This is not the Lee Hak-joo of the past.

He was called the ‘King of Villains’ for playing extremely evil roles in various works such as the dramas ‘The World of the Married’ and ‘Parole Judge Lee Han-shin’, but he has changed this time. He has become much gentler, and he keeps making us laugh.

Lee Hak-joo will show a 180 degree different side of himself through the new tvN Saturday-Sunday drama ‘Potato Research Institute’, which will air from March 1. ‘Potato Research Institute’ is a ‘B-grade’ romantic comedy drama that tells the story of people who are all about potatoes at a potato research institute in a mountain valley in Gangwon-do.

At the drama production conference held at the Ramada Hotel in Sindorim, Seoul on the afternoon of the 27th, Lee Hak-joo said, “When I first received the script, I really wanted the character. He said, “I liked the cheerful and comical feeling.”

Just like director Kang Il-soo’s description of “B-grade romantic comedy” and “a cheerful story about ordinary people who are not as flashy as the potatoes we commonly see around us,” Lee Hak-joo takes on the role of a “B-grade comical” character in the drama and goes from strength to strength.

In the drama, Lee Hak-joo plays the role of Park Ki-se, the executive director of the planning and strategy office of a large corporation that operates a potato research institute. He is the “ex-boyfriend” character of lead actress Lee Sun-bin, and forms a love triangle with Kang Tae-oh.

Through this character, Lee Hak-joo plans to get closer to viewers by getting reactions like “That friend is funny?” rather than the “scary” comments he had mostly heard so far.

In the highlight video released that day, Lee Hak-joo’s gaze changed. He caught the eye by simultaneously showing the weight that comes with the position of executive director and the character of a “petty ex-boyfriend.”

Lee Hak-joo said, “He is a character that you can‘t hate even if you try to, as he is a master of the art of dealing with the world and also shows his pettiness while looking at his ex-girlfriend with longing.”

He continued, “He rose to the position of executive director at a large company with his speaking skills and excellent art of dealing with the world rather than his abilities, so he seems light in some ways but also has a heavy charm. He is good at getting out of any situation, but when he meets his ex-girlfriend Kim Mi-kyung (Lee Sun-bin), he is completely helpless. That’s where you‘ll find a different kind of fun.”


Reporter Lee Jeong-yeon annjoy@donga.com

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