[Interview] Beyond the Bar: Leejinwoo and Jung Chaeyoung have a 16-year age gap, ”No to romance!”

"It's a sad story, but there's an age difference between them."

Actor Lee Jin-wook spoke about his co-starring role with Jung Chae-young in an interview ahead of the final episode of the JTBC weekend drama 'Beyond the Bar'.

'Beyond the Bar' tells the story of Hyo-min (played by Jung Chae-young), a rookie lawyer who is righteous and reliable but clumsy at socializing. She brings a cold, shy personality to society, but grows into a perfect lawyer through the help of her partner, lawyer Seok-hoon (played by Lee Jin-wook), who is exceptionally skilled.

In the drama, Lee Jin-wook plays the cold-hearted lawyer Yoon Seok-hoon. In particular, he shares a delicate bond with Jung Chae-young's character Hyo-min, leading viewers to offer various interpretations of their love story.

In fact, there is a 16-year age difference between Lee Jin-wook and Jung Chae-young. When asked how he interpreted the relationship between the two characters, Lee Jin-wook said, "Actually, the age difference between the people involved in a relationship isn't that important, but when this is shown on screen, it seems to be rejected by our country's sensibilities."

He continued, "There were some parts where the direction was revised. It was everyone's opinion, including mine. Because that feeling can't be conveyed just by a man and a woman doing something. I thought the right thing to do for our drama was to go with a feeling that well expressed the incident. I felt that we shouldn't go with a romance."

Lee Jin-wook emphasized, "Love between a man and a woman is certainly different." He shared some behind-the-scenes details, saying, "As a senior, I like smart juniors and think I can treat them well. I told them not to get ahead of the viewers. I said it would be like the feeling when the viewers are saying, 'I want you to hold my hand. Catch me, catch me.' I said it would be good to give the impression that I'm chasing the viewers from one step behind."

What was it like working with Jung Chae-young? Lee Jin-wook said he put in a lot of effort to become comfortable with her. "When juniors come to the set, it's important that things are comfortable, so I tried really hard to make that happen."

He also said, "There are times when I show a stupid or messy side of myself. I did it on purpose, but it helped to break down the barrier (with my juniors)," drawing laughter from the audience.

Lee Jin-wook said, "It's difficult to overcome big worries while working as an actor. It's still not easy to stand comfortably in front of the camera." He joked, "If that doesn't work, I thought I'd have to fart. But I don't actually fart."

'Beyond the Bar' ranked second in Netflix's Global Top 10 Non-English TV Shows, with 4.5 million views (cumulative viewing time divided by running time) from the 11th to 17th of last month. Not only has it been in the top 10 for three consecutive weeks, it also ranked in the top 10 in 47 countries, including Korea.

The show's viewership ratings, which began at 3.7% and exceeded 9.1%, also proved popular. When asked about his thoughts on Season 2, Lee Jin-wook said, "I sincerely hope so." "As with the actual viewership ratings, we need to see a boom."

He continued, "Even if it doesn't reach 10%, I'll make a 10% commitment. I'll just overcome it with my own will."