Actors Jo Min-soo and Jung Jin-young showcased their lively 'melodrama' chemistry.
On the afternoon of the 25th, an online press conference for the Genie TV original drama 'Riding Life' was held. Attending the event were actors Jeon Hye-jin, Jo Min-soo, Jung Jin-young, Jeon Seok-ho, and director Kim Cheol-kyu.
In 'Riding Life', Jung Jin-young plays Lee Young-wook, a university English professor who falls head over heels for Ji-a (played by Jo Min-soo) while mentoring Min-ho, a top student from Daechi-dong.
Jung Jin-young described his character as “someone around my age,” and mentioned that Jo Min-soo is like someone’s grandmother.
Reacting to Jung Jin-young's 'grandmother' comment, Jo Min-soo said, “I thought a lot about this role before taking it. I wondered if I could do it and talked to Jung Jin-young about it. I said I wasn't used to being called a grandmother, but he keeps calling me 'grandmother.' It's annoying,” which drew laughter from the audience.
Jung Jin-young also shared why he chose 'Riding Life'. He said, “The world has become so harsh, and there are many bloody stories. While it deals with reality, it’s a beautiful story that follows people's emotions well, so I chose it. Above all, it’s a melodrama,” and then added, “It’s a melodrama with a grandmother,” which made Jo Min-soo react again.
Regarding her reasons for choosing the project, Jo Min-soo opened up, saying, “Can I be honest? It’s been a long time since I’ve worked, and I need to make a living.” She continued, “When I received the script, it was something I hadn’t experienced at my age, so it felt awkward. I wondered if I could do it. It’s a challenging role for me,” and added, “We are in a profession where we express people, and I wanted to try expressing it once. I thought about how to convey the situations and stresses that the older generation I look up to experienced.”
She continued, “As I kept reading, I found Ji-a to be charming. She’s not a perfect person, but she lives without being miserable, is moderately just, knows how to love people, and has a good perspective. I had a desire to create something within this character until the end. I chose it because I think we need a drama that can stand on the ground at this time, especially with so much content available these days.”
'Riding Life' is a drama depicting the life of a passionate working mom, Jung Eun, who entrusts her daughter Ji-a with academy riding lessons as they navigate the challenges of being a three-generation family in Daechi-dong. It will premiere on March 3 at 10 PM.
[Geum Bit-na, MK Sports Reporter]
