[Sportschosun Reporter Jiyoung Cho] Kim Hye-jun, known for her powerful performances in genre dramas, is taking on a new image transformation with her first romantic comedy.
On the afternoon of the 28th, TVING and Naver TV hosted an online production presentation for tvN's new Monday–Tuesday drama 'My Favorite Employee' (written by Lee Young and Kim Ji-an, directed by Park Ji-hyun and Jung Da-hyung). Kang Hoon, who plays Kang Ha-gi, the young CEO of fashion platform Apello; Kim Hye-jun, who plays rookie marketer Nam Da-reum, a fan who dreams of becoming a devoted supporter; Chawoomin, who plays Lee Chan, a member of the idol group D.N.X and Nam Da-reum's favorite star; and director Park Ji-hyun attended the event.
'My Favorite Employee' tells the story of a rookie office worker who ends up becoming the employee of her favorite star while trying to meet him. Based on the popular webtoon 'My Oppa Is an Idol' by writer Sungeun, which sparked a global sensation with more than 660 million cumulative views, the drama puts a youthful office love triangle at the center of the story, unfolding between a sharp-tongued real-world boss and a gentle favorite of 12 years.
In particular, 'My Favorite Employee' has drawn attention as Kim Hye-jun's first romantic comedy after she made a strong impression in genre projects. Add Kang Hoon's cool, refined charm, which has established him as a rising melodrama lead, and the fresh appeal of breakout star Chawoomin, and the drama is expected to fully capture the bright, refreshing mood that defines summer series, along with the cast's visual chemistry and office dynamics.
At the event, Kang Hoon said, "I played a very detailed character, to the point that he is called Kang Tail in the drama. I looked into how the head of a fashion platform works, studied style a lot, and matched that to the character. I also studied how he behaves toward employees. I thought about how he approaches people when they come to him, and why he keeps his distance from others. He is similar to me in that he is a perfectionist. I am a J type, a planner," drawing laughter from the room.
When asked about the virtues of a CEO, he added with a sense of humor, "I think the ideal boss is someone who just hands over the card at a company dinner and leaves early. The key point here is to leave quietly."
Kim Hye-jun smiled brightly and said, "I am so happy that a day like this has come to me." Speaking about her first rom-com challenge, she said, "I had always wanted to try a romantic comedy, but once I actually started, I felt overwhelmed and under pressure. I resolved to prepare more carefully. I think I was able to do well thanks to the actors and the director I worked with. I am starting to wonder if I will end up doing only rom-coms."
She continued, "Because of my previous project, my tone had dropped a lot, and it was not easy to bring it back up in this one. The cast and crew knew that about me, so they encouraged me even more, applauded me more, and gave me courage. Thanks to them, my energy rose a lot."
Talking about her favorite idols, she reflected, "I was a huge fan of every idol group active during my school years. I remember spending lunch breaks singing along to idol songs. I also liked girl groups. For talent shows, I even danced to Girls' Generation (SNSD) and Wonder Girls songs. Unfortunately, I never got to stand in the center. While acting in this project, I recalled and brought out the emotions from my school days. I also remember buying albums and collecting them."
She also teased the scenes that made her heart flutter during filming, saying, "The first scene I shot was the first day of work, when my character joins the favorite star's company. In many ways, that moment was exciting. In the early part, I was thrilled by Chawoomin, and in the later part, I was thrilled by CEO Kang Hoon. There is a moment when the CEO suddenly comes into the story and makes your heart race."
She then joked, "If something like this happened to me in real life, I do not think I could meet either a CEO or an idol. It would be too overwhelming. I would just keep seeing a fellow employee."
Chawoomin, who plays an idol character in the drama, said, "In real life, my idol skills are 0 percent, my fashion sense is 10 percent, and I will try to make the actor in me 90 percent. I also practiced dancing to portray an idol. Through this project, I have come to respect idols."
Kang Hoon responded with a joke, saying, "I think I also have pretty good dance skills. If I had practiced for a long time, maybe I would have debuted as an idol too."
Director Park Ji-hyun explained her approach, saying, "The original work has a sincere message. I felt that its coming-of-age points were warm. I tried to bring out that sincerity and added many settings to better show the relationships. I wanted the characters to stand out more clearly and to show how they save one another. I also thought a lot about balancing reality and fantasy."
She added confidently, "The existing rom-com formula has been combined with fandom. People grow through their feelings for someone and discover themselves in the process. I think the fantasy elements are well balanced. There will be many fresh combinations compared with other works."
'My Favorite Employee' stars Kang Hoon, Kim Hye-jun, Chawoomin, and Shin Yoon. The script was written by Lee Young, who also wrote 'Siren,' and the drama was directed by Jung Da-hyung. It will premiere on tvN on August 3 at 8:50 p.m.
Jiyoung Cho, soulhn1220@sportschosun.com
This article has been translated by GripLabs Mingo AI.
