'Married Woman Killer' Jung Jun-won on Jang Hang-jun's "Lack of Etiquette" Remarks? "The Audition Was Very Fun at the Time" [Interview ②]

*This content was translated by AI.

Actor Jung Jun-won expressed gratitude toward co-star Gong Hyo-jin, whom he met as a lead in 'Married Woman Killer'.

On the 14th, Jung Jun-won held an interview with StarNews at a café on Bongunsa-ro, Gangnam-gu, Seoul, following the finale of MBC's Friday-Saturday drama 'Married Woman Killer' (written by Kim Eun-hee, directed by Yoon Jong-ho and Kim Ji-hoon).

'Married Woman Killer' is a drama depicting the struggles of a working mother with one of the most dangerous professions in the world, as she fights to protect her work-life balance. The story unfolds with balanced tension among the differing convictions of Kingfisher Yoo Bo-na (played by Gong Hyo-jin), a killer who eliminates criminals; Kwon Tae-sung (played by Jung Jun-won), Bo-na's husband and an investigative reporter relentlessly pursuing the truth behind the case; and Lee Dong-jin (played by Lee Sang), Tae-sung's best friend and a destined detective tasked with catching criminals.

Jung Jun-won vividly portrayed the dramatic story of Kwon Tae-sung, a devoted family man, a journalist tenaciously covering Kingfisher, and a thoughtful husband embracing his wife's secrets. In the final episode, after facing all the truths, he completed a harmless and warm ending befitting Tae-sung by making an unwavering choice to protect his beloved wife, leaving a lingering warmth until the very end.

-Did you check viewers' reactions to 'Married Woman Killer'?

▶I checked reactions on YouTube clips and other platforms. As you know, there were many negative responses in the early episodes. Seeing how much it changed toward the latter half made me feel extremely relieved.

-You portrayed a family man like Choi Soo-jong's character in the drama, a home-loving father.

▶I tried to get close to the child actor even before filming and aimed to build a good relationship. I discussed extensively with the director and senior actress Hyo-jin to prepare my performance. The director is an enormous fan of daughters and provided me with plenty of information despite being unmarried. When I rehearsed on set, I received clear direction. Since I don't have children myself, I also recalled affectionate actions I once showed toward a puppy during my childhood.

-How would you describe your actual personality compared to Tae-sung?

▶It just takes me time to get close to someone; I'm not silent or reserved. I make considerable effort to be affectionate by nature.

-You're still unmarried, but what kind of husband and father would you like to become in reality? In the drama, Bo-na also faced mother-in-law conflicts.

▶I thought a husband should handle things well in the middle so that neither his mother nor his wife feels upset.

-How was your acting chemistry with co-star Gong Hyo-jin?

▶Senior actress Hyo-jin is someone I have long admired, so I relied on and trusted her greatly. She offered advice by saying things like, "If it were me, I would do this," adjusting to the scene's needs. As a senior who has been active since my early days, I felt nervous acting alongside her, but she treated me not as a junior but at the same level. A few days ago, when I met her, I mentioned that Bo-na had calmer and darker aspects than Tae-sung. When we filmed the proposal scene in episode 14, I felt it clearly showed a romance sequence. Seeing her change in expression made me think she isn't just the "Queen of Rom-Coms." My initial impression was that she had strong charisma, but as I watched more, I found her to be incredibly cute and lovable. She was an actress with such focus and immersion that there were moments during filming where I was genuinely surprised by her reactions. I relied on her very much and am truly grateful.

-How did you prepare for and portray the role of a journalist?

▶I didn't think Tae-sung's profession was particularly important to the story. My goal as an actor named Jung Jun-won portraying Tae-sung was 'family love.' So, I focused more on being faithful to Tae-sung's emotions.

-How was your acting chemistry with co-star Lee Sang?

▶As peers, we relied on each other from the first day and got along very well.

-What aspects of 'Married Woman Killer' attracted you to join the project?

▶When I first read the script, I thought Tae-sung's role was excellent. Even if I didn't participate, I felt it would be worth watching. I strongly believed everyone could enjoy it without any burden.

-Did you not read the original webtoon of 'Married Woman Killer'?

▶I read it later, but since Tae-sung's character settings differed between the webtoon and the drama, I wanted to present him entirely in my own style as Jung Jun-won so that I wouldn't unconsciously mimic the original.

-During a controversy over his passive attitude on 'Knowing Bros,' director Jang Hang-jun was recalled for previously commenting during Jung Jun-won's audition that he "lacked etiquette and was rude."

▶I appeared in a video by Bibotv. Anyone who watched the entire clip from beginning to end would understand it was a misunderstanding. The audition scene at the time was very enjoyable. For a long period, the director conducted the audition with genuine enjoyment and affection. Since we only met once back then, we didn't exchange contact information, so we haven't spoken recently.

<© STARNEWS. All rights reserved. No reproduction or redistribution allowed.>

*This content was translated by AI.