Jung Ryeo Won And Wi Ha Joon Open Up About "The Midnight Romance In Hagwon," Their Thoughts On Love, And More

May 17, 2024

Jung Ryeo Won and Wi Ha Joon have joined ELLE Korea for a stunning photo shoot!

On May 17, ELLE Korea unveiled a pictorial starring “The Midnight Romance in Hagwon” stars Jung Ryeo Won and Wi Ha Joon.

“The Midnight Romance in Hagwon” is a romance drama 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).

Following the photo shoot, Jung Ryeo Won, who portrays star instructor Seo Hye Jin, shared, “Initially, terms like ‘college entrance exam,’ ‘regular admission,’ and ‘school grades’ were alien to me, and I had little knowledge about the Korean education system. I turned to YouTube lectures by renowned tutors and sought guidance from them. Any hint of clumsiness in my speech would be noticeable, so I quietly observed their classes in person and listened to recordings daily.”

Discussing Wi Ha Joon, who portrays Lee Joon Ho, she remarked, “Wi Ha Joon brought out much more charm in the character Joon Ho. Consequently, aspects of my true self were mirrored more in Hye Jin. Ha Joon also said to me, ‘I’m glad that your loveliness is expressed well.’ At that moment, I felt we truly have great chemistry.”

When asked about whether the power of love can change the world, Wi Ha Joon reflected, “There is a reason that phrase is so common. We’ve all been deeply affected by love in our lives, and perhaps we yearn for it again because we have memories of how it felt to be truly loved.”

Wi Ha Joon, who underwent a major transformation from his tough role in his previous drama “The Worst of Evil,” shared, “To really get into character, I listened to emotional music that isn’t typically my style and delved into romantic references. It’s amusing because the more I embraced Joon Ho, the kinder people seemed to be around me. Even my fashion sense changed, and my friends joked if anything was going on,” he chuckled.

Wi Ha Joon also praised his collaboration with Jung Ryeo Won, describing her as “an angel.” He remarked, “Initially, I expected her to be aloof, but she’s more like an affectionate puppy once you get to know her. She has a charm that invites playful banter. Working with Ryeo Won as Seo Hye Jin made the character much livelier and more appealing.”

When asked about how much he believes in love, Wi Ha Joon replied, “I think I have also experienced positive changes because of genuine love. Meeting good-hearted people and being positively influenced by them is incredibly impactful.”