Actress Go Yoon-jung (29) has once again made a strong impression on viewers with 'Unsung Heroes', following her roles in 'Moving' and 'Alchemy of Souls'.
The tvN weekend drama 'Unsung Heroes' (written by Kim Song-hee, directed by Lee Min-soo), which concluded on the 18th, depicts the growth of residents dreaming of a wise medical life. It is a spin-off of 'Hospital Playlist' (hereafter 'HP'), with PD Shin Won-ho and writer Lee Woo-jung participating as creators.
Go Yoon-jung plays the role of Oh Yi-young, a first-year obstetrics and gynecology resident at Jongno Yulje Hospital.
Recently, Go Yoon-jung met with Maeil Business Star Today in a location in Gangnam, Seoul, to share her thoughts on the conclusion of 'Unsung Heroes'. She said, "First of all, I feel regret. It feels like it ended so quickly. It seems like it was just a short time, but it feels like it's over, which is disappointing."
She added, "On the last day of filming, everyone felt sad thinking we were parting ways. Now it really feels like we are saying goodbye."
'Unsung Heroes' was a pre-produced drama that completed filming last year. Go Yoon-jung said, "It's been a while, so I feel that parting feeling again. We filmed it a year ago. I was upset because I had to move on to the next project right away. Watching a project that was filmed a year ago, I realized I don't remember the content well. People around me ask how it went, but I really couldn't remember well. (Thanks to that) I enjoyed watching it from a viewer's perspective."
Go Yoon-jung also mentioned, "The process of building the emotional line between Yi-young and Do-won, the narrative and relationships with the obstetrics and gynecology resident members were interesting. The conflict between Professor Seo Jeong-min and Professor Gong Gi-seon, as well as the conflict between Yi-young and Nam-gyeong, were also fun. The first-year friends had similarities with the professors. Although the professors seem professional, when they are together, they definitely feel like peers and friends."
In this work, the romance between Oh Yi-young and 'the bachelor in-law' Gu Do-won (played by Jung Joon-won) is receiving the most attention. Go Yoon-jung explained, "They say, 'In the first year, just putting a straw in yogurt makes you fall in love.' There is something about small comforts and encouragements that feel magnified. I think there might be some of that." She continued, "Yi-young receives a lot of misunderstandings from Myung Eun-won (played by Kim Hye-in) and gains distrust from those around her because of it. In that situation, Gu Do-won calmly and maturely dealt with it and helped her. The respect for her senior and gratitude for being saved were significant. Even though they have known each other for a long time, I think just one point like that is enough to fall in love."
The romance between the two has received mixed reviews from viewers, with some saying 'the chemistry doesn't match well.' Some reactions include 'Oh Yi-young deserves better.' Go Yoon-jung said, "While filming, I didn't expect there would be such reactions," adding, "It might be a minority opinion. Yi-young is not someone who falls for external appearances, but rather she is attracted to the kind yet assertive senior charm."
She continued, "Recently, I did a live broadcast on Channel 15, and all I saw were comments about Gu Do-won. There were many comments saying, 'He's cute,' and 'He looks like a marshmallow.' I understood that. He is such a good actor," and added, "I learned a lot on set. Also, we met again after a year at the production presentation, and it was nice to see him after such a long time." She also mentioned, "No one thought the love line would be so hot. Everyone was surprised that 'Gu Do-won and Oh Yi-young would explode.' Even the writer and director didn't know."
Go Yoon-jung said, "I always thought romance would resonate. I didn't expect it to be this big, but since there was no melodrama line in the beginning, it might have felt like a refreshing change. The relationship between an active female character and a boring male character was also interesting. The fact that they are in-laws adds to the fun," highlighting the chemistry points.
If Oh Yi-young was attracted to Gu Do-won's 'senior charm', what does Go Yoon-jung find attractive in a partner? She said, "I think I look at humor codes more than appearance," and added, "There are various ways to exchange jokes. The most important thing is not crossing the line, and I think I like someone whose standards are similar to mine. I'm not very delicate, so I think someone who is delicate would be better. I also tend to feel a lot of fun when talking."
Go Yoon-jung also talked about her chemistry with Lee Bong-ryeon, who plays her mentor, Professor Seo Jeong-min.
Go Yoon-jung said, "I first met Lee Bong-ryeon while filming 'Sweet Home'. At that time, we didn't have any scenes together, so we only greeted each other. I was happy to hear that we were cast together in this project." She added, "I'm not very warm to my seniors on set. Since we are not gathered to play but to work, I was worried that I might tire my seniors out, so I didn't talk much."
She continued, "I'm not sure if we've become very close, but during the last filming, I didn't shed a single tear for any other scenes, but I cried a lot during Professor Seo Jeong-min's last scene. The relationship on set felt similar to that of Oh Yi-young and Professor Seo Jeong-min. There was a lot of respect and admiration. I felt sad on the last filming day," expressing her affection. (Continued in Interview ②)
[Kim So-yeon, Star Today Reporter]
