Love blooming in quarantine ward Kim Gun-woo and Han Ji-eun meet in unfamiliar season
The story of a man and a woman quarantined due to the novel coronavirus infection (COVID-19) is told in “Meet in an Unfamiliar Season.” Expectations are high on how the setting of permeating each other in the landscape of COVID-19 will be portrayed.
On the afternoon of the 8th, a press conference was held for KBS 2TV’s fifth one-act play “Meet in an Unfamiliar Season.” The press conference was held live online, with actors Han Ji-eun, Kim Gun-woo and Lee Min-soo attending.
“Meet in an Unfamiliar Season” is a story that comforts each other during an unfamiliar and fearful quarantine period by communicating through the window of a new coronavirus infection (COVID-19) at a residential treatment center in 2020, reflecting the reality of the pandemic.
Han plays the role of photographer assistant Oh Hee-joo in the play. Oh Hee-joo is an introverted and timid personality, and has a special relationship with Myung Ki-joon (Kim Gun-woo), a person next door who talks to her while having difficulty adjusting after being confirmed to be COVID-19. Kim Gun-woo plays the role of Myung-jun, who is nosy and cheerful. At the residential treatment center, he first talks to Oh Hee-joo, who is staying in the next room, and ignites a romance
Director Lee Min-soo said, “This work was written by writer Yeo Myung-jae, and when I first read the script, I was smiling naturally with a mask on,” and added, “I thought I wanted to convey my feelings to the viewers.”
Regarding the point he wanted to express while directing “Meet in an Unfamiliar Season,” director Lee said, “I think men and women were isolated in each room, creating physical walls and psychological walls,” adding, “I wanted to show the boundaries breaking down in the drama like a fairy tale.” “At the same time, I wanted to make people put down their guard against each other,” he said. “The drama is a love story between two people, but I also wanted to thank the medical staff who are working silently in places that are still invisible.”
Regarding Oh Hee-joo, who she plays, Han Ji-eun explained, “Hee-joo is very shy and has an introverted personality,” adding, “She is a friend who has a hard time accepting something new, so she is a person who has a hard time from the beginning in the ward.”
Han Ji-eun said, “When I first saw the script, I thought it was very warm and exciting,” and added, “There was a thrill from the calmness that is not easy to feel these days.” He then said, “I personally sympathized a lot,” adding, “I also had COVID-19, and I felt that it was similar to the change in the emotional line that I experienced during quarantine.” He added, “I thought it would be nice if many people could sympathize, feel, and deliver this together.”
Regarding the role of Myung-jun, Kim Gun-woo said, “He is a very nice and cheerful character,” and explained, “He is a charming and cute character who plays a lot of jokes and annoys Hee-joo in the next room in the quarantine ward and gradually develops affection for Hee-joo.”
When asked why he appeared in “Meet in an Unfamiliar Season,” Kim Gun-woo said, “When I first saw this script, I thought it was very cute,” adding, “It was very cute and emotional.” “More than anything else, it was warm,” he said adding, “The subject of COVID-19 may be a difficult memory for someone, but I thought it would be fresh and fun to be born as a drama because artworks have always been created in these hardships and adversity.”
Director Lee Min-soo said about the viewing point of “Meet of an Unfamiliar Season,” “There are unfamiliar parts compared to existing dramas,” adding, “I think the setting, space, and lines will be fresh. I hope you focus on it because fun scenes can pass by even when you go to the bathroom for a while.”
Kim Gun-woo said, “The special story of getting to know each other in an unfamiliar place called the quarantine ward and getting to know each other’s universe is the point to watch,” adding, “In fact, I think the COVID-19 incident has given us another special experience. I thought it would be a fun point to watch.”
Meanwhile, “Meet in an Unfamiliar Season” will air at 9:50 p.m. that day.