Netflix’s new K-drama The Trunk held a highly anticipated press conference last Tuesday, with its stellar cast and director discussing their roles and the unique elements of the series. Present at the event were Gong Yoo, Seo Hyun-jin, Jung Yun-ha, Jo Yi-geon, Kim Dong-won, and director Kim Kyu-tae. Together, they unveiled insights into their characters and the compelling storylines that shape the show.

The Trunk, directed by Kim Kyu-tae (It’s Okay, That’s Love and Our Blues), is based on the 2015 novel of the same name by Kim Ryeo-ryeong. The story delves into the complexities of love, loss, and healing through a mysterious and poignant lens. Set against the backdrop of NM, a company specializing in fixed-term contract marriages, the drama unravels when a mysterious trunk is discovered in a lake during the fifth contractual marriage of Jung-won (starring Gong Yoo) and In-ji (starring Seo Hyun-jin).

Gong Yoo plays Jung-won, a music producer whose life has been marked by emotional voids and lingering trauma. “This drama takes a different approach to discussing love and relationships. Its storyline can be interpreted differently based on perspective, which attracted me. It was also a great opportunity to act alongside Seo Hyun-jin.” Gong Yoo shared. 

Seo Hyun-jin portrays Noh In-ji, an employee at NM who, despite her aversion to marriage, has completed four contractual assignments. “In-ji is a challenging character because the script provides minimal direction, leaving her personality open to interpretation,” Seo explained.

Director Kim Kyu-tae showered praise on Gong Yoo, admiring his immersive and natural acting style. “He is an actor who enjoys himself on set and completely immerses himself in his character. His tone is so real, not excessive, and that’s why he’s Gong Yoo,” he remarked.

The director was equally impressed with Seo Hyun-jin, acknowledging her dedication and ability to bring depth to her role. “In-ji is a complex character with dualistic actions and psychology. Seo Hyun-jin added dimensions to her character that were not in the script. Her work ethic and energy amazed me.” The director further commented the main cast chemistry on set, "Their connection on set exceeded expectations. They were considerate and supportive of each other, creating a harmony that made them a lovely couple both on and off the screen.”

The drama also introduces intriguing supporting roles that add layers to the narrative. Jung Yun-ha plays Seo-yeon, Jung-won’s ex-wife, whose manipulative tendencies create tension. Jo Yi-geon portrays Seo-yeon’s current husband, Yoon Ji-o, while Kim Dong-won’s mysterious character as Eom Tae-seong hovers around In-ji, adding an air of suspense.

Fans of The Trunk are drawn to its mix of romance, psychological drama, and mystery. The poignant romance between Jung-won and In-ji, as they navigate sorrow and loneliness, leads to a narrative of healing and redemption. Meanwhile, the unfolding mystery surrounding the trunk ties together secretive marriages, hidden desires, and complex relationships. The fans  couldn’t help but marvel at the pair's on-screen chemistry, with their two-shot moments fueling excitement for the show.

Catch The Trunk now streaming on Netflix.

Ha Yoon-kyung faced a different challenge playing the reserved prosecutor Min Seo-jin, focusing on the subtlety of suppressed emotions. “Acting to suppress feelings is harder than showing them,” she explained, emphasizing her character’s strength through gaze and body language. 

Netflix's upcoming series "Sweet Home Season 2" offered an exciting glimpse into what fans can expect from this highly anticipated sequel, set to premiere worldwide on December 1st. The press conference held this morning was attended by the cast, including Song Kang, Lee Jin-uk, Lee Si-young, Ko Min-si, Jinyoung, Yoo Oh-seong, and Kim Moo-yeol, along with Director Lee Eung-bok.During the press conference, Song Kang shared that "Sweet Home Season 2" would be his last project before he begins his mandatory military service. He expressed a sense of duty, stating, "It is my natural duty, so once I finish up promotion schedules for 'Sweet Home 2', I will fulfill my [mandatory] duties and return in good health."The sequel promises to expand the world of "Sweet Home" with more intense struggles in new locations. Season 2 follows the survivors from Green Home and Hyun-su, who now find themselves in different places facing new challenges and mysterious phenomena. The series delves deeper into the themes of monsterization, exploring the blurry line between humans and monsters, good and evil.Director Lee Eung-bok highlighted the show's evolution, noting that Season 2 would bring greater suspense, amplified scale, and more profound mysteries. The characters, such as Hyun-su, Sang-wook, Yi-kyung, and Eun-yu, will undergo significant transformations and form complex relationships with new characters, including government officials, monsterization researchers, and other survivors. 

Celebrating a decade of his acting career, Korean heartthrob Jung Hae-In wrapped up his fan meeting tour “The 10^th Season” in Singapore on 29 October 2023. Fans from all walks of life – including but not limited to couples, foreign fans and even a visible number of male fans, came to support their favourite actor at Suntec Convention Centre. The wide demographic was a distinct result of what Jung Hae-In has achieved over the amazing 10 years of his career. 

Prior to his fan meet, the lead actor of the hit drama “Snowdrop” held a press conference for the media, where he upheld his value of punctuality by appearing at 5.15PM on the dot!

“Being punctual is important when there’re so many professional media reporters and fans. I need to have that sense of responsibility,” Jung Hae-In answered when asked about being known for his punctuality.

With Singapore as the final stop, how does the youthful-looking actor feel about meeting his fans?

“When I’m on tour, meeting fans gives me a lot of energy to keep going and to focus on what I like most, which is acting.”

Curious about the actor’s music taste? Jung Hae-In names “10,000 Hours” by Justin Bieber as the song he’s listening to a lot these days.

At 7PM, the FNC Entertainment actor commenced his fan meet by singing “Crazy” from his drama OST, “D.P.2”. Much to fans’ surprise, Jung Hae-In expressed how nervous he was, by admitting it was his first time making a mistake while singing. 

After his much-anticipated greetings, the first segment of the fan meet commenced with a series of his selcas. Although the fan meet had just begun, there were constant audible cheers and comments from the audience whenever the actor spoke, in which he laughed heartily to, “This fan meet is very different – it’s really interactive!”

Hae-In proceeded to try on the various outfits from his dramas, showing the multifaceted versions of himself. Aliving his role as Snowdrop’s “Lim Soo-Ho”, he even flew autographed paper planes to each section of the audience.

As an actor, questions about his works are not to be missed out. When asked which character Hae-In was the most attached to, he recalled, “It’d have to be the one from Snowdrop. I asked the director if we could film the death scene on the last day of filming and he agreed. The acting was physically and emotionally painful.”

The host followed up by asking how he detaches from his characters, where Hae-In explained that he exercises; and that making himself physically tired helps with the detaching.

Host: “There were also scenes where you had to be topless! How do you prepare for them?”

Jung Hae-In: “I didn’t drink water. I stayed dehydrated for two days straight, as if I was going for a UFC match. After I’m done with acting, I drank a lot of water to rehydrate myself.”

Heading backstage for a change of outfit, the star then returned for his second segment with another his drama OST, “Stand By Your Man” from “Something in the Rain”. 

Three games were prepared for the 35-year old - consisting of “5 Stones”, “Ddakji” and “Beer Pong”. Lucky fans were also chosen to go onstage to play with their idol, and take selcas with him!

The actor’s sincerity towards his fans, endearingly known as HAEINESS, earned him a compliment from the host.

“You guys know I’ve hosted quite a few Korean events. Jung Hae-In is one of the ones who really goes the extra mile to interact with fans!”

Hae-In jokingly responded, “I think the cameramen here are having a hard time capturing me (moving around the stage so much). I’m sorry!”

Moving on, the atmosphere turned a little more emotional with the actor doing something different from a typical fan meet.

“I don’t get many opportunities to meet my fans apart from fan meets. It makes it curious what kind of person each of you are. Hence, I decided to come up with this segment where I can read letters from all of you. I’ve also prepared 2 of my favourite gifts for the fans whose letters have been chosen.”

With the first letter conveying a fan about missing her crush, Hae-In comforted her by saying he believes in destiny, and that they might meet again after graduation. He looked visibly sentimental before answering. The second letter expressed that a fan nearly lost her life due to internal bleeding, where she also personally thanked the actor because she was able to resonate with his shows about overcoming hardships in life.

Jung Hae-In rounded up the fan meet with two final OST tracks, “A Grain of Sand” and “I Choose To Love You”.

Over the monumental 2.5 hour fan meet, Jung Hae-In returned his fans’ unwavering passion by giving out a generous amount of gifts, doing impromptu actions, and providing endless interactions. HAINESS sure ended their October well with their beloved actor!  

We’d like to thank Viu Singapore for extending the invitation.

Article by: Joreen
Photos by: Nigel and Viu Singapore

Filming "Cheongdam International High School" posed various challenges, including shooting during the winter season and working in the early hours. Yeri and Eun-saem overcame these difficulties with the help of heat packs, demonstrating their dedication to their roles. The actresses revealed their close bond and reliance on each other throughout the filming process. They shared moments of hanging out, enjoying meals together, and even visiting photobooths, highlighting their strong camaraderie offset.

EXO-SC, comprising of Sehun and Chanyeol from EXO, popped by Singapore for their second stop as part of their “BACK TO BACK FANCON TOUR”! The boy group duo gave EXO-Ls a mid-week treat at The Star Theatre on 17 May 2023 with an array of games and performances.

Much to lucky fans and even media outlets’ delight, a press conference was held prior to the fancon. During a question where Sehun’s role in the drama “All That We Loved” was brought up, Chanyeol and Sehun exchanged a banter:

Host: “You donated a kidney to your friend in the drama! What would be the most generous thing you’d do for a friend?”

Sehun: “I’d do the same!”

Chanyeol: “Will you donate to me too?”

Sehun: “No…”

Chanyeol: “I don’t need it!”

(1) Sehun plays a role who donates a kidney to his friend in "All That We Loved"! When asked what would be the most generous thing he'd do for a friend -#EXOSCINSINGAPORE#EXOSCinSG#EXOSC_BackToBack#EXOSC_BackToBack_in_sg pic.twitter.com/7Lg4LPPCM6

— GOKPOP (@goKPOP) May 17, 2023

The host also dropped a little snippet about how chill both members were during the soundcheck!

Much to EXO-L’s anticipation, the show finally started at 8pm, where fans filled the venue with the theme colour pink. Fan chants went loud and strong for EXO-SC’s first stage “What a life”, also from their first mini album!

SeChan then greeted fans with their first ment:

“You guys can understand us even without translation! Did you guys study Korean? Ah I know… it must be because of us,” Sehun teased.

The topic of food is not to be missed when in any new country – following up to the earlier press conference, Chanyeol once again spoke about his love for chilli crab:

“The moment we arrived in Singapore, we ordered chilli crab. When we reached our hotel, we ordered again.”

“He’s weird, he was really focused on the crab…” Sehun revealed.

“I can’t see anything else,” Chanyeol admitted to only having eyes for his favourite Singaporean dish.

Now it's time for photos from Chanyeol's phone 📸

We can all see how much he loves chilli crab - we lost count of how many times he mentioned it today 🦀#EXOSCINSINGAPORE#EXOSCinSG#EXOSC_BackToBack#EXOSC_BackToBack_in_sg pic.twitter.com/KwIj08lOyc

— GOKPOP (@goKPOP) May 17, 2023

The duo was also tested on their chemistry by having to choose the same answer throughout a series of questions. Unfortunately, they lost by getting three out of five questions wrong!

An example was them having to choose between having 5% battery on their phones but being able to use mobile data, or 100% battery but not able to use mobile data. Sehun chose the former, where witty Chanyeol then rebutted by saying he can only use his phone for a maximum of ten minutes. Hearing his groupmate’s answer, Sehun was at a loss for words and hilariously ended up apologizing.

They had to profess their love to each other as a forfeit, leading to an avalanche of laughter from the audience!

Unfortunately (or not 😉), the duo lost the game with 3 wrong - 2 correct and had to do a forfeit!

Here's their hilarious forfeit of having to profess their love to each other 👬❤#EXOSCINSINGAPORE#EXOSCinSG#EXOSC_BackToBack#EXOSC_BackToBack_in_sg pic.twitter.com/HyJrF7VKMa

— GOKPOP (@goKPOP) May 17, 2023

1.     1. Heart trio set

2.     2. EXO Rabbit – wearing bunny ears

3.     3. Chanyeol playing a guitar for fans having their birthdays

4.     4. Sehun’s solo dance medley of EXO songs

Much to everyone’s envy, two very lucky fans were picked through a lucky draw to win personalized tumblrs designed by none other than Chanyeol and Sehun themselves! Nonetheless, EXO-Ls’ hearts were filled to the brim with even more memories of their idols, whom they missed dearly over the years.

Throughout the fancon, EXO-SC also delighted fans with tracks such as “Borderline”, “1 Billion Views”, “Rodeo Station” and not forgetting the unit’s personal favourite “Fly Away”. 

Sehun and Chanyeol now perform "Fly Away", the song they mentioned as their favourite during the press con 🎵#EXOSCINSINGAPORE#EXOSCinSG#EXOSC_BackToBack#EXOSC_BackToBack_in_sg pic.twitter.com/4tYx3pBKp3

— GOKPOP (@goKPOP) May 17, 2023

The fancon finally came to a close with an encore “Just Us 2”.

“The next time we meet, we hope it’ll be with the whole of EXO!” Sehun and Chanyeol promised hopeful EXO-Ls.

We’d like to thank iMe Singapore for extending the invitation to us.

Article by: Joreen
Press con photos: Nigel
Fancon photos: iMe Singapore

The highly anticipated Korean drama "Black Knight" held its press conference on May 10, creating a buzz among fans and media alike. The event not only showcased the gripping storyline and unique universe of the series but also shed light on the exceptional chemistry among the ensemble cast. With renowned actors Kim Woo-bin, Song Seung-heon, Kang You-seok, Esom, and director Cho Ui-Seok in attendance, the press conference revealed the strong bonds and camaraderie that have developed among the cast members during the filming of this enthralling series.