Seolhyun is stripped back in new series 'Summer Strike'

Television

Published: 15 Nov. 2022, 16:51 Updated: 15 Nov. 2022, 17:14

Seolhyun is stripped back in new series 'Summer Strike'

From left, actor Seolhyun, director Lee Yoon-jung and actor Yim Si-wan pose for the camera at a local press event to promote their upcoming ENA drama series "Summer Strike" at Stanford Hotel Korea in western Seoul on Tuesday. [NEWS1]

In the upcoming ENA drama series “Summer Strike,” singer and actor Seolhyun appears on screen with almost no makeup.

Upon being offered the role, the actor said that she wholeheartedly understood what her character Yeo-reum was going through as she declares a “strike” from her daily life, and escapes from the city to the countryside so that she can figure out what she really wants to do. As she resides in a rural town for two years, she meets and befriends new people, including a romantic interest portrayed by Yim Si-wan.

“Yeo-reum is very shy and that may be a little frustrating to others,” Seolhyun said at a local press event to promote the series at Stanford Hotel Korea in Mapo District, western Seoul on Tuesday. “One of the things that resonated with me was when Yeo-reum struggles to lead her life as a member of society. She one day realizes that she has become a person who doesn’t know anything about herself. That’s when she decided to call a strike on her daily life and rest, so that she can get to know herself better. I took a year off [some years ago] after working nonstop for a decade, and it became a critical period for me to get to know myself better. I wanted Yeo-reum to feel what I did, and that is how I tried to portray her.”

According to director Lee Yoon-jung, who is also behind hits such as MBC drama series “Coffee Prince” (2007) and tvN’s “Cheese in the Trap” (2016), Seolhyun appears on screen with the bare minimum.

“It’s true,” the actor said. “I also took the clothes I actually wore daily and filmed scenes in them. It was so comfortable because I felt like I could be me when I was on the screen, without any styling or make-up. I didn’t feel the need to adjust my hair or face and could act more comfortably than I had before.”

Seolhyun waves to the camera at a local press event to promote her upcoming ENA drama series "Summer Strike" at Stanford Hotel Korea in western Seoul on Tuesday. [NEWS1]

The Korean title of the series translates to “I Don’t Feel Like Doing Anything,” which represents Yeo-reum’s state of mind. The series is adapted from a webtoon with the same title by cartoonist Joo Young-heon.

“When Yeo-reum says she wants to go on a strike, it doesn’t mean that she really isn’t going to do anything [with her life],” Lee said. “She’s thinking about how and what she should do to be happy and what she wants to do with her life. There’s no ‘right’ answer to these questions, and the series attempts to show that it’s all about the process, not finding the answer.”

"Summer Strike" starts airing on cable channel ENA and streaming platforms Seezn, Viu and Rakuten Viki from next Monday.

BY LEE JAE-LIM [lee.jaelim@joongang.co.kr]