Actor Jung Eun-Chae is making her presence felt by showing a new image even in Flex x Cop 2.
Jung Eun-Chae plays Joo Hyera, a former ace of the Korean National Police Agency counterterrorism team and the head of violent crimes team 1 at Gangha Police Station, leading the work in SBS Flex x Cop 2. She raises the drama's immersion by showing chemistry with Ahn Bo-hyun, who plays Jin Isu, bickering with him yet forming perfect cooperation when facing cases.
Flex x Cop returned for season 2 two years after season 1 aired on Jul. 2024. Major figures who worked together in season 1, such as Ahn Bo-hyun, Kang Sang Jun and Kim Shinbi, appeared in season 2 as well, but with Park Ji-hyun, the female lead, leaving the show, Jung Eun-Chae joined as a new character named Joo Hyera.
With the start of Flex x Cop 2, the joining of a so-called "new face" was one of the biggest concerns. Unlike the actors who had already worked together since season 1, there were worries about whether the newly joined Jung Eun-Chae could create natural chemistry with the existing team.
However, Jung Eun-Chae dispelled those concerns in just one episode, conveying Joo Hyera's strong charm through her own character interpretation. The early episodes provided pleasant laughs by having the two, who had a connection since police academy days, reunite at Gangha Police Station in a new superior-subordinate relationship as Head of Team and team member. Also, although the two who bickered engage in power struggles over leadership within the team, Joo Hyera stamps her presence by dominating the team with her own charisma.
The difference between the two was also clear in their investigative methods. Unlike Jin Isu, who pursues investigations by actively using money and connections, Joo Hyera showed the traits of a veteran detective with cool judgment and tenacious investigative skills. Approaching cases in different ways, the two confirmed each other's abilities while solving cases together and gradually became cooperative partners who acknowledged each other's methods.
In the process, the real reason Joo Hyera came down to Gangha Police Station was also revealed. Four years ago, following the disappearance of two models of the world-renowned sculptor Yoo Seungho (played by Yoo Seungho) and her junior, Joo Hyera began to suspect him. Later, learning that Yoo Seungho's models had consecutively disappeared overseas, she came to suspect his serial killings.
As Joo Hyera's backstory emerges in earnest, Jung Eun-Chae's presence also became clearer. She not only solves cases as a veteran head of team but also portrayed the character's inner world, carrying guilt toward her junior and a detective's sense of responsibility. She added depth to the character by convincingly expressing Joo Hyera's long-held obsession with the Yoo Seungho case and her complex emotions.
While playing Joo Hyera, Jung Eun-Chae showed a freshness that does not recall her previous works. In ANNA, she played Hyunju, a selfish rich girl who cares only about herself; in Pachinko, she offered a comfortable refuge for Sunja with a completely different performance; and in Jeongnyeon: The Star is Born, she revealed diverse charms as Moon Okkyung, whose androgynous allure even excited viewers who know her gender.
Having shown completely different faces in each work, Jung Eun-Chae is completing Joo Hyera in her own way even in Flex x Cop 2. Her acting, which is not confined to a single image, makes the character Joo Hyera more three-dimensional and drives the work with weight.
Meanwhile, Jung Eun-Chae has continued to draw attention for her next projects as each of her works, regardless of platform or leading or supporting roles, has been successful, including the global OTT Pachinko, ANNA, Jeongnyeon: The Star is Born, Manager Kim, Honor, and the currently airing SBS Flex x Cop 2.<
[photo] OSEN DB, SBS Flex x Cop 2
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