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| A scene from the series "Divorce Attorney Shin" / Courtesy of JTBC |
By Lee Gyu-lee
Actor Cho Seung-woo's new series "Divorce Attorney Shin" got off to a good start, Saturday.
JTBC's new series, based on a webcomic by the same name, follows a divorce lawyer, Shin Sung-han (Cho), who is a former pianist and music professor. After a personal tragedy, he becomes a lawyer and starts navigating the complex world of divorce with two of his best friends by his side, paralegal Jang Hyeong-geun (Kim Sung-kyun) and realtor Jo Jeong-sik (Jung Moon-sung).
It is led by director Lee Jae-hun whose previous works include the romance series "Run On" (2020) and the comedy series "Good Manager" (2017), and is penned by Yu Young-a, who scripted the 2018 romance series "Encounter."
The first episode showed actress-turned-radio host Lee Seo-jin (Han Hye-jin) facing a divorce, after a video of her affair with another man was leaked. She requests Sung-han to represent her, revealing she has been abused by her husband, and all she wants is custody of her son.
Sung-han decides to take her case and attempts to settle her divorce through mediation. When the attempt fails, the lawyer prepares to wage a messy battle on behalf of his client. The premiere episode saw a 7.3 percent viewership rating.
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| From left, Kim Sung-kyun, Cho Seung-woo, Han Hye-jin and Jung Moon-sung pose during the online press conference for the series "Divorce Attorney Shin," Thursday. Courtesy of JTBC |
Cho said he was drawn to the role because of the character's respectful and warm-hearted nature.
"Although he has been through a deep tragedy, he still manages to be kind-hearted and has a good disposition. It was a type of character who is respectful and considerate of others, which made my decision (to join the series) more meaningful," the actor said during the online press conference for the series, Thursday.
Sung-han is an artistic person who used to be a talented pianist and music professor in Germany. Cho said he wanted the character to use his musical background in solving divorce cases.
"I asked the writer if this character could use music to deal with his stresses and emotions," he said. "He was a pianist and a music professor. My idea was to have him approach these legal cases as if he were reading and interpreting musical notes and playing an instrument, so I suggested that to the writer."
This is the first series in three years for Han, since the 2020 series "Mothers." The actress said she was first overwhelmed by the complex character, who is a victim of domestic violence and is going through a divorce.
"It isn't an easy character so I was hesitant … Then, I heard Cho Seung-woo, Kim Sung-kyun, and Jung Moon-sung confirmed their roles and thought when would I ever be able to meet these people and work with them (if I didn't take the role)," she said, adding that she also was fascinated with the script and read four episodes on the spot.
"Because this character is at fault in the divorce, I tried to make her seem convincing to the viewers. And as she is a radio host, I put a lot of thought into her attitude, tone and styling."
"Divorce Attorney Shin" airs Saturdays and Sundays at 10:30 p.m.
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