Actor Jung Joon Won recently sat down with iMBC in Gangnam, Seoul, for an interview to mark the end of 'Resident Playbook', the tvN weekend drama.
A spin-off of 'Hospital Playlist', 'Resident Playbook' tells the story of medical residents at Yulje Hospital in Jongno who go through denial, growth, and acceptance in their journey to becoming doctors.
Jung played fourth-year OB-GYN resident Koo Do Won, who captured hearts with his heart-fluttering romance with Oh Yi Young (played by Go Youn Jung), turning living rooms pink with their chemistry.
Like Go Youn Jung in a previous interview, Jung said, “I didn’t expect the ‘Okoo couple’ (Oh Yi Young + Koo Do Won) to be loved this much. I thought the story would mainly focus on the residents’ growth, so I didn’t expect this much interest in our relationship.”
He admitted he was initially worried when he found out Go Youn Jung would be his romantic partner. “I wondered if I could convince viewers. Do Won’s character is almost like a fantasy—he’s written to be such a perfect man. But I thought if I could pull it off well, I could make it believable.”
He also made efforts to bridge their age gap, trying to act more like a friend to Go Youn Jung and the other OB-GYN cast members to ensure no one felt uncomfortable.
Thanks to the show’s popularity, Jung saw a significant boost in personal recognition. His Instagram following grew from around 3,000 before the drama aired to over 400,000—a hundredfold increase. Laughing, he said, “I check my follower count every day with a smile.”
Jung also monitored viewer reactions closely. He recalled, “There were mixed responses early on, but I saw people gradually warming up to my character. One memorable comment said, ‘He’s winning me over with each episode.’ I expected negative reactions, especially since some people really do speak sharply online.”
He added, “But it’s better than no one talking about me at all. Go Youn Jung is unbelievably beautiful—almost unreal. The storyline has her falling for me, and that’s just not something that would happen in real life. So I understood where the skepticism came from,” he said with a laugh.
When asked if he paid extra attention to his looks, he replied jokingly, “No matter how hard I try, it’s a losing battle. But I did my best. I just focused on acting well. Go Youn Jung’s excellent performance helped convince people who weren’t initially on board. I’m really grateful to her.”
'Resident Playbook', led by Go Youn Jung, aired its final episode (episode 12) on May 18th.
SEE ALSO: Go Yoon Jung & Kang Yoo Seok depart for Bali to join 'Resident Playbook' crew on a reward vacation
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