On February 3, the Korean drama “Newtopia” (starring Jisoo, Park Jung Min) of the Coupang Play platform had its press premiere in Seoul, South Korea.
At the event, director Yoon Sung Hyun responded to discussions surrounding the acting ability of female idol Jisoo of Blackpink group - playing the female lead Kang Young Joo.
Director Yoon expressed his admiration for Jisoo, saying, “I feel lucky to be able to work with her. You may not see it all in episodes 1 and 2, but by episode 8, you will feel that the character Young Joo can only be played by Jisoo.”
“This character has a hidden sense of humor, and Jisoo herself is extremely humorous. That's why I wanted to work with her. I consider it a great relief. She helped me in many ways, both as a person and as an actress," the director further explained about why he chose Jisoo for the role.
Regarding concerns regarding the idol's acting, director Yoon said, "There was no difficulty working with Jisoo. Since she hasn't acted since 'Snowdrop' (2021-2022), I initially wondered if she would be okay.
Unlike actors who work continuously, she had a long break. But when she took on this project, she spent four days a week reading the script and working tirelessly. By the time we started filming, she was fully prepared.”
The director also praised Jisoo's work ethic: "She always handles intense action scenes with a smile, even though they are physically demanding for the female lead. I'm really grateful for that."
“Newtopia” is adapted from the novel “Influenza”. The script was co-written by two screenwriters, Han Jin Won (“Parasite”) and Ji Ho Jin (“A Shop for Killers”).
The film tells the love story of late-enlisting soldier Lee Jae Yoon (Park Jung Min) and his girlfriend Kang Young Joo (Jisoo). In the context of zombies flooding Seoul, the two must overcome many difficulties and challenges to find each other.
“Newtopia” consists of 8 episodes, premiering on February 7 on Coupang Play and Amazon Prime Video platforms in many countries.
