A pictorial containing a different side of actress Jang Na-ra has been released.

He said that he was really thankful and fortunate to have met the character of Cha Eun-kyung in ‘Good Partner’, and about why he chose the drama, he said, “The script was really interesting. When I read the script, I try to see the story with the viewer‘s perspective before I empathize with the character I’m playing. Maybe because it was written by a current divorce lawyer, each episode was really vivid. More than anything, I really liked the story with rookie lawyer ‘Han Yu-ri’, played by Nam Ji-hyun. There are many different episodes in this drama, but the main story is the relationship between Cha Eun-kyung and Han Yu-ri. I was drawn to that chemistry.”

He continued, “There are so many types of relationships and stories that can be developed in a drama, but I often feel regretful because it seems to mostly lean towards ‘romance’ or ‘bromance’. That‘s why I was drawn to the drama even more, and I’m glad that it turned out well. I hope that not only ”Womance,“ but also unique dramas like ”Dog Talk,“ which is currently airing and features an old man and a dog as the main characters, will be successful and that the scope of production will expand. So that viewers can see diverse and rich stories,” she added.

Jang Na-ra said that she had a lot of concerns before joining “Good Partner.”

“I was really low on confidence before we started filming. I‘ve always been aware of my shortcomings, but there are times when I can overcome or develop my strengths by making good use of them, but there are also times when only the parts that I couldn’t fix seem too magnified and it was painful. I felt like I had reached my limit. But things changed after I met actress Nam Ji-hyun. During the script reading, I saw Ji Hyun, who plays Han Yu Ri, and only then did I see the answer to how I should play the character of Cha Eun Kyung.

Regarding her previous work, she said, “Rather than continuing to do what I’m good at and have been recognized for, my goal has always been to get a script that would allow me to show a different side of myself. Ever since I was young, I’ve had a lot of limitations on my characters because of my appearance and voice tone. When I debuted and filmed only two works, a reporter even wrote a column saying that my acting range was narrow and that I only acted cute. At that time, I thought the world was really harsh… (laughs) Thanks to that, I was able to struggle in my own way to transform what I have and show something new.” She revealed that her future goal is to “challenge” herself with new things.

She also said, “I’m going to take a break for a while and prepare for my next work. If I can try a new “challenge,” I’d like to try a thriller, an occult drama, and if I get the chance, a historical drama. There are still many things I haven‘t done than things I have done, so I hope to try many things in my life,” she said of her next activity.

As an actress, her ultimate goal is to be ’happy.‘ She said, “(Compared to when I debuted) my life has become a bit more relaxed now, and I’ve been able to find the happiness I feel from work in my daily life. In the past, I thought acting was the only way to express my value. That‘s why I felt so empty when a project ended and I returned to my real life. Jang Nara without acting felt insignificant. I do this work to be happy, but it felt like the roles were completely reversed. After realizing that, I started taking better care of my daily life. “I also exercise desperately,” she said with a laugh.

You can see more pictorials and interviews with Jang Na-ra in the November issue of Cosmopolitan and on the Cosmopolitan Korea website.

Jeon Hyo-jin, Donga.com reporter jhj@donga.com