"Rom-com queen" Park Minyoung is returning to the small screen with a relatable office romance alongside Yook Sung-jae and Go Soo.
On November 9, the production team of SBS's new Wednesday-Thursday drama "Nine to Six" (written by Choi Ji-oh, directed by Lee Hyeong-min and Oh Song-hee), which premieres on November 25 at 9 PM, released a written interview with Park Minyoung, who plays the role of Kang Yi-ji, a workaholic deputy head of the legal affairs team.
"Nine to Six" is an on-and-off work-life balance romance about a rational woman who has spent her life proving herself through work, who meets a warm and emotional man and rewrites the standards of work, love, and happiness.
Park Minyoung expressed satisfaction with her teamwork alongside co-stars Yook Sung-jae and Go Soo. Praising Yook, she said, "Sung-jae is such a fun, free-spirited friend who also acts very well," and added, "Both of us tend to be quite playful, so actor Yook Sung-jae took charge of ad-libs while I handled the reactions, and together we created fun scenes".
She continued, "The balance among the three of us—senior Go Soo, actor Yook Sung-jae, and myself—was great. When Sung-jae and I were fooling around, senior Go Soo would appear at just the right moment and calm the two of us down with his signature warmth. Both of them brought such comfortable energy that the chemistry couldn't help but be good," building excitement for the trio's acting synergy.
She also shared her affection for her character. "Kang Yi-ji is not an intense character, but she was someone who could brighten up the 'human Park Minyoung,' who had been becoming a bit dry compared to before," she said. She added, "The way Yi-ji changes as she becomes intertwined with other characters was intriguing. Playing Yi-ji made me feel like I became a bit brighter too, making her a character I am truly grateful for".
Park Minyoung also revealed her dedication to perfecting the image of a sharp deputy head of the legal affairs team. "Since I have never experienced working in an office myself, I looked up office worker documentaries and asked office workers around me for advice," she explained. "To embody the image of a sharp deputy head of the legal team, I boldly transformed with a blunt bob haircut".
She also shared behind-the-scenes stories about depicting a character who relieves stress by eating fiery jjamppong (spicy seafood noodle soup), even though in real life she cannot eat spicy food. "During filming sessions where I had to eat fiery jjamppong, I acted by imagining that I was eating my favorite food," she revealed, drawing laughter. She also added, "I'm the type of person who loses weight when working on a project, so during filming, even when having just one meal, I had a strong determination to eat healthy, nourishing food. By consistently stretching and relieving stress through mind control, I made an effort to become Kang Yi-ji, living a 'god-saeng' (productive, fulfilling life)."
Finally, Park Minyoung previewed an office romance designed to strike a relatable chord with viewers, saying, "'Nine to Six' is not a story about extraordinary people, but rather a story about ordinary us living out our intense daily routines. With romance cutely incorporated into it, it's a project viewers can comfortably enjoy." She especially urged viewers, "I really hope you watch Episodes 1, 2, and 12. Our drama is an ending hotspot, so there's so much I want to spoil, but I can't," adding, "When filming Episode 12, I personally felt truly at peace and happy. I sincerely hope that by watching all the way through to Episode 12, the happiness I felt will be conveyed to all of you."
SBS's new Wednesday-Thursday drama "Nine to Six" premieres on Wednesday, November 25 at 9 PM.
(SBS Entertainment News | Kang Sun-ae)
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