Lee Jung-jae Challenges Himself in Romantic Comedy 'Annoying Love' on tvN!

Lee Jung-jae, who led the drama as Seong Gi-hun in the global Netflix hit 〈Squid Game〉, is stepping out of his heavy character to take on a light romantic comedy.

On the 28th, during the online production presentation for the new tvN Monday-Tuesday drama 〈Annoying Love〉, Lee Jung-jae stated, "Since my previous works had weight, I wanted to do something light, lively, and fun," adding, "When the opportunity came, I jumped at it."

In the drama, Lee Jung-jae plays Im Hyun-jun, an actor who rose to national fame through the popular series 'Good Detective Kang Pil-gu' but is now challenging himself in melodrama. His co-star Lim Ji-yeon (35) plays Wi Jeong-shin, a reporter who has been transferred from the political department to the entertainment department.

Lim Ji-yeon explained, "Since I played dark or troubled characters in my previous works, I wanted to try a light and cheerful piece that suits my age group," adding, "While doing recent interviews, I carefully observed the reporters and started preparing a character based on the assumption that 'if my job were not an actor but a reporter.'"

When the casting was revealed, the age difference of 53 and 35 years between Lee Jung-jae and Lim Ji-yeon, who will share a romantic chemistry in the drama, became a hot topic. Lee Jung-jae humorously remarked, "Even with the age difference, she (Lim Ji-yeon) really gives me a hard time." Lim Ji-yeon responded, "I feel more comfortable with him than any other co-star my age."

The production team introduced this work as a mixed genre combining period, action, thriller, comedy, and romance, emphasizing that the comedy elements stand out the most.

Director Kim Garam predicted, "Viewers will be surprised to see Lee Jung-jae in the drama, and he will be adorably shocking."

The action sequences will be implemented through the drama within a drama, 'Good Detective Kang Pil-gu' series. Lee Jung-jae mentioned, "Shooting another drama within the drama was challenging, but it was also fun to play a different character within it," adding, "The martial arts team I worked with during the movie 〈Hunt〉 choreographed the movements well."

Director Kim set a target viewership rating of "30%" and expressed his ambition to "write the history of tvN." He explained, "The word 'annoying' carries a certain temperature, and it tells a relatable story of emotions that lie between 'lovable' and 'annoying,' depicting a story of understanding and transitioning to love after meeting as rivals."

Additionally, Kim Ji-hoon and Seo Ji-hye will appear as Lee Jae-hyung, the president of a sports newspaper, and Yoon Hwa-young, the youngest head of the entertainment department, respectively. 〈Annoying Love〉 will premiere on the 3rd of next month at 8:50 PM and will consist of a total of 16 episodes.