Netflix upcoming Korean drama 'Hometown Cha-Cha-Cha' featuring Shin Min-A, Kim Seon Ho and Lee Sang-yi is set to delight us with a heart-fluttering romance. 'Hometown Cha-Cha-Cha' talks about the story of Seoul-city girl Yoon Hye-jin (starring Shin Min-A) who arrives at the seaside village of Gongjin. There she meets Du-sik, an oddjob expert that the whole village counts on. 

Early this afternoon, the director Yu Je-won and the main cast of 'Hometown Cha-Cha-Cha' sat down with the press and talked about their characters and chemistry working with the co-stars. Check out the Q&A during the online press conference:

Q: What about the story were you drawn to?

Kim Seon-ho: This is a truly heartwarming story and I felt it was really human. I play the role of someone who is unemployed but capable of everything. I wondered what I could bring to the character, and I felt like it was really fun. When I read the script I felt like it was heartwarming and I was drawn to it, I really wanted to be a part of it.

Q: Your character has many licenses. Which one would you be interested in having yourself?

Kim Seon-ho: I was really interested in his realtor license. A lot of people are interested in real estate these days. Du-sik is literally capable of everything and he has a realtor license. One of his licenses certifies him as a professional fruit plater, so he lays out fruit on a plate.

Q: Director, this is the second time you’re working with Shin Min-a. How was it working with her for the second time?

Yu Je-won:  She’s always very lovely and very talented. You could say she was born to be lovely. I think she was able to maintain that charm. I also think that her acting has become more mature and she has deepened as a person and as an actor. At the same time, acting depends on who you act with. I think all of them complement each other and make each other comfortable.

Q: Chemistry between Shin Min-a and Kim Seon-ho on set.

Kim Seon-ho: I totally agree with Shin Min-a. I was talking about this with Lee Sang-yi as well. Shin Min-a has good character and she’s really nice. She accepts playful words and actions we say or do. She’s a comfortable person to be around.

Q: What efforts did you make to play your character?

Kim Seon-ho: Because Chief Hong does so many different things, I had to set apart some time to learn all of his abilities. I had to learn how to surf and how to make coffee as a barista. I had to maintain a certain balance since he’s unemployed but he has a lot of handy talents.

Q: What was it like working with Lee Sang-yi?

Kim Seon-ho: I say this to Sang-yi, but I am often amazed by him on set. I think he is really gifted in acting and I always learn a lot from him actually. He’s really talented and I think the director feels the same way. He’s an actor with great potential and is recognized by everyone on set. He has a lot of ideas and we have a lot of fun filming the drama on set.

Q: What was it like working with Shin Min-a and Kim Seon-ho?

Lee Sang-yi: I think this series will have a lasting impression on me. This is a huge experience for me. I’ve been in a couple of dramas and movies and I think the people you work with are always really important. This experience was really special. I learned a lot from working with Kim Seon-ho, he’s much more experienced than me. I learned a lot from Shin Min-a as well.

Shin Min-a is really considerate and thinks about the people around her. I haven’t had a very long experience in the industry yet, but these more experienced actors as well as the director helped me a lot.

We’ve become quite close now like friends. We can play jokes on each other. Even if it’s silent, it doesn’t feel awkward. If I say something funny, they’ll enjoy it. I feel that they really know me and I know them. I feel like I’ve been accepted by these great people, so it was a really special experience.

1. The Leads 

Suzy and Nam Joo-hyuk make a very gorgeous couple. They’re also the same age and have the same agency, so we can see a more natural type of comfortableness between the pair. In Start-Up, we see a sweeter and sillier side of Suzy compared to her previous character in Vagabond. Nam Joo-hyuk has grown in popularity since The Light in Your Eyes and The School Nurse Files, so it’s a great treat to get to see him so soon after his latest series.

2. The Strong Second Lead

3. Amazing Cast Members

4. Solid Friendship

5. Inspirational Stories

6. Start-Up Info

7. Heartfelt Lessons

Netflix upcoming Korean series 'Start-Up' starring star-studded cast - Nam Joo Hyuk, Bae Suzy, Kim Seon Ho and Kang Ha Na is set to premiere on 17 October. Set in a sandbox, a fictional Silicon Valley in South Korea, the romantic comedy-drama centers around four young characters passionately pursuing their dreams in the world of the startup companies. 

During the online press conference held yesterday, Director Oh Choong Hwan further explained that the drama series is about "encouraging people who want to grow up or go up as they start out." "It's about love but not just about love. It's about having a vision for your life and working hard for a vision," said director Oh. Check out the highlights of the virtual press conference with Start-Up stars Suzy, Nam Joo Hyuk, Kim Seon Ho and Kang Han-Na. 

Q: What's your first impression upon reading the script and what made you accept the role?

Nam Joo Hyuk: When I first read the synopsis of the story, I felt that the character, Do-san was incomplete and lacking in something. So I felt that if I take the role, I could add more and help this character to be more complete. As the story unfolds, he will grow and I wanted to portray that. And personally, I also feel a lot of emotions and feelings in my life, so I saw a sort of overlapping relationship between me and my character. I really wanted to grow together with the character as I played him.

Kim Seon Ho: Well, I think Suzy and Joo-hyuk already mentioned it, but I would explain a little more. When I read the script, there was a lot of excitement. But this show was quite different from others because the characters and their line, including the ending scene of each episode, just compelled me to keep reading on. As I was reading, I felt very comfortable about the story and the characters. Other dramas have a very spicy and juicy storyline, but our drama is very heartwarming and encouraging.

Q: Suzy and Nam Joo Hyuk, how do you feel when you first heard two of you would-be partners? And how would you rate your chemistry?

Q: Han-na, you changed your physical style and even had a haircut to play the role. Any common traits between you and the character Won In-Jae?

Q: How do you prepare for your role?

Kim Seon Ho: My character is kind of the epitome of a young, rich, and successful person. So basically my character is about flashing a great watch and showing a nice hairstyle, those are the preparations I did (laughs). And as Han-na mentioned just now, our writer is very thorough, so she also gave me lots of details to refer to for my preparation for the character. I studied them and thought about what kind of speaking style my character will have.

Q: In the drama, there’s a conflict between In-jae and Dal-mi. How was it on set?

photo by Netflix