Yook Sung-jae, you‘ve become so shameless... The charm of a thousand-year-old snake ♥ (Gwigung)

Actor Yook Sung-jae of SBS’s new Friday-Saturday drama ‘Gwigung’ has thrown down the gauntlet.

The new SBS Friday-Saturday drama ‘Gwigung’ (written by Yoon Soo-jung/directed by Yoon Sung-sik), which will air on April 18 (Fri) at 9:50 PM as the follow-up to ‘Treasure Island’, is a fantasy romantic comedy about a fight for the flesh where a shaman named Yeo-ri, who rejects the fate of a shaman, and a snake serpent trapped in the body of her first love, Yoon Gap, encounter the eight-faced ghost who holds a grudge against the royal family, and their bodies and souls become entangled. Director Yoon Sung-sik, who directed the dramas ‘Mr. Queen’, ‘The Best Yi Sun-sin’, ‘Bridal Mask’, ‘Daejoyeong’, has teamed up with writer Yoon Soo-jung, who wrote the dramas ‘The King‘s Face’, ‘Cheer Up,’, and Yook Sung-jae (as Yoon Gap/Kang Cheol-yi), Kim Ji-yeon (as Yeo-ri), and Kim Ji-hoon (as Lee Jung) will be starring in the drama.

Among them, Yook Sung-jae plays the role of Yoon Gap, a prosecutor who is possessed by the evil spirit Imoogi ‘Kang Cheol-yi’, and plays a dual role. From the image of a kind and clever flower boy to the evil spirit Imoogi that you can’t hate, he will show off his diverse charms that travel between the spirit world and the human world.

Ahead of the first broadcast of ‘Gwigung’, Yook Sung-jae said, “I‘ve always wanted to try the historical drama genre, and my fans were also looking forward to seeing me act in a historical drama. Also, when I read the script, I chose it because I liked the personality of the character Kang Chul, and it had fantasy elements that I like.“

Yook Sung-jae then raised expectations by explaining about playing the dual roles of the detective ‘Yoon Gap’ and the Imoogi ‘Kang Chul-yi’, “Yoon Gap is an upright and smart detective, while Kang Chul-yi is a divine being who has lived for over a thousand years, so they are polar opposites.” In particular, “The humorous scene where Kang Chul-yi tastes human food for the first time and is surprised is memorable. He also hinted, “The scenes where Imoogi experiences various human emotions and pain for the first time will be charmingly captured.”

He also revealed his own secret tip, saying, “You shouldn’t be embarrassed when acting in the fantasy genre. There are many scenes that require CG, such as shooting a whirlwind into the air or creating a tornado on your hand, so you have to act shamelessly.” He also said, “In ‘Return of the Palace,’ there were many scenes that used wires, such as climbing roofs or jumping off, due to the nature of the Imoogi character,” raising expectations for Yuk Seong-jae’s signature fantasy acting.

Regarding his chemistry with co-star Kim Ji-yeon, he said, “At first, I was worried, thinking, ‘Wouldn’t it be awkward since we’re the same age?’ but it was actually good. “Since we were already friends, we talked comfortably a lot and filmed while being considerate of each other so that we could appear better, so I think it was even easier,” he said, raising interest in the unprecedented romance between Imoogi and a shaman that the two will show.

Regarding his meeting with Kim Ji-hoon, “Ji-hoon hyung is someone who is amazing at not only his own acting but also the details of the entire situation of the play, so I was able to learn a lot from watching him. There will be many fun scenes, such as scenes where Yoon Gap, who was the most loyal detective in the world, suddenly turns into a rebellious Kang Cheol who even treats the king poorly, and fights the king,” foreshadowing a different kind of chemistry.

Lastly, Yook Sung-jae said about the recent ‘teaser poster’ that garnered a lot of attention, “This was an effect that was used to explain the character more dramatically, so I am grateful for all the love,” adding, “As Imoogi Kang Cheol becomes more accustomed to the human body and blends into relationships with humans, I think the emotional changes that occur will be fun to watch,” raising expectations for Yook Sung-jae’s performance in ‘Imoogi”. In addition, “’Return to the Palace’ will be a very interesting viewing point not only for the hateful romance between Yoon Gap/Kang Chul and Yeo Ri, but also for the process of transcending ghosts with grudges and the stories of the ghosts within it,“ he emphasized the viewing points of ‘Return to the Palace’.

SBS’s new Friday-Saturday fantasy historical romantic comedy ‘Return to the Palace’ will meet viewers on Friday, April 18 at 9:50 p.m.

Jeong Hee-yeon, Donga.com reporter shine2562@donga.com

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