Actor Jung Geon-joo (29) was the only heir of the best gisaeng house in Joseon, Yongcheonru, in 'Check-in Hanyang'.
From a bright and cheeky young master to the character 'Cheon Jun-hwa', who is consumed by darkness due to not being able to have what he wants, Jung Geon-joo seamlessly portrayed the character's transformation, saying, "I was worried that I might be too over the top while darkening, but many people liked that aspect itself," and added, "It was fun to show parts of Jung Geon-joo that I hadn't shown before; I felt it deeply."
The recently concluded 'Check-in Hanyang' is a youth romance historical drama that depicts the tumultuous growth of Joseon's young people who joined the largest gisaeng house, Yongcheonru, where anyone can become a king as long as they pay money.
The character he played, 'Cheon Jun-hwa', starts working as an educational assistant at the command of his father Cheon Bang-joo (played by Kim Ui-sung) and, while living a carefree life, becomes sincere with his colleagues, forming the 'Hao-na Four' group.
In an interview on the 11th at the People Entertainment headquarters in Yeonnam-dong, Seoul, Jung Geon-joo expressed his feelings about the drama's conclusion, saying, "As the drama aired, I received a lot of good feedback about my acting from those around me," and added, "It was the most fulfilling since I started acting."
Jung Geon-joo said, "I thought the power that comes from youth and the point of being a cross-dressing woman would appeal to viewers, but I didn't expect to receive so much love," and shared that he laughed while reading comments on Naver Talk, feeling the popularity.
He mentioned that he tried to incorporate as much of himself into the character as possible. "I didn't refer to other works before filming," he said, "I wanted to bring out Cheon Jun-hwa from within me. I wanted to make it fun."
“I think I became more cheeky while doing it. At the beginning of the shoot, there was unavoidable tension, but as time went on, I started using more props and came up with many ideas. Those cheeky moments are things that come out among my close friends. I think I drew on those moments. I was actually close with the Hao-na Four. Even after the cut, I was still Cheon Jun-hwa. We played around a lot and then shot. Cheon Jun-hwa had a lot of similarities to me, except for the dark scenes.”
In the early part of the drama, the carefree and unpretentious 'Cheon Jun-hwa' transforms into a darker character in the latter half, changing the atmosphere of the drama. He coldly warns the officials who disregard his father, Taesang Bang-joo (played by Kim Ui-sung), by sticking out his tongue and does not shy away from violence. He portrayed various emotions such as laughter, sadness, and fear within a single character, showcasing the character's change and growth.
Jung Geon-joo said, "I only knew that Jun-hwa would darken in the latter half, but I didn't know it would be to this extent," and reflected, "I thought about how to make it cooler and more interesting."
“I wanted to show a darkened side while not losing my pure heart as much as possible. There were reactions saying that darkened Jun-hwa was scary, but some also found him attractive. In episodes 14 and 15, it was a whirlwind, and I learned about the relationship with my father and Deok-soo, so it was difficult to balance that. It felt like time was short. It was a return in just three episodes. I had a lot of discussions with the writer and director about it.”
The drama started with a viewership rating of 1.8% in its first episode and gradually gained word of mouth, ending with its highest rating of 4.2% (based on Nielsen Korea nationwide). This is also the highest record among Channel A's weekend dramas.
When the topic of ratings came up, Jung Geon-joo said, "I'm satisfied that the ratings increased significantly compared to the early ratings," and added, "I'm so proud. It was a work that the channel had high expectations for, and we celebrated in the group chat saying, 'We hit our highest ratings'."
However, it seems there is still some disappointment regarding the love line. Since 'A Day Found by Chance' to 'Monthly House' and 'Flower Scholar's Love Story', Jung Geon-joo has always ended up with unrequited love, and this time he also felt regret for not being able to connect with Kim Ji-eun.
Regarding this narrative, Jung Geon-joo said, "I confessed to Deok-soo (played by Kim Ji-eun) twice, and that alone seems precious to Jun-hwa. It must have been the first time he expressed feelings he had never felt before, and although it was clumsy, those expressions were pure and dear to me." He also added, "I think I have an impression optimized for unrequited love," and after a self-assessment, he said, "Next, I definitely want to try a mutual romance."
Jung Geon-joo's next project is the TVING original series 'A Week Before I Die'. It is a youth fantasy romance where the first love Kim Ram-woo (played by Gong Myung) appears as a grim reaper in front of Jeong Hee-wan (played by Kim Min-ha), who has been letting her youth slip away without any motivation for life. Jung Geon-joo plays the role of Lee Hong-seok, a former swimmer.
“My 20s passed by in a blur, and I said I wanted to be an actor who goes on for a long time, but now I want to be a bit more ambitious. I want to show good acting to the viewers. 'Work hard and play hard.' It might sound cliché... I want to meet many people through various works and be someone who can feel small happiness even when playing.”
