Jeon Do-yeon takes on lighthearted rom-com role with 'Crash Course in Romance'

Actors Jeon Do-yeon, left, and Jung Kyung-ho pose during an online press conference for tvN's new series “Crash Course in Romance,” Monday. Courtesy of tvN

By Lee Gyu-lee

Actress Jeon Do-yeon has taken on her first role in a romantic comedy series in about 18 years with tvN's new series “Crash Course in Romance.”

“When I got the script for this series, I was drawn to its sparkly story,” Jeon said during an online press conference for the series, Monday. “At the same time, I couldn't even remember the last time I had gotten a script for a lighthearted piece. So I felt overwhelmed with concerns about if I could pull it off.”

The series, set to premiere on Jan. 14, revolves around a former national handball player, Nam Haeng-sun (Jeon), who is now running a small food shop to raise her high school daughter alone. When her daughter tries to get into a private education course, run by a celebrity math instructor, Choi Chi-yeol (Jung Kyung-ho), Haeng-sun steps into the cutthroat world of private education for high schoolers while becoming entangled in a relationship with Chi-yeol.

Director Yu Je-won has joined hands with scriptwriter Yang Hee-seung for a third time since the rom-com series “High School King of Savvy” (2014), and “Oh My Ghost” (2015).

The writer said that the series will touch on different portrayals of students in the competitive world of education who seek to get into a good college.

“(The series) will not only have romance but will also touch on the struggles of students as it revolves around college admission. In the end, it will be a story about people's lives,” she said. “I have a son and when I visited institutions in the private education system, it was a whole new world. So, I felt that a story about a warmhearted family offering each other synergy and warm energy in the competitive world of college admissions will draw viewers to resonate with the series.”

A poster for the series “Crash Course in Romance" / Courtesy of tvN

Jeon said she was drawn to her realistic character, adding that she has a lot of similarities with Haeng-sun.

“The writer told me that she wanted Haeng-sun to be a realistic person. She wasn't the character that was so far off from me. I felt that we are alike so I decided to take the role,” she said.

Saying that portraying the lovely side of her character was the hardest part, Jeon said, “I had some doubts on how far I could actually go (in expressing the lovely side), so it felt a little awkward and didn't fully feel comfortable. So, I'm worried about how viewers will take it. You will see a side of me that you've probably never seen before.”

The lead actors talked about their on-set chemistry, expressing their contentment with working together for the first time.

“At first, I wasn't able to fully put myself into the character and the story. But Jung led me into the world of 'Crash Course in Romance' so I was able to get used to the set and the surroundings quickly,” Jeon said.

Jung said he learned from Jeon's acting. “Nowadays everything changes so quickly and I've been unconsciously trying to keep up with the changes,” he said. “But I grew up watching Jeon's acting and when I saw her signature laugh and breathing, I came to cherish the things that don't change.”

“Crash Course in Romance" airs Saturday and Sunday at 9:10 p.m.