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| Ji Chang-wook poses during a press conference, Tuesday. / Yonhap |
Cable channel tvN, which has built a strong reputation in various drama genres, will this week launch another venture -- "The K2."
The new "bodyguard action" thriller, starring Ji Chang-wook and Girls' Generation's Yoona, has sparked viewers' expectations as a mini-action film for the small screen, with more lively fight scenes and dazzling visual effects.
"The K2" adopts time-slice photography for the first time in a TV drama, the same camera technique the famous Hollywood action flick "The Matrix" used in the flying bullet scene.
The drama is about bodyguard Kim Je-ha, played by Ji, and his fateful meeting with an isolated young woman, Goh An-na, played by Yoona.
Ji is a former mercenary under the JSS special forces who is hired as a bodyguard for a presidential candidate. Yoona is his love interest, the illegitimate daughter of the candidate.
"On top of Ji's splendid action, the drama will tell the story of insatiable desire and political fights between people holding secrets of their own," said director Kwak Jung-hwan, during a press conference for the drama at Imperial Palace Hotel in southern Seoul, Tuesday. "It will be a drama where the actor's performance will stand out the most."
The drama will involve many fight scenes, combining Russian combat martial arts, Japanese aikido, Korean taekwondo and Brazilian jiu-jitsu.
"I practiced martial arts a lot for the fight scenes," said Ji, who decided not to use a stunt double for the drama. "Although it has been one of the hardest roles I've been in physically, I believe that it will give me a chance to portray a more masculine person with deeper emotions compared to my previous role in action thriller Healer."
Singer-actress Yoona has a much darker role in the drama, a clear departure from her previous bright and cheerful characters.
"Instead of minding others' views, I aim to try to do new things," Yoona said. "Since I have played bright characters, I've been more intrigued by this An-na character. I have great expectations of my new role."
The first episode of "The K2" airs on tvN at 8 p.m. Friday.
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