On September 6, tvN’s new Monday-Tuesday drama “High Class” held an online press conference with director Choi Byung Gil and actors Jo Yeo Jeong, Kim Ji Soo, Ha Jun, Park Se Jin, and Gong Hyun Joo.
“High Class” is a mystery drama set at an ultra-luxurious international school located on an island paradise. Jo Yeo Jeong stars as Song Yeo Wool, a successful lawyer who loses everything when she is framed for her husband’s murder. She unexpectedly begins to unravel the mystery behind her husband’s death when the mother of one of her son’s classmates turns out to be her late husband’s lover.
Producing director (PD) Choi Byung Gil said, “The drama is about the solitary and lonely stories of women that are hidden behind their flashy and luxurious lives. It is about these women trying to find what truly makes them happy. I think that viewers will come to sympathize with each and every one of them.”
This is Jo Yeo Jeong’s first tvN drama in 10 years. She joked, “I got so much love from the last one, and since it’s been so long, maybe there will be more love for this one as well.” The actress explained why she chose this project by saying, “When I first read the script, I pitied the lives of these women who are isolated on Jeju Island. I wanted to portray their lives as best as I could so that other women could relate to them. My character is a lawyer and seems to be a high-class mom, but I tried to show a more realistic and everyday side that I hadn’t shown before.”
Kim Ji Soo plays Nam Ji Sun, a hotel owner, chaebol heiress, and the queen bee of the other mothers at the international school. She said, “I was curious about a drama that had mostly female characters. The director and the production staff sent me the offer and I was grateful to participate. My character seems like a woman who has it all, but she is very empty inside, she’s nothing but a shell. When you get to know her, you realize that she’s not someone to envy. I found that really pitiable.”
Ha Jun plays Danny Oh, a former Canadian ice hockey player and currently a gym teacher at the school. “I put a more witty side of myself into the character that I hadn’t shown before,” he said. “I think that I have a pretty playful side, and I found the script really interesting as well.”
Park Se Jin plays Hwang Na Yoon, a single mother who is the only person at the school who reaches out to Song Yeo Wool. “Every moment on set was a learning experience,” she said. “Jo Yeo Jeong was the first to approach me in a friendly way. She leads the scene in such a way that brings to life not only her own acting but also that of her partner. Kim Ji Soo makes it easy to immerse yourself into the story because she transforms into the character completely when she’s on set.”
Park Se Jin was born in 1996, but in the drama, she plays the mother of a child old enough to attend school. “I was glad to have been cast, but I was worried about whether I would do well,” she said. “I don’t know what maternal instincts are, so I worried about that for months. I usually don’t talk with my family about my projects in advance, but for this one, I explained the character to my mom and asked her about her experience. I think that I was able to understand the character better, but also understand my mom more.”
Gong Hyun Joo plays Cha Do Young, a former top actress and current social media influencer who follows Nam Ji Sun around to get back in the spotlight. “She’s such a visually flamboyant character that any actress would have wanted to play her,” she said. “She was a top actress before getting married, so her inner conflict about her career is something that I could really relate to.”
“High Class” premiered on September 6 at 10:30 p.m. KST.
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