Shin Hyun-seung transforms into the owner of the ‘Positivity King’ guesthouse.

The production team of tvN‘s new Saturday-Sunday drama ‘Potato Research Institute’ (directed by Kang Il-soo, Shim Jae-hyun, written by Kim Ho-soo) released the first still cut of Kim Hwan-gyeong (played by Shin Hyun-seung), the greatest optimist in Yeongeul-ri, on the 19th.

‘Potato Research Institute’ depicts a healing comic romance that swirls around like a whirlwind of potatoes as the cold-hearted principled Baek-ho (played by Kang Tae-oh) appears in front of Mi-gyeong (played by Lee Sun-bin), for whom potatoes are her everything. The romance between two polar opposites that unfolds in a potato research lab is expected to bring about pleasant laughter and a different kind of excitement. Director Kang Il-soo and writer Kim Ho-soo, who previously worked on ‘Rookie Historian Goo Hae-ryung’, and ‘Solomon’s Perjury’, have joined forces for this production.


The still cuts released by the production team show the daily life of ‘Positive King’ Kim Hwan-gyeong. Kim Hwan-gyeong runs a USB guest house in Yeongeul-ri, where the ‘Potato Research Lab’ is located. With the belief that ‘Good things are good’, he is a character who does not lose positive energy even when the only guests at the guest house are his older sister Kim Mi-kyung and his older sister‘s friend Lee Ong-ju (played by Kim Ga-eun). The moment when such Kim Hwan-gyeong becomes a ‘coyote’ is in front of his ‘old older sister’ Kim Mi-kyung. The youngest sibling, who firmly maintains discipline, ‘very strong fighting power’ Kim Mi-kyung’s fiery gaze makes Kim Hwan-kyung, who has ‘zero fighting power’, feel intimidated, adding to the laughter. Kim Hwan-kyung and Lee Ong-ju bite a spoon in their mouths and are in perfect sync. The interesting relationship between Lee Ong-ju and Kim Hwan-kyung, who strangely fit together, is also a point of interest that cannot be missed. Attention is focused on the real-life sibling chemistry between Kim Mi-kyung, Lee Ong-ju, and Kim Hwan-kyung of the USB Guest House Family.


Shin Hyun-seung said about ‘Potato Research Institute’, “The title struck me strongly. The familiar subject matter of potatoes and the comfortable and fun romantic comedy atmosphere were attractive and impressive,” and explained the reason for choosing the work, saying, “Also, the relationships between the characters that unfold against the backdrop of the Potato Research Institute, I felt a warmth like family.” About the character of ‘Kim Kyung-hwan’, “Kyung-hwan is a character with a lot of affection and knows love. He is a free-spirited person without any rough edges, but he also has a sense of responsibility as the owner of the guest house. He is the only character in the guest house with zero aggression, but he also cries a lot, and he resembles moist and fluffy mashed potatoes.”.

More than anything, attention is focused on the chemistry of the USB guest house family. Shin Hyun-seung said, “I wanted to show the youngest between Mi-kyung and Ong-ju’. “The filming site was harmonious, just like the atmosphere of the drama. Thanks to them taking good care of me, we laughed a lot on set and filmed happily.”.‘Potato Research Institute’ will be first broadcast on March 1st at 9:20 PM.&br>
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.