A perfect suit fit, a poker face that‘s hard to read, and even a cool, cold gaze. These are the images that come to mind when you think of actor Jung Sung-il, who has captivated viewers with works such as ‘Secret Forest 2’, and ‘The Glory’.

However, Jung Sung-il in the Disney+ drama ‘Trigger’ looks quite unfamiliar. In the drama, he plays the role of Han-do, a rookie PD who suddenly appears on the investigative reporting program ‘Trigger’. He attempts a transformation by showing a new side of himself that he has never shown before, from the loose hoodie to the rough attitude and indifferent expression. Jeong Seong-il, who we met a day before the release of the final episode of ‘Trigger’, smiled and said, “Many people think I always wear suits, but in fact, the style of the character Hando is the most similar to my real self.”

Oh, a character 10 years younger than me, even I didn’t know!”

After the huge success of ‘The Glory’, he was offered similar characters one after another, and he cautiously said, “That‘s why there were quite a few projects I turned down”. ‘Trigger’, which presented him with a new character, was a project he couldn’t refuse.’Because of my image from my works, many people misunderstand me as a difficult person. In reality, my personality is ‘Clumsy’. However, I‘m quite shy and don’t speak much when we first meet, so I think people see me as colder. In reality, I‘m a cheerful person who likes to make people laugh.“

In a scene where a resume is flashed in the drama, the fact that Hando was born in 1990 was revealed, which became a hot topic online. Jeong Seong-il was born in 1980, making them 10 years apart in age. Jeong Seong-il laughed and said, ”I’m a victim too,“ adding, ”Originally, he was set to be about 5 years younger than me.“

”I was also surprised when it said I was born in 1990 on my resume. People around me cursed at me, saying, ‘How could you be born in 1990?(Laughs) If I had known in advance that the character was born in 1990, it probably wouldn‘t have been easy to act.“

O“Kim Hye-soo noona, a senior full of love”

She said that she approached filming with a more serious mind than ever, as many of the incidents that appear in the drama are based on real events. ”I hoped that the drama wouldn’t become a bad ‘trigger’ that stirs up the pain of the real victims,“ she said emphatically.

”All the production staff and actors paid the most attention to that part. When dealing with incidents, we tried to act seriously by immersing ourselves as much as possible and putting aside any playfulness.“

At the center of this scene was Kim Hye-soo, who played the main PD of ‘Trigger’, Oh So-ryong. He said that Kim Hye-soo is exactly like the character Oh So-ryong, and said, ”She is a person who is completely honest and true to herself, just like Oh So-ryong. I have never seen someone so honest in my life.“

”More than anything, Hye-soo is a person who is full of love. She constantly does things for her colleagues. She not only gives them acting and mental help, but also gives them a lot of material gifts, from delicious food to sunglasses and mufflers.“


Reporter Seungmi Lee smlee@donga.com

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