With Channel A‘s weekend drama ‘Check In Hanyang’ off to a smooth start on the 21st, the ‘Haona 4-member group’ Bae In-hyuk, Kim Ji-eun, Jung Gun-joo, and Park Jae-chan’ released a stylish pictorial.

In the pictorial released by fashion magazine Singles on the 26th, the four created a sensual atmosphere by showing off various stylings.

‘Check In Hanyang’ is a turbulent historical romance drama that tells the story of Yongcheonru, the largest inn in Joseon Dynasty that upholds the arrogant motto, ‘The customer is king’, and the young Joseon lads who join the intern staff there.

When asked about the behind-the-scenes story of the filming of the drama ‘Check In Hanyang’, Bae In Hyuk said, “(Kim) Ji Eun noona and (Jung) Gun Joo hyung helped establish the position from the beginning, and Jae Chan and I are the same age, so we got along well. That way, whenever someone was having a hard time or was upset, we would always take care of them and adjust, which made filming fun. We filmed through the scorching heat all summer, but before we knew it, it was winter again (laughs)”.

When asked about his level of synchronization with ‘Lee Eun Ho’ from ‘Check In Hanyang’, Bae In Hyuk said, “There are some similarities and differences, but since he is a high-ranking figure in the palace, I don’t think that‘s the case. While acting out the somewhat silly parts, I thought, ’This is very similar to me,‘“ he said.

Next, I asked Jung Gun-joo about the character ’Cheon Jun-hwa.‘ Jung Gun-joo said, ”As soon as I read the script, I was captivated by the character of Cheon Jun-hwa and wanted to do it right away. Jun-hwa is a really pure friend like a blank sheet of paper. I think he’s probably the character that changes the most in the drama. I think Jun-hwa‘s gradual change will be dynamic, so I’m looking forward to how the viewers will perceive it,“ showing his affection for the character.

She also said, ”I wanted to use as much of what I have as possible. I acted naturally with my own appearance, so I didn‘t make it up or anything. The director and my senior actors respected my opinions as much as possible and gave me advice, so I was able to act with confidence. I’m grateful for that.“

Kim Ji-eun played the role of Hong Deok-soo, who lives as a woman disguised as a man for some reason. Kim Ji-eun expressed her passion, saying, ”It was my first time taking on a big role in a historical drama and playing a woman disguised as a man. To be honest, I wasn‘t confident at first. I told the director and the company several times that I wasn’t sure if I could do it well. So I did a lot of research. I went to the practice room and took lessons, practiced my speech on my own, and even did makeup that was divided into stages to look like a man.“

When asked if she felt lonely as the only woman among the four youths in ‘Check In Hanyang,’ she said, ”I don‘t feel lonely, maybe because I have the personality to take care of others. Rather, I was happy to be able to take care of the kids. Even when something upsets me, I tend to say honestly, ’I‘m hurt,’ and resolve it rather than being hurt alone. For example, if someone comes late and filming is delayed, I say, ‘Come quickly and prepare so I can earn the meal.’ Then the kids followed along well,” he said, showing a ‘T-like moment.

Lastly, I asked Park Jae-chan how his first historical drama filming was. Park Jae-chan said, “The speech pattern wasn’t as difficult as I thought. For example, I could say ‘gopul’ for a cold, so it was actually fun. It was amazing because 30 to 40 people all wore hanbok and filmed, so it felt like role-playing. Also, the location was so pretty that I felt healed when I went out to film. Since it’s a historical drama, I got to wear a proper hanbok for the first time in a long time, and the older brothers and sisters on set were so kind to me, so everything was great,” showing a positive attitude.

He also said, “It was really fun to film. I hope the viewers will get a lot of that lively energy. “I think viewers will really enjoy it if they position themselves as the ‘Haona 5’ with the ‘Haona 4’ while watching the four youths bicker and reunite,” he said, raising expectations for the drama.

The visual pictorial of Bae In-hyeok, Kim Ji-eun, Jung Gun-joo, and Park Jae-chan can be found in the January issue of Singles and on the website.


Reporter Yoo Ji-hye yjh0304@donga.com