Unpredictable medical, "Hyperknife" lifts the veil.

On the 17th, a production presentation for Disney+ "Hyperknife" took place at the Conrad Seoul Hotel. The event was attended by Park EunBin, Sul KyungGu, Yoon ChanYoung, Park ByeongEun, and director Kim JungHyun.

The Disney+ original series "Hyperknife" (directed by Kim JungHyun, written by Kim SunHee, provided by Walt Disney Company Korea, produced by CJ ENM Studios, Vlad Studio, and Dongpung Company) is a medical thriller that depicts intense confrontations as "Jung SeOk" (played by Park EunBin), a once-promising genius doctor, reunites with her mentor "Choi DeokHee" (played by Sul KyungGu), who caused her downfall.

On this day, director Kim JungHyun noted about the work, "It is a bizarre story created by various characters meeting. Each character is not ordinary. You won't see them in the dramas we've done until now, and they were hard to find. So it felt more like a cruel fairy tale. This story, which involves SeOk and DeokHee, two people who are crazy in their brains, relies heavily on their relationship, and I'm hoping for good expectations from that."

Director Kim noted about the production's focus, "Ultimately, this story centers around the relationship between SeOk and DeokHee; it is both realistic and unrealistic. We put a lot of effort to maintain a subtle tone. While there might be settings involved, we tried to find places that are often hard to imagine. We also worked hard to maintain a unique tone in terms of art and music for our work."

Regarding casting Park EunBin, he said, "Like all directors would say, showing a side of an actor not revealed to the public is a huge appeal. When EunBin said she would take on a role that I couldn't even imagine, I felt nothing but joy rather than expectation. I can only anticipate what she will show us next. Even while watching on set, I often said, 'That's insane.' I even thought, 'Isn’t she really crazy?' It’s not limited to a particular scene, but the way emotions stack and explode as the show progresses will likely make an impact that's not ordinary, to the point of being choked up."

He also mentioned about the chemistry between the two actors, "The two of them don't actually resemble each other at all. If SeOk and DeokHee also looked alike, it would have been boring. I was curious about the unique emotions that arise when actors with different personalities meet. The focus of casting was also about that 'unexpectedness.'"

Park EunBin shared her thoughts on the upcoming public release, saying, "This is the first time I'm appearing in an OTT series. Perhaps that's why, even after finishing the shooting, it felt like a long wait for this work. During the shoot, I couldn’t gauge how it would turn out or what kind of reactions we would get. Finally, it will be unveiled to the world in two days, and I hope there will be various discussions. I lived fiercely and felt like I spent time with a pounding heart. I can’t believe it’s finally being released. On one hand, I wanted it to come out quickly, but I also wanted to send SeOk out into the world to be evaluated as soon as possible."

Regarding the character "Jung SeOk," she said, "A genius neurosurgeon who loves the brain so much that she is ruining herself. SeOk is not good at impulse control and is a character who lacks fear. You will see many uncontrolled aspects. In some ways, it's simply juvenile. I think she is a character that transparently reveals her inner self. This will showcase a side that seems similar yet opposite to DeokHee. I hope you will watch closely to see where SeOk might suddenly pop out from. I can't bear to ask for your support."

She continued, "This character also has antisocial traits, so thanks to studying psychology in college, I had some knowledge and mapped out the symptoms and thought, 'People like this might have these characteristics.' I found that there are genres where such antisocial characters become protagonists. Even if it might be hard for viewers to understand, my goal was for it to be convincing by the end. I don’t expect support or understanding. I just want you to notice the existence of such people in the world, and focus on the confrontation of good and evil at the thresholds of their worlds, experiencing the emotional changes together."

Returning as a 'psychopathic killer,' Park EunBin also shared the reason for joining. She reflected, "While I was filming 'Diva on an Uninhabited Island,' the title 'Hyperknife' caught my attention among the proposals I received. Flipping through the first page, there was a very strong logline. I thought it was a work that powerfully drew me in."

She continued, "In fact, I'm not one to make difficult choices. I am not a person who enjoys challenges. However, I constantly evaluate what I like and can do. So I didn't feel that it was a difficult decision. In this work, I was excited about what emotions I could convey to the viewers through the character SeOk." Furthermore, she expressed, "As an actor, isn’t it a meeting of characters and lives? I also don’t act in a calculated manner, rather, I acted instinctively with my senses awakened according to the situation. When I discovered parts of me that I hadn’t been aware of, I thought, 'This is SeOk's face.'"

Sul KyungGu expressed, "I feel worried, curious, and excited all at once. It’s a mixture of various emotions. I also plan to watch it myself, and I hope many people will show their love for it."

Regarding the character Choi DeokHee, he explained, "Choi DeokHee is also someone who loves the brain too much, a person trapped on the island of the brain. He doesn’t have anyone by his side, has no affectionate juniors or students, and lives only for his own pride. Thus, he is respected and held in authority. But he is awkward in other aspects. Among his students, there is a cold side to the person who pushes away SeOk, whom he adored, due to his own pettiness."

He further explained, "Some characters are set before filming and pushed through to the end, while others need to evolve during filming, and DeokHee was one of the latter. I thought it would be difficult to show one character across eight episodes, so I aimed to portray an awkward side when Choi DeokHee opposes SeOk. He is confident in his domain, but outside of it, I thought, 'What if I show him as childish and clumsy?'"

Sul KyungGu, taking on a doctor role for the first time, said, "I couldn’t even watch brain surgery scenes on video. It felt terrifying. But to film, I had to watch it, and my university professor explained it to me while showing the footage. There’s a certain order when entering an operating room. I learned every single detail like that. My professor came to the filming set regularly to guide me."

Additionally, he added, "To confess, the close-up surgery scene is done by my professor’s hands. We couldn’t afford any mistakes; it took more than a few rehearsals. It had to be incredibly delicate. I was not confident, as my hands are thick and lacked detail. Park EunBin didn’t have a stand-in who fits her hand, so she practiced directly. The surgery scene with EunBin is actually with EunBin's hands."

Yoon ChanYoung shared about his character, saying, "I am often referred to as Deputy Minister Seo in the drama; Deputy Minister Seo always stays by SeOk's side, but at times, he tends to care more for SeOk than for his own life. Because of this, the emotions between Seo and SeOk were significant when considering the character. I think we constructed the character while communicating and breathing together with senior Park EunBin on set." He continued, "It was an honor to work with respected seniors. While filming, I kept a diary. We had many shoots in rural areas, and every time I returned to the lodge, I collected my impressions of the day one by one."

He also relayed his experiences working with Park EunBin, saying, "Personally, I felt a lot of tension at first while filming with a respected senior. I was in almost every scene with SeOk, and she took great care of me, making the filming set very happy as we discussed the work together."

Park ByeongEun described Han HyunHo as, "He might be the kindest and most innocent character I've ever played. Personally, he is the only character unaware of the things that happen to Jung SeOk every night. Because of that, he has a respectful feeling towards SeOk, who wants to save people. The character Han HyunHo itself is not interested in money or fame at all. Even in the story, he is someone who cares for difficult patients." He further explained, "During the intense emotions between DeokHee and SeOk, I thought that Han Ho shouldn’t express emotions too strongly to maintain the play’s center."

Fans of Sul KyungGu could also hear Park ByeongEun's admiration. Park ByeongEun stated, "I am such a devoted fan of the senior that a significant reason for joining the company was because of him. I also remember doing lines from his film 'Peppermint Candy' whenever I went for auditions. The very fact that I am acting and standing in the same work as him feels surreal. Even when the atmosphere is tiring on set, he always listens to everything. He arrives early, waking up at 5-6 a.m. for an 8 a.m. shooting session, doing jump rope and workouts to come without swelling. I heard he has been doing it since 'Oasis.' It was a true honor."

We could also hear about the chemistry between Park EunBin and Sul KyungGu. Park EunBin said, "SeOk will go through a process of unearthing their true selves with DeokHee. Although I actually met the senior for the first time, every scene was a dopamine rush. I received a really good stimulus and positive energy from every scene. It was a glorious moment as an actor to meet the senior." She continued, "To savor the moment of acting with the senior, I requested many conversations. The senior shared so many insights, and I honestly think I wouldn’t have completed this work well if he hadn’t been there. I relied heavily on him, and thanks to that, SeOk was able to be playful to her heart's content."

Sul KyungGu also humorously noted, "The biggest reason I decided on this project was Park EunBin. I was so curious and excited. I believe the reason I am doing this project is Park EunBin." He mentioned, "The chemistry was good. There are instances where I get a bit too overwhelmed by EunBin. Instead of EunBin's dopamine bursting, it turns out that I, who got hit, also experienced dopamine. It was strange."

Lastly, regarding points to watch in the work, Sul KyungGu expressed, "I hope you’ll pay attention to the shadow doctor story that hasn't been dealt with in our country's medical dramas. I think you'll find it interesting from that perspective." Park EunBin added, "There are two crazy genius doctors. We shall see how people who believe that only their ideas are right leave scars on each other, and what kind of conclusion they will reach. I hope you watch until the end to see how they turn wrong answers into right ones."

Meanwhile, 'Hyperknife' will be released on the 19th as an 8-episode series through Disney+.

[Photo] OSEN DB

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