Cha Eun-woo at the press conference for 'Wonderful World,' February 29, 2024. Photos courtesy of MBC via Disney+He played campus heartthrobs in “My ID is Gangnam Beauty” and “True Beauty,” a dashing prince doubling as a novelist in “Rookie Historian Goo Hae-ryung,” and most recently, a charming teacher in “A Good Day To Be A Dog.”

Now, fans can expect to see a refreshing role for South Korean actor Cha Eun-woo in the revenge drama “Wonderful World,” where he portrays Kwon Seon-yul, a medical school dropout who is living a tough life.

The series, which premiered last March 1 on Disney+, centers on Eun Soo-hyun (played by veteran actress Kim Nam-joo), a psychology professor and established writer whose world comes crashing down following the tragic death of her son. A vengeful and depressed Soo-hyun meets Seon-yul, whom she forms a bond with over their similar traumas.

“Seon-yul goes on an emotional roller coaster ride. He also has a lot of inner scars and as time goes by, you’ll get to find out some secrets about him and what those mysteries are all about,” Eun-woo said in a recent virtual press conference.

At the conference, Eun-woo was joined by Nam-joo, Kim Kang-woo (who plays Soo-hyun’s husband Kang Soo-ho), Im Se-mi (as Han Yoo-ri, a sister-like friend of Soohyun), and director Lee Seung-young.

From left to right: Director Lee Seung-young, Kim Nam-joo, Cha Eun-woo, Kim Kang-woo and Im Se-mi at the press conference for 'Wonderful World.'

Asked about his decision to cast Eun-woo and Nam-joo as the leads, director Lee said, “If you look at the roles in the show, you will find that the two are cut out for their roles.”

“Nam-joo was just perfect for the role... I’m so happy that she’s back on the small screen,” Lee said of Nam-joo, whose last series was “Misty” in 2018, which earned her the Best Actress for Television prize at the 54th edition of the prestigious Baeksang Arts Awards.

“With Eun-woo, even before we cast him, the art director gave us some sketches [of the characters] and the sketch of Seon-yul looked just like him,” he said. “He has that depth and I think he was just cut out for the role and I think it was destiny that I found him.”

Cha Eun-woo

In preparing for his role, Eun-woo focused more on the physical aspects of Seon-yul. “To play this character who chose the more rugged and rough life, in terms of physicality, I tried to work out a little bit more. As for the hairstyle, it couldn’t be too polished,” he shared.

“I tried to put my shoes, really, into the character… what would he be like, having gone through all these events? So something that wasn’t just planned or too well thought out. I just tried to go with a raw and natural feel,” Eun-woo explained.

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Eun-woo, 26, said his chemistry with Nam-joo was “perfect,” adding that the 52-year-old actress was easy to talk to and offered him plenty of advice.

Cha Eun-woo and Kim Nam-joo

Nam-joo, meanwhile, considered it a “great opportunity” to work with Eun-woo, whom she described as a “very flexible as an actor, who has a very open mind.”

“He is just such a great person, he has a great personality... I felt like the result could only be great,” she said. 

While titling the series “Wonderful World” can sound initially ironic because it involves a tragedy, the show hopes to tell a “beautiful story” through the characters. 

“Sometimes when the backdrop is darker, you will see the character shine through,” director Lee said.

“When you watch the entire drama, rather than the tragedy of it all, I think you will get a sense that it’s a beautiful story,” he said.

For more news and features on K-pop, K-drama, and K-stars, visit the Hallyu Corner microsite.

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