“‘Trunk’ holds a significant meaning for me. It was my first experience with such a long duration, I worked with respected seniors, and I took on a big challenge. Overcoming my fears, I gained a lot of energy as an actor.”
Actor Jung Yoon-ha (38) boldly performed a full-frontal nude scene through the melodrama thriller ‘Trunk’.
The Netflix original series ‘Trunk’ (written by Park Eun-young, directed by Kim Kyu-tae), which was released on the 29th of last month, depicts a mysterious love story involving two characters, Seo Hyun-ji (played by Seo Hyun-jin) and Han Jeong-won (played by Gong Yoo), whose secrets are revealed due to a trunk that appears by the lakeside.
Based on the novel of the same name by writer Kim Ryeo-ryeong, the series is directed by Kim Kyu-tae, who also directed ‘Our Blues’ and ‘It’s Okay, That’s Love’. It presents the unfamiliar theme of ‘temporary marriage’ in a mysterious way, focusing on the relationships and love between characters.
On the 6th, I met Jung Yoon-ha, who plays the ex-wife ‘Lee Seo-yeon’ that mentally dominates the male lead Han Jeong-won, at a café in Samcheong-dong, Jongno-gu, Seoul.
Jung Yoon-ha shyly smiled and said, “I’m grateful and honored to be part of such a big project. Everyone, from the director to the actors and staff, are artisans, so just being able to work with them was exciting and wonderful. Since it’s content being released worldwide, many people around me have watched it. I’m glad that the response to the work has been enthusiastic.”
He expressed that it was “fascinating and fun” to watch the work, saying, “It felt like my first work, so I was excited and very nervous. The moments during filming passed by like a flash. I remember the moment when the director suggested that I work on the role of Seo-yeon. When I took on the role of Lee Seo-yeon, the tasks ahead felt very real.”
When asked how he viewed the character Lee Seo-yeon, Jung cautiously replied, “She was a difficult character that I sought the advice of a psychiatrist for.”
“I thought she was a character that needed to be expressed carefully. She wants to be loved but has conflicting feelings of hatred. The turning point for that was Han Jeong-won’s ‘Please save the child first.’ Her way of loving is clumsy, and she pours her misplaced passion onto someone who doesn’t match her in an inappropriate way.”
He explained, “I had to relate it to postpartum depression while also keeping a distance. The actions that unfold later go very far, so even if I couldn’t fully justify them, I tried to narrow the emotional gap as much as possible.” He added, “I interpreted it as a narrative where a person who can’t even define love ultimately realizes the form of love she needs.”
The work has received mixed reactions due to its uncomfortable theme of ‘temporary marriage’, unrealistic settings, and extreme characters and developments. Director Kim Kyu-tae emphasized at a previous production briefing that “while the material may seem provocative, in our work, it serves as a medium to find the real within the unreal,” but the unveiled drama focused more on ‘provocation’ than anything else.
In particular, the conditions of the ‘temporary marriage’ system state that the employer and employee must sleep in the same room on their wedding night and can engage in physical relations under the premise that both desire it. These conditions are reiterated in the dialogue, such as “Is this a kind of expensive maid service? It even does XX,” “Isn’t it okay if we want it? It’s our part,” and “Sure, if we both want it.”
Moreover, while there are several bed scenes, the disparity in exposure between the lead and supporting actors has drawn public criticism. The bed scenes between the main characters Seo Hyun-jin and Gong Yoo emphasize ‘emotional lines’ with minimal exposure, while Jung Yoon-ha and Jo Yi-gun’s scenes feature full nudity and lengthy bed scenes. Although it reflects the different character traits, the prevailing opinion is that it lacks persuasion.
Jung stated, “I wanted to vividly show the distinct colors of the two couples,” adding, “As an actor, I had a strong desire to express this character in a three-dimensional way, and in some symbolic scenes, I wanted to showcase that character even better.”
He continued, “It’s true that everything is a concern and burden when working, not just the bed scenes. Initially, the script mentioned ‘the relationship between Seo-yeon and Ji-o’, ‘Seo-yeon is confused’, and ‘Seo-yeon is not passionate’. I remember having many discussions with the director about that content. As a result, I think the bed scene was completed while trying to show the characteristics of Seo-yeon’s character. That process required immense courage, and I was aware of that.”
He mentioned that he also acted with a body double. “So I thought I had to bear even more burden,” he said, adding, “We worked together while contemplating. The cinematographer and lighting director were great people who were very considerate, so the filming that day was carefully and successfully completed.”
Despite putting in a lot of effort and sincerity, he shared his feelings about the starkly divided reactions from viewers. It could be hurtful, but Jung remained calm.
“I believe that every viewer’s perspective should be respected. Whether they like it or not, I’m grateful that they showed interest. I usually value cold feedback, so I’m really thankful for the diverse opinions.”
Finally, he did not forget to express his gratitude towards co-stars Gong Yoo and Seo Hyun-jin. Jung said, “Gong Yoo is truly a wonderful person. Seo Hyun-jin is someone I’ve respected for a long time, so I was really happy to work with her. I thought of them like ‘parents’ on set. There were times when I couldn’t speak up when I wanted to ask something, but they understood everything just by looking at my eyes. It’s not common to meet good seniors on set, so I was really happy.”
