[스포츠한국 조은애 기자] JTBC’s Saturday and Sunday drama ‘Doctor Cha Jeong-sook’ has ended amid a syndrome-like popularity. ‘Doctor Cha Jeong-suk’, which depicts the dynamic life story of Cha Jeong-suk, a stay-at-home wife for 20 years, was warmly loved and pleasant as Cha Jeong-suk, not someone’s wife and mother, but the process of finding true happiness.
As a result, the final episode broadcast on June 4 recorded the highest ratings of 18.5% nationwide and 19.4% in the metropolitan area, reaping the beauty of being first in the same time zone (based on paid households in Nielsen Korea). met him and told him how he felt about finishing the work.
“I liked him because he was a character with a warm heart. It was also good because it’s a story that represents all Jeong-sook in the world. I wanted to try a medical drama, so I didn’t want to miss it even if I had to wait a bit until it was produced. I thought it would be a success even if I won the sympathy of the viewers because the development was calm rather than a strong event, but as an actor, I was surprised and happy to hear praise for my acting.”
Cha Jeong-sook, played by Uhm Jung-hwa, is a person who has lived as an ordinary housewife for over 20 years after graduating from medical school, taking care of her husband Seo In-ho (Kim Byung-cheol), which is the main operation of the colon and rectum, and their children.
“I sympathized with the story of a man who got a second chance. Because of my age, there are times when I lose confidence. Opportunities are actually diminishing. It will be either male or female. But the burden of that age was created by people a long time ago. We live according to the time zone set by our ancestors. In that sense, seeing how Cha Jung-sook gained courage and went well, I also gained strength.”
Cha Jung-sook overcomes the opposition of the people around her and enters a hospital in her 40s as a first-year resident and fights against all kinds of disregard and prejudice. It’s scary just continuing the residency process that started again, but she’s also very hurt by her husband’s affair. The part that Uhm Jung-hwa paid the most attention to when depicting Cha Jeong-suk’s life story was the expression of emotions.
“Cha Jeong-suk is a person who is good at expressing emotions, but I tried not to express them in an extreme way. I tried to show a calm look without any anger in the eyes looking at Inho. Even if I became poisonous, I tried to change within his personality, saying, ‘If Cha Jeong-suk is this angry’. Because Cha Jeong-sook is a person who thinks of people first. No matter what it is, treat it like no one else and spend your heart and time for others. It’s not easy, but it’s meaningful, so I wanted to show that side of Cha Jung-sook well.”
In particular, breathing Uhm Jung-hwa and Kim Byeong-cheol as a married couple was one of the fun points of ‘Doctor Cha Jeong-suk’. Her husband Seo In-ho, who lives an insecure double life but cannot hate her, and Cha Jung-sook, who follows her dream despite his opposition, brought a big smile and empathy.
“Even the editing crew said the scene where Jeong-suk and In-ho meet was really fun. It’s nice to see that good chemistry has come out. Actor Kim Byeong-cheol usually has a gentle face, but when the camera turns around, he becomes cheeky and cheeky (laughs) So I enjoyed acting. Every time I see the eyes that change in an instant in front of me, I want to say, ‘Oh, this is it,’ and I fell in love so much with actor Kim Byung-cheol.”
‘Doctor Cha Jeong-suk’ had a happy ending with Cha Jeong-suk, who was able to fill her everyday life with the things she liked after many twists and turns. Cha Jeong-suk, who became a specialist, opened ‘Cha Jeong-suk Clinic’ and obtained a motorcycle license. Specifically, in the final scene, ‘I am grateful for all the things I can see because I am alive. So at the moment, I think I’m happy the way it is.” Just as Cha Jeong-sook finally found a way to be happy on her own, Uhm Jung-hwa was also enjoying happiness again with ‘Doctor Cha Jeong-suk’.
“First of all, I am happy that I have a work that can be considered a representative work in the play. While filming this work, I thought about what it really means to live happily. I think the answer is to focus on yourself. I need to know what I like and what I want. Normally, you live by adapting to your husband, children and other people. I hope that those who watched ‘Doctor Cha Jeong-suk’ will think about what I like even for a moment within the span of a day, and that’s why I want them to be even a little happier.”
Uhm Jung-hwa, who successfully completed ‘Doctor Cha Jeong-suk’, shows her unchanging presence in the music industry with MBC’s recent project group ‘What Do You Do When You Play’ Refund Expedition and ‘Dance Singer’s Wandering Troupe’ tvN. In particular, they attracted a lot of attention by leading ‘singing together’ on a university festival stage in 20 years. Uhm Jung-hwa, who has already created a unique history in music and acting with numerous hit songs and box office hits over 30 years since her debut, is said to be the ‘Nth peak’.
“Now I couldn’t expect to have an audience cheering for me wherever I go. But on the stage of this college festival, I felt such joy for the first time in a while. I was very impressed. If being a singer is what makes you instantly happy, it’s a little different than being an actor. There is joy in suffering. It is painful to fall into emotions just to become a certain character, but the more painful it is, the more you can meet the character and then there is catharsis. So I hold on to my bitter heart and do it again. I was very happy to meet Cha Jung-sook this time, and I felt a lot. I had to express myself first. We also need help. When I was young, I couldn’t listen to cheers and I was active, so I was always worried and worried about ‘Am I good at it?’, ‘Is this the end of me ?’ Whether it’s younger children, friends, or family, I want to live by supporting each other like drinking water.”
