Actress Lee Hyeri, former member of Girl's Day, returns to drama after three years with ‘Good Competition’.
On the afternoon of the 6th, a press preview for the STUDIO X+U drama ‘Good Competition’ was held at CGV Yongsan in Yongsan-gu, Seoul. After the press preview, a press conference was held with Lee Hyeri, Jung Soo-bin, Kang Hye-won, Oh Woo-ri, Kim Tae-hoon, Young-jae, and director Kim Tae-hee in attendance.
‘Good Competition’ is a mystery girl thriller surrounding ‘Seulgi’, who transfers to the elite Chaehwa High School in South Korea, where fierce competition for college entrance exams takes place, revealing the desires of her friends and the mysterious death of her father, who was a member of the exam committee. It is based on a popular webtoon of the same name.
Director Kim Tae-hee stated, “I accepted the proposal for adaptation immediately. There were two reasons. There are no good people. A lot of women are involved. That aspect was very appealing. The story of slightly crazy girls hiding secrets and engaging in bloody competition seemed interesting for adaptation. Since it is set against the backdrop of a special competition like the college entrance exam, I hope that after watching the work, everyone will cheer for their friends.”
Lee Hyeri returns to drama for the first time in about three years since the 2022 drama ‘One Day, One Night’. She expressed her feelings about participating, saying, “When I first saw the script, it was intriguing. The writing was so attractive that I thought it would be an honor and a fun project to be involved in the adaptation, so I really wanted to do it.”
Lee Hyeri plays the role of ‘Yoo Jae-yi’, the only real power at Chaehwa High School. Yoo Jae-yi is a genius high school student who ranks in the top 0.1% even among the top 1% at Chaehwa High School, possessing natural beauty, a high IQ, and a good family background, making her a truly overpowered character.
Lee Hyeri explained, “She is a character who ranks first in the entire school at Chaehwa High School, which is the top 1% in South Korea. She is perfect in terms of appearance, family background, character, and grades. In fact, she is a person whose thoughts are unknown, so I have mixed feelings of wanting to get close to her but also feeling scared. Every action of Jae-yi is significant. She is an inscrutable character.”
She added, “Until now, I have played characters with a lot of warm aspects. Yoo Jae-yi has many cold sides. I brought out and expressed the sensitive and sharp points that I have.”
Lee Hyeri wore a school uniform for the filming of the school drama after a long time. She said, “The role in ‘Good Competition’ could have been a burden, but I had a greater desire to participate. I thought that there would be points that someone in their late 20s like me could understand. As time goes by, it becomes difficult to participate in school dramas, so I decided to take courage regardless of age.”
The drama features bold scenes, including same-sex kisses. Regarding this, she said, “I didn’t have much concern. When I read the script, the emotional line was very understandable and convincing. I thought it was a scene that could clearly show the character and would allow for better storytelling in later episodes, so I imagined it being beautifully captured while filming.”
Director Kim Tae-hee revealed, “I have been a long-time fan of Hyeri. I was subscribed to her YouTube channel. Around the time of casting, she revealed her school record. She was very good at studying and had been class president consistently. I thought I wanted to meet her.”
He continued, “The moment we met, I felt she was different from what I had perceived through the media. She had a charismatic and serious charm. When we talked, she also had insight into the script. I thought she could show a completely new side through this character, so I pursued her. I am confident that she will definitely break her life character.”
‘Good Competition’ will be released starting Monday, the 10th, and will air every Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday, and Thursday at midnight on U+tv and U+mobiletv.
[Shin Young-eun, Star Today Reporter]
