Jung Ryeo Won Says She Feels "Lucky" To Be Starring In "The Midnight Romance In Hagwon" With Wi Ha Joon

Apr 17, 2024

Jung Ryeo Won has shared her thoughts on her upcoming drama “The Midnight Romance in Hagwon”!

Helmed by director Ahn Pan Seok of the hit drama “Something in the Rain,” “The Midnight Romance in Hagwon” is set against the backdrop of Daechi, a neighborhood known as the epicenter of private education in Korea due to its high concentration of hagwons (private educational institutions).

Jung Ryeo Won will star as Seo Hye Jin (Jung Ryeo Won), a hagwon instructor who tirelessly assists a cheeky student named Lee Joon Ho (Wi Ha Joon) in gaining admission to a prestigious university. 10 years later, Lee Joon Ho unexpectedly returns to the hagwon as a rookie instructor after resigning from a promising job at a large company. There, he is reunited with his unrequited first love Seo Hye Jin.

Seo Hye Jin initially begins teaching because of her family circumstances, but her grit and determination eventually make her a star instructor. Within Daechi’s competitive private education sphere, Seo Hye Jin becomes famous for having both skills and good character, as she is passionate and genuinely enthusiastic about helping her students.

Recalling how she made the decision to star in the drama, Jung Ryeo Won shared, “I’d always been curious about director Ahn Pan Seok and wanted to work with him, so when I heard that he was directing a hagwon story, I decided to do it without even reading the script.”

“As I read the script,” she continued, “I thought to myself that I could do a good job. With each new episode, the story became even more fun, and my anticipation [for what came next] kept growing. To the point where I even contacted the writer to say, ‘I think I’m really lucky [to have been cast].’”

The actress also spoke positively about her experience working with Ahn Pan Seok, noting, “Director Ahn Pan Seok is someone whose [directing style] is both simple and detailed at the same time. He doesn’t micromanage actors’ emotions, blocking, or dialogue, but I still got the sense that he was meticulously in control of all aspects [of the drama]. It was a fascinating experience. I really learned and felt a lot of things while filming this drama.”

As for the character of Seo Hye Jin, Jung Ryeo Won remarked, “Star instructor Seo Hye Jin is an ordinary person. She’s a character who once had a dream, but eventually gave up on it and compromised with reality.”

The actress added, “She’s both reasonable and clear. I think those traits are probably what made Seo Hye Jin a star instructor.”