A predictable 'rise-rise-romance' with no villain: 'Lotto Winner', Lee Jun-hyuk's K-office drama [Star Issue]

*This content was translated by AI.

Actor Lee Jun-hyuk has boldly stepped onto the small screen as the lead of "Lotto Winner."

On the morning of the 8th, a production presentation for TVING's new original series "Even a Lotto Winner Commutes" (hereinafter "Lotto Winner") was held at Seoul Yongsan-gu CGV Yongsan i-Park Mall. Director Yoon Young-bin, along with actors Lee Jun-hyuk, Seo Hyun-woo, Oh Dae-hwan, Hong Jin-ki, Ha Yul-ri, and Baek Ye-in, attended the event.

"Lotto Winner" is based on the popular web novel of the same name by author Seo In-ha. It follows team leader Gong Eun-tae (played by Lee Jun-hyuk), who endures daily struggles amid constant ups and downs, and after winning the lottery jackpot, chooses not to resign but instead carries the 1.3 billion won prize money to work with a changed mindset. The series is directed and scripted by Yoon Young-bin, who previously made the film "Gangneung" (2021).

Director Yoon Young-bin introduced "Lotto Winner" as follows: "It tells the story of Gong Eun-tae, a character who was working hard to live an ordinary life that is often considered difficult, but ended up in burnout and wandering around when he unexpectedly won the lottery jackpot."

He continued, "Our work contains no romance at all. Although it exists in the original novel, it has been removed from the drama. Secondly, we focused on the fact that there are no villains. As you go through life, you will likely feel that not many people harbor evil intentions to harm others. Therefore, this is not a story about good and evil clashing; rather, it portrays individuals who clash with each other's goodness while diligently doing their own jobs."

He also explained the reason for casting Lee Jun-hyuk, known for his unrealistic beauty, in a role depicting an "ordinary K-workplace employee." Director Yoon stated, "There were actually comments questioning whether Lee Jun-hyuk's appearance was suitable for a work that needed to generate empathy. However, personally, I never considered appearance as a factor in casting. The most important things were how closely the real person matched the character and his acting ability. What surprised me while working with Lee Jun-hyuk is that he is the most diligent actor I know. For example, when he arrives on set, his first words are always, 'There are too many lines.' Yet, despite saying that, he has never once cut a single line of dialogue. This diligence overwhelms any perceived weakness in his appearance (unrealism)."

In the drama, Lee Jun-hyuk plays Gong Eun-tae, a sales team leader of five tips who works hard to excel in his duties and achieves rapid promotion but is struggling through a monotonous daily routine. As the youngest team leader, Gong Eun-tae, who was constantly pushed around from above and below, seizes a precious opportunity to change his perspective on life thanks to the unexpected luck of winning the lottery.

Lee Jun-hyuk remarked, "In fact, I share many similarities with Eun-tae. I have been in this industry for nearly 20 years and have worked on over 50 productions. Fifty productions mean a lifetime of work. Living a life like Eun-tae's, where I've always been working, I felt that there were very many parts of my own life reflected in the dialogue. Moreover, this environment feels too ordinary to me. It is ordinary pain, ordinary joy, and an ordinary daily routine. Because I have always worked this way, there are many aspects of Eun-tae's character that resonate with me."

Following his leading role in TVING's "Good or Bad Dong-jae" (2024), what about his return as the title character? Regarding this, Lee Jun-hyuk humbly said, "I always believe one must do their best, so every production is essentially the same. In 'Dong-jae,' there were challenges unique to that role, and in this case, there were things specific to 'Lotto Winner' that needed to be accomplished. The difference from when I worked alone in 'Dong-jae' is that teamwork was extremely important this time. I received a lot of help from my fellow actors."

When asked what he would want to achieve if he won the lottery like in the drama, Lee Jun-hyuk replied, "I would want to invest in this production."

He further shared, "Winning the 'Lotto Winner' jackpot feels similar to having a hit film. You might think, 'Could this become a blockbuster? Will my life change?' But in reality, that doesn't happen. Work must continue; if anything, responsibilities grow larger, and you need to study even more. It's just a continuous series of such moments."

He added, "What resonated most with me about Eun-tae is that he seems to love his job, and I think I love mine too. But it's difficult. The reason it feels difficult is because we love it. Games are made to be fun, but don't they become difficult and frustrating after a while? Just as we endure and work hard because we enjoy something, even if we win the lottery or achieve an unbelievable windfall, I will continue doing this job."

"Lotto Winner" consists of 10 episodes in total. It premieres on TVING at 6 p.m. on the 10th and will be available every Thursday at 6 p.m. Starting from the 14th, it will also air on tvN every Monday and Tuesday at 9 p.m.

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*This content was translated by AI.