Kang Tae-oh returns as a devilish principled man.

On the 7th, the production team of tvN‘s new Sat-Sun drama ‘Potato Research Institute’ (directed by Kang Il-soo and Shim Jae-hyun, written by Kim Ho-soo) released the first character still cut of So Baek-ho (played by Kang Tae-oh), a cold principled man but whose smile is warmer than the sunlight.

‘Potato Research Institute’ is a healing comic romance where So Baek-ho, a cold principled man, appears in front of Kim Mi-kyung (played by Lee Sun-bin), for whom potatoes are her whole life, and they swirl around like a whirlwind of potatoes. It will contain a romance that involves two contrasting men and women baking, frying, and boiling, as the backdrop of a potato research institute in a mountain valley. This is Kang Tae-oh’s first comeback work since his military service.



In the photos released by the production team, So Baek-ho is in perfect condition. So Baek-ho‘s bright smile holding a bouquet of flowers. So Baek-ho, the director in charge of organizational innovation at Wonhan Retail, is a man of principle with no mercy. You can’t find a single flaw in his cold face with his smile erased. Another photo captures his unexpected charm. So Baek-ho‘s charisma of subduing someone with one hand is nowhere to be found, and he looks completely exhausted. You wonder what happened to him, who rarely loses his composure.

Kang Tae-oh said, “When I first read the script for ’Potato Research Institute,‘ I felt affectionate and healed,” and “I thought it would be good to present this work as my comeback project. Also, I chose ‘Potato Research Institute’ because I thought it would be a good memory,” he said, explaining the reason for choosing the work.


Kang Tae-oh, who described the character of ‘Baekho’ with the keyword ‘principled, said, “Baekho is a character who makes all decisions and actions based on his own principles. At first, he may seem a bit cold and indifferent, but after meeting the character of Kim Mi-kyung, I tried to delicately express the process of change that seeps into the Potato Research Institute and the townspeople,” and explained, “Baekho is like a potato that has been trimmed in running water. Raw potatoes with their skins neatly peeled resemble Baekho because they are clean and tall.”

‘Potato Research Institute’ will first air at 9:20 p.m. on March 1.

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

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