Gong Hyo-jin is returning to the small screen.

tvN‘s new Saturday-Sunday drama ‘Ask the Stars’ (written by Seo Sook-hyang, directed by Park Shin-woo) depicts the extraterrestrial life of Eve (played by Gong Hyo-jin), a boss working in a zero-gravity space station, and an uninvited dinosaur (played by Lee Min-ho) with a secret mission. It is Korea’s first space office drama.

According to the production team, Gong Hyo-jin will be returning to the small screen for the first time in six years as Commander Eve Kim, who leads the space station. Gong Hyo-jin said about the reason she chose this project, “I was drawn to the freshness of a space-based drama and the newness of playing the role of a captain, the Commander, after always playing the youngest role in writer Seo Sook-hyang‘s dramas.” She also said, “The familiarity that came from working with director Park Shin-woo and writer Seo Sook-hyang also played a big role in my decision to appear.”

Regarding the character of Eve Kim, she said, “It’s an abbreviation for ‘crunchy on the outside and moist on the inside’.” “Unlike the roles I‘ve played so far, Eve has no affection or interest in people and is only interested in experimental life forms, so I always tried to maintain the upright feeling of the Commander.”

Gong Hyo-jin’s style, which brings out the unique characteristics of each character in each project, is a hot topic. Therefore, expectations are high for the concept of the Eve Kim character this time. Gong Hyo-jin, who said that more than half of the drama was focused on space overalls in line with the nature of her job as a space scientist, said, “As a space scientist, charismatic outfits were the main focus. Rather than trendy items, I chose cool matches that do not follow trends.”


Gong Hyo-jin listed various things to watch for in ‘Ask the Stars’. Gong Hyo-jin said, “Since all the scenes are based on a state of weightlessness, a lot of thought and passion was required for each scene.” “The scenes in the space station were action scenes using wires, and since it was a space I had never actually experienced, I acted as if I was heading to the bare ground from A to Z.”

She continued, “It‘s not a story about space wars or space monsters, but a story about life in space, so I hope that this unknown drama that captures the time spent in an unknown place will resolve many people’s curiosity. I hope you will watch what space research scientists have risked their lives to protect for humanity,” he said. “Please look at it with affectionate eyes.”

‘Ask the Stars’ will first air at 9:20 PM on January 4, 2025.

Hong Se-young, Donga.com Reporter projecthong@donga.com