“Pray for Kim So-hyun to be cast”... Late director Ahn Pan-seok was impressed by Choo Young-woo’s interpretation: behind the scenes of ‘Love Doctor’

[Financial News] “At the time, the director told me, ‘Pray that actress So-hyun gets cast.’”
Writer Min Hyo-jung, who wrote ENA’s Monday-Tuesday drama ‘Love Doctor,’ shared stories about the production process with the late director Ahn Pan-seok and the casting of the actors. From the trust placed in the actors to conversations about cherishing ordinary days, the writer’s recollections conveyed an affection for the time spent completing the series with the director.
‘Love Doctor’ follows the love and growth of Park Min-jae (played by Choo Young-woo), a doctoral student who was a swimmer in high school but lost one leg to an illness, and Yoo-jin Lim (played by Kim So-hyun), a master’s student who loses her sense of direction and wanders before setting out on a new path. It is the posthumous final work of director Ahn, who directed ‘Secret Affair,’ ‘Something in the Rain,’ ‘One Spring Night’ and ‘The Midnight Romance in Hagwon.’ He worked with writer Min, who wrote ‘Attic Cat’ and ‘Full House.’
According to ENA on the 26th, Min said Kim So-hyun had resembled the image of Yoo-jin that the writer had envisioned from the very beginning.
Min said, “Kim So-hyun was very much like the Yoo-jin character I had in mind, including the image I had envisioned. At the time, the director told me, ‘Pray that actress So-hyun gets cast,’ and in the end, my prayers were answered.”
Min praised Choo Young-woo’s ability to read the characters’ emotions in the script. Director Ahn was also reportedly impressed by his interpretation.
Min recalled, “Choo Young-woo is an actor with an outstanding ability to interpret a script and understand his character. Director Ahn Pan-seok told me he had been surprised by Choo several times, even joking that Choo must have been shown the latter part of the script in advance.”

The growth of the two characters as portrayed by Min follows the emotions and relationships that build in everyday life. Min explained, “There are no hugely dramatic events, fantasy elements or villains. Instead, the characters are people we can recognize as our neighbors, friends or family members—the kinds of people we commonly encounter around us.”
Min added, “Although these are romances and stories about thoroughly realistic everyday life, that is precisely why viewers will be able to identify more closely with the characters’ situations and emotions, and laugh and cry along with the two through their joys and sorrows.”
The series’ view of ordinary daily life as something precious also came through in conversations with director Ahn. Min recalled a moment when they talked about the drama’s themes after finishing all the editing.
Min said, “The director said that this very time we were making the drama—the ordinary days, nothing special—was a precious, glorious time. He said we had made a good drama and wanted to show it to viewers as soon as possible.”
For Min, too, each day spent making the series together became a time to cherish for years to come. Min added, “Those days when I was able to make a drama with the director were a glorious time for me, too. I hope ‘Love Doctor’ will be a source of courage and support for everyone who cherishes each day, the present and the here and now.”
Earlier, on the 11th, Kim So-hyun also shared her feelings about presenting the series and expressed how much she missed director Ahn.
Kim So-hyun recalled, “The nerves I felt when I first received the script, the worries during filming, and the moments we cried and laughed together—all of it comes vividly back to me.”
Kim So-hyun added, “I will never forget everything I heard and learned from the late director Ahn Pan-seok, whom I deeply respected. As always, I’m filled with regret that I could have done a little better and should have done a better job. But I think the director would have told me that I was fine just as I was, which makes me miss him and regret it even more.”

In today’s episode (the 26th), a subtle rivalry unfolds between the research lab’s two youngest members, Yoo-jin Lim and Kim Se-jin (played by Im Jin-hyo), centered on Park Min-jae.
In the previous episode, Min-jae and Yoo-jin promised to see things through together and began dating in earnest. Despite their excitement, the two experienced minor squabbles and changing emotions. Yoo-jin’s encounter with Min-jae’s mother, Hong Eun-ju (played by Shim Hye-jin), also introduced a new complication into their relationship.
Photos released ahead of the broadcast showed Se-jin clutching their head with a conflicted expression as Min-jae looked intently at them. In another photo, Yoo-jin and Se-jin faced off, exchanging icy looks and leaving viewers curious about what would happen between the three.
The production team said, “Kim Se-jin repeatedly barges between Park Min-jae and Yoo-jin, putting the two in unexpected situations.” They added, “The taut yet entertaining rivalry between Yoo-jin and Kim Se-jin, who each have different feelings—love and respect—for Park Min-jae, will also make for an engaging story.”
Meanwhile, ‘Love Doctor’ airs every Monday and Tuesday at 10 p.m. on ENA. It is also available on KT’s Genie TV and Disney+.

[email protected] Shin Jin-a Reporter