The best of K-drama star Park Seo-joon, the South Korean ‘master of romantic comedy’ who is now the Itaewon Class rebel
From What’s Wrong with Secretary Kim? to Fight for My Way, we look back at the ‘master of romantic comedy’ and his most memorable roles to date
Park Seo-joon makes his grand K-drama comeback in a role like none other we've seen him play before. In JTBC’s new series, Itaewon Class, the romcom master returns as the hard-headed, gutsy and iron-willed Park Sae-roy, who traverses the world guided by his convictions and driven by his dreams.
Drawn to the fascinating mix of dining hotspots that make the Seoul neighbourhood Itaewon a bustling nightlife hub, Sae-roy opens his own restaurant, Kkulbam, and challenges long-established food giant, Jang Ga Group.
Rebel with a passion
A far cry from his made-for-romcom roles we're rather used to, Park Seo-joon’s Sae-roy is admittedly quite scary. In lieu of a pretty lady who stays by his side, Sae-roy is surrounded by a gang of like-minded juveniles, who fearlessly roam the streets of Itaewon and follow the road to their dreams.
Yet, beneath Sae-roy’s socially inept personality, we get a deeper look into his character as the premiere episode shows us heart-warming scenes with his beloved father and his first love. In a Soompi report, the actor reassures viewers: “You'll be able to fall for the charms of Park Sae-roy, who doesn't compromise in the face of injustice and holds fast in his beliefs.”
High marks for Itaewon Class
Joining Park Seo-joon in Itaewon Class is Kim Da-mi, who debuts in her first series as Jo Si-yeo; Yoo Jae-myung as Sae-roy’s rival, chairman Jang Dae-hee; and Kwon Nara, who becomes Sae-roy’s first love, Oh Soo-ah.
Jo Kwang-jin – the artist behind the original animated webtoon of the same name that Itaewon Class is based on – revealed to Soompi that the main characters are the drama’s strong point. As he is also the scriptwriter of the series, Jo put in a lot of effort in fleshing out the character’s deepest thoughts and relationships with each other, which makes their stories resonate more with viewers.
Itaewon Class premiered on January 31 to favourable ratings, with Nielsen Korea clocking an average rating of five per cent nationwide for the first episode. The premiere alone left viewers on the edge of their seats, with its unexpected plot twists, tragic turns, and most especially, Park’s exemplary acting.