Ji Sung's "Apartment" Writer Kim Yoon-young: "An Absurd, Witty, and Twist-Filled Drama Surrounding the Long-Term Maintenance Fund"

*This content was translated by AI.

"I hope this drama will be remembered as a work that makes us pay attention to our 'own homes' and 'neighbors,' the places where we live every day, once it ends. "

JTBC's new Saturday-Sunday drama "Apartment," which aims to be a human farce closely tied to daily life, has revealed its production intentions.

The drama "Apartment" (script by Kim Yoon-young, directed by Jo Yong-won, produced by SLL and Red Nine Pictures Co., Ltd.), which premieres on July 11 (Saturday) at 10:40 p.m., tells the story of Park Hae-kang, a former boss of the Oasis Gang who runs for president of the Residents' Representative Council to seize hidden money in the apartment complex. The drama features Ji Sung, Ha Yoon-kyung, Park Byung-eun, Moon So-ri, and others as they work together with residents to expose corruption.

Writer Kim Yoon-young, who will meet viewers again with "Apartment" after "Revenge of the Vindictive," has released a Q&A with the production team ahead of the broadcast.

The "Apartment" production team stated, "'Apartment' is the result of a perfect synergy: Kim Yoon-young's solid and witty script, the overwhelming performances by actors Ji Sung, Ha Yoon-kyung, Park Byung-eun, and Moon So-ri, and director Jo Yong-won's stylish direction. It creates a synergy beyond imagination." They added, "As this drama tackles the novel subject of 'Long-Term Maintenance Fund' for the first time in Korean drama history, it will deliver thrilling catharsis through unexpected twists and farcical chaos unfolding in a familiar space."

"Please introduce the drama 'Apartment.' "

▶It is an absurd and witty story about Park Hae-kang (Ji Sung), a former Oasis Gang boss who becomes the "President of the Residents' Representative Council" with the extremely impure intention of stealing the apartment's Long-Term Maintenance Fund. He unexpectedly ends up in an apartment. The story focuses on how his schemes, initially aimed only at his own gain, clash with the massive greed surrounding the complex, eventually transforming into a fight to protect one's own money that turns into justice for saving neighbors.

"Was there a specific reason you chose 'Long-Term Maintenance Fund' (often abbreviated as 'Jangchunggeum') as the subject matter for 'Apartment'? "

▶At first, I didn't know exactly what kind of money the Long-Term Maintenance Fund was. Even staff members I met while preparing the work said that although they lived in apartments and received bills every month, this was the first time they learned exactly what the money was for. While looking at a utility bill by chance, I noticed the item "Long-Term Maintenance Fund" and looked it up. It is absolutely necessary to maintain and repair our apartments safely over the long term; literally, it is the most important asset of an apartment, closely connected to our living environment. This point interested me, so I chose it as a subject.

Of course, in reality, the Long-Term Maintenance Fund (Jangchunggeum) is managed very carefully and professionally through strict legal procedures, so it is absolutely not money that anyone can easily steal as depicted in the drama. However, the project began with dramatic imagination: "What if someone with ulterior motives tried to get their hands on this money?" Furthermore, I wrote it with the hope that people like me, who were indifferent to the spaces where they live, might gain a little bit of warm concern for our neighborhoods and neighbors through this drama.

"'Apartment' features veteran actors Ji Sung, Ha Yoon-kyung, Park Byung-eun, and Moon So-ri, gathering high expectations. What are your thoughts on the casting? "

▶When I heard the casting news, my feeling of gratitude was the strongest. The characters that existed only as words in my mind now feel like they are truly alive and moving before my eyes.

"Ji Sung When I heard that actor Ji Sung would play Park Hae-kang, it felt as if all the narrative of the character suddenly gained coherence at once. Ha Yoon-kyung When I learned that actress Ha Yoon-kyung would play Kang Ha-ri, her unique clear and firm gaze matched perfectly with the character in the script, giving me great relief. And with the addition of Park Byung-eun actor, who always delivers high-density performances, and Moon So-ri actress, who anchors the center of the drama simply by her presence, I thought, 'I just need to do my part well.' I am very much looking forward to the acting ensemble these amazing actors will create while sharing the stage.

"Does 'Apartment' have any points that differentiate it from existing human dramas that claim to be caper comedies? What was the part you worried about and paid the most attention to? "

▶While existing caper films mostly focused on the heist itself, I think "Apartment" is differentiated by the unexpected twists and witty chaos that unfold within the space most familiar to us. At first, a small incident starts like a minor mishap, but as Hae-kang and the residents get entangled in it, dramatic imagination adds up, making it fun as the plot expands into an unexpectedly huge scale.

"The part I worried about most was maintaining the balance of stories with a human touch even amidst dramatic events. Since this is a story that takes place in the space closest to our lives, we tried hard to capture the refreshing moment when these ordinary neighbors join forces and deliver a powerful blow to the villain, without losing sight of the residents' small daily lives and shared empathy.

"The expression 'intermittent family' is interesting. What does 'intermittent family' mean in the drama? "

▶It was coined with an absurd meaning similar to intermittent fasting, where one must fast for 16 hours a day and eat only during the remaining 8 hours: "Let's pretend to be a family intensely only for a few specific hours when needed." It stuck in people's mouths.

At first, these strange people who only gathered when necessary would get entangled and fight with each other every day so intensely that eventually, they end up caring for each other even more desperately than real families sharing blood. Even if they act coolly on the surface, pretending to come together only when needed, in the end, they become the most reliable fence for each other. Perhaps this is exactly the meaning of a new form of neighbor and another kind of family that our era needs.

"This is your first time working with director Jo Yong-won. What were your resolve or determination before filming? "

▶I watched an early edit recently. It was a story I had held onto and written for a very long time, so even though it was familiar content that I enjoyed watching, strangely enough, as soon as the first part ended, I found myself crying uncontrollably. They say that to a writer, their own writing is like their child; right now, my child looks the most beautiful in the world to me. The director and actors made it even more wonderful than the script.

While preparing this work with director Jo Yong-won, we discussed only two things the most. First, no matter how comedic the farce is, the characters must always be grounded on solid earth. Second, it must be fun without exception. I am very happy that this promise seems to have been perfectly captured in the video.

"What are the key viewing points of 'Apartment'? "

▶I think the biggest viewing point is the acting ensemble of the actors. With Ji Sung, Ha Yoon-kyung, Park Byung-eun, and Moon So-ri, as well as Kim Won-hae, Jeong Soon-won, Hwang Hee, and Kim Gyu-won, the chemistry among everyone appearing in "Apartment" is truly excellent, so just watching their acting should be enjoyable.

The second point is the witty process of protagonist Park Hae-kang (Ji Sung) solving familiar troubles seen on the news, such as parking conflicts or courier delivery chaos, in his own unique and refreshing way.

Finally, it is the change where residents' indifference turns into warm solidarity. At first, people were indifferent to their neighbors and only looked out for their own interests, but by experiencing the chaos together, they become each other's most reliable neighbors. I hope that as viewers watch this transformation, they can also feel the same warmth.

"How would you like 'Apartment' to be remembered? "

▶Rather than a grand message, I hope this drama will be remembered as a work that makes us pay attention to our "own homes" and "neighbors," the places where we live every day, once it ends. Even before writing this work, I lived indifferently without knowing what was happening in the complex where I lived. If viewers can look back at the daily lives of our neighborhoods, which they always took for granted, with a slightly new eye and a warm gaze, I would be truly gratified as a writer. Thank you.

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*This content was translated by AI.