Jo Won, and I couldn't imitate it. I talked a lot with the director to create my own Jo Won."
Regarding differences with Bae Yong-joon, who played Jo Won in 2003, Ji Changwook speculated, "I have aspects of a fashionista... because ours is a series, more of why and how Jo Won lived and where he is heading is revealed. So expressing somewhat more complex and subtle emotions might be a different facet of our series."
Nana added, "I think it's natural to carry the burden. So when I do a project I always take the burden and use it as a driving force to give myself confidence. Fans who love the original can enjoy the differences and the freshness we bring and compare them if they like. It's that fun."
Furthermore, because the film 'Scandal: The Love Affairs of Joseon' sparked controversy for its explicit content, audience curiosity about the level of explicitness in this series continues. In particular, the Netflix series 'Scandal' is rated for adults only, the same as the original. Regarding this, director Jung Ji-woo said, "Yes, you can look forward to it," raising expectations.
Meanwhile, Netflix's "Scandal" will be released on Sept. 18.
[Photo] Reporter Choi Kyu-han, provided by Netflix
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