Joo Ji-hoon of the new Netflix drama ‘Trauma Center’ shared behind-the-scenes stories about his character motifs and his preparations for acting.

At the production conference for ‘Trauma Center’ held at the Grand InterContinental Seoul Parnas in Gangnam-gu, Seoul on the morning of the 21st, Joo Ji-hoon introduced the drama by saying, “This drama is a cheerful, refreshing, and exhilarating medical drama. It‘s the story of the trauma team that breaks down absurdity in a refreshing way.”

He continued, “In the process of adapting web novels and webtoons into films, I had to satisfy fans of the original work, while also meeting the expectations of viewers who want dramatic entertainment. Furthermore, if not careful, the wit in the drama could have been seen as light-hearted or dismissive of situations where people’s lives are at stake. I had to blend various parts into one,” he said. “To do this, we thought hard about it, to the point where we studied for 7 to 8 hours whenever we met with the production team.”

Joo Ji-hoon said, “I especially tried to eat together with the members of the severe trauma team as much as possible. Since we’re a real-life team in the drama, I couldn’t force them, but I wanted to build teamwork by eating together.” “We ate together for about 20 minutes a day. I didn’t pay for it. I bought everything,” he said, making everyone laugh.

Choo Young-woo and Ha-young said, “Joo Ji-hoon himself made budaejjigae and fried rice for us. He has a special recipe. It was really delicious,” expressing their gratitude for Joo Ji-hoon’s consideration.

Joo Ji-hoon also nodded his head to the opinion that Baek Kang-hyeok in the drama reminds him of Lee Guk-jong, the director of the Armed Forces Daejeon Hospital who led the Ajou University Regional Trauma Center, saying, “In fact, in Korea, when you just hear the words ‘intensive trauma center,’ isn‘t Professor Lee Guk-jong the first person that comes to mind?”

He continued, “I’ve watched a lot of documentaries, etc., regardless of the work. However, you‘ll know when you watch the drama. It’s not a work that realistically deals with the lives of doctors like a documentary. When I first read the original, Professor Lee Guk-jong came to mind, but the genre was different. Fortunately, I had watched a lot of related documentaries before and was moved by them, so it helped me act with the professor‘s devotion to saving people.”

Meanwhile, ’Trauma Center,‘ which will be released on the 24th, is a refreshing story that unfolds as Baek Kang-hyeok (Joo Ji-hoon), a genius surgeon who has been on the battlefield, is assigned to resuscitate a severe trauma team that is ineffective.

Choo Young-woo as Yang Jae-won, Baek Kang-hyeok’s first trauma surgery disciple, Ha-young as Jang Cheon-mi, a 5th-year senior nurse on the severe trauma team, and others struggle to protect the team and save people along with Joo Ji-hoon.



Reporter Yoo Ji-hye yjh0304@donga.com

This article is automatically translated using Google AI. If you notice any inaccuracies, please let us know at allkstar@donga.com.