Press conference day for Chuno

The wait is almost over — KBS’s upcoming fusion sageuk thriller Chuno (aka Slave Hunters) is two weeks from its premiere, and held its production press conference on December 21.

All the actors from the main cast were present, led by the drama’s three main stars Jang Hyuk, Lee Da-hae, and Oh Ji-ho. The series will take over for IRIS’s Wednesday-Thursday timeslot in the new year, and Jang Hyuk said regarding that: “There are a lot of advantages that IRIS ended with high ratings. Also, because we have a completely different topic than IRIS, viewers will be able to feel a fresh, different appeal.”

Jang Hyuk has been in a sageuk before (2002’s Daemang) and said of Chuno, “There are advantages to being a sageuk. The characters are three-dimensional, and the plot is fresh. The subject matter is different from other sageuks — previous court dramas, biographies, or hero tales express one type of style. However, Chuno is able to show a diversity of colors.” That’s why he decided to take the drama, saying, “I found its mix of melodrama and action very appealing.”

Lee Da-hae said, “I feel excited each time, but since this is a large-scale drama, I felt even more nervous.” She plays a young woman who was born a slave, but is raised in a noble family after fleeing her owner’s household and hides her low birth. She initially is in love with Jang Hyuk’s character, but as the drama unfolds, she becomes more and more conflicted between him and Oh Ji-ho. She doesn’t appear in the drama’s first two episodes, which focus more on Jang and Oh, and shows up soon afterward.

Asked about the love triangle, Lee answered, “I’m happy to receive the love of both men.” Supporting actor Gong Hyung-jin chimed in jokingly, “Watching Lee Da-hae filming, it really looks like she enjoys the love triangle.” As this is her first sageuk, she expressed some concerns about getting down the dialogue and tone (sageuk dramas require a more deliberate, serious tone of dialogue delivery that often trips up the less experienced), “but I’m not uncomfortable at all now and am able to act comfortably.”

Chuno premieres on January 6.

Lee Da-hae always looks wonderful, but here she looks particularly stunning:

Jang Hyuk and Oh Ji-ho are the chaser and the chased; it’s a little odd seeing them with that hair in modern dress (it looks much better, imo, in the show’s stills):

I’m anticipating that Lee Jong-hyuk’s villain’s role will be portrayed with his usual charisma:

The supporting cast is rounded out by Kim Ji-suk, Gong Hyung-jin, and Han Jung-soo:

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