Park Jin-hai primarily focuses on K-dramas, entertainment shows and actor interviews. Beyond that, she also pens articles covering the broader arts scene, with a particular emphasis on classical music, dance and various aspects of lifestyle. Since joining The Korea Times in 2013, she has made significant contributions in the realms of hallyu (Korean wave), industry news and international affairs.
INTERVIEW Lee Na-young says 'Honour' is not just about sexual violence
Lee Na-young / Courtesy of Eden9
By Park Jin-hai
Thriller echoes Epstein scandal while exploring solidarity with victims
ENA’s thriller “Honour,” which wrapped Tuesday, follows a team of lawyers taking on a powerful sex trafficking cartel in a story that inevitably echoes the Jeffrey Epstein scandal.
Centered on three determined attorneys at the victim advocacy firm L&J — short for Listen & Join — who choose solidarity over silence while investigating scandals linked to the shadowy digital sex trade platform “Connect In,” the drama marks actor Lee Na‑young’s first work on the small screen in three years.
Lee plays Yun Ra‑yeong, a celebrity lawyer with millions of followers online, but beneath her polished public image lies a woman shaped by deep personal trauma. Lee's restrained performance has drawn praise from viewers.
"I first read the script with the curiosity of a novel reader, just dying to know what would happen next. Then I went back through it, thinking about the role I had to play and that's when I felt like I just had to be part of this story," Lee said during an interview with The Korea Times at a cafe in central Seoul, Wednesday.
Taking on a role with lengthy legal dialogue for the first time, she initially thought it would be relatively straightforward.
“There weren’t any big crying scenes like in other dramas. So I figured it was just about memorizing the lines and delivering them well," she said.
Lee Na-young in a scene from the ENA's legal thriller "Honour" / Courtesy of ENA
Once filming started, she realized every moment from start to finish was loaded with emotion.
"Ra-yeong is a character who keeps her feelings bottled up inside, so I had to deliver everything with clarity and restraint. Facing people in pain or hurt while giving them courage to keep going together from a shared standpoint — that meant suppressing a ton of emotion. There were hardly any one-note expressions for her," she explained.
The character’s motivations stem from a traumatic past, whose experience of sexual assault and dating violence continues to shape her life two decades later. Together with colleagues Kang Shin-jae (Jung Eun-chae) and Hwang Hyun-jin (Lee Chung-ah), Yun runs a law firm dedicated to defending female crime victims.
Noting that she really empathizes with characters who carry pain but keep on living, Lee said, “Rather than a Jeanne d’Arc figure driven by righteousness, this role is someone with her own personal wounds, yet she hides them and stands before the public. I wanted to express those complex layers as truthfully as possible.”
The emotional intensity lingered even after filming ended. Lee said she continued to feel the character’s sadness long after the cameras stopped rolling.
A scene from the ENA's legal thriller “Honour" / Courtesy of ENA
Confronting evil
Lee noted that many of her lines felt like words she was also saying to herself.
“What I appreciated most is that the drama doesn’t try to force anything on the victims. Instead of pressing them to move on, it conveys the quiet warmth of waiting and listening beside them — and that moved me even more.”
The actor stressed that while the drama may appear to focus on sexual violence, she never saw it as being only about that.
“I believe it’s about confronting many different kinds of evil. What resonated with me more was the sense of solidarity with those who are hurting or suffering from injustice,” she said.
Asked about her next project, Lee said she has not yet decided what she will do next and prefers to choose roles based on instinct.
"Honestly, I don’t know what’ll come next — or what I’ll end up being drawn to. I think it’ll depend on how I feel at that moment or what kind of emotions or influences I’m under," she said.
“I’m really glad to see female characters becoming more diverse. In the past, they were often quite one-dimensional, but now they’re written with so much more detail and nuance. As an actor, that gives me a lot to look forward to. And I’m grateful, too, because it’s only happening thanks to people’s willingness to embrace those changes.”