Park Bo-young on Playing Twins in Netflix's ‘Our Unwritten Seoul': ‘It Felt Like Shooting Two Dramas at Once'
Park Bo-young is pushing her acting boundaries like never before in Netflix's upcoming Korean series 'Our Unwritten Seoul,' where she takes on the complex challenge of playing twin sisters who swap identities — effectively embodying four distinct personas in what may be her most demanding role to date.
The actor known for her roles in 'Strong Girl Bong-soon' and 'Oh My Ghost' opens up about the unique challenges of her dual role in the romantic drama, which centers on twin sisters Yu Mi-ji and Yu Mi-rae — identical in appearance but polar opposites in personality. When fate intervenes, the sisters swap identities, forcing each to navigate unfamiliar territory while discovering love and their true selves.
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'When I read the script, I felt it was a once-in-a-lifetime challenge — and also a huge opportunity,' Park Bo-young says. 'I kept thinking, 'When will I ever get to try something like this again? If not now, will this kind of chance ever come again?''
The project marks several firsts for the beloved actress, including her debut with striking blonde hair as the energetic Mi-ji, a former track star whose athletic dreams were derailed by injury. Mi-ji now hustles through various short-term jobs in the village of Doo-son-ri, maintaining her infectious optimism despite life's setbacks.
Her twin Mi-rae presents a stark contrast — born with a physical ailment, she's someone who 'studies hard, endures silently, and believes she's best at holding things in,' according to Park Bo-young. After struggling to survive in Seoul, circumstances force the sisters to switch places.
The dual role presented unprecedented technical challenges for the production. 'It was much harder than I had imagined,' Park Bo-young says. 'Normally, I focus on reacting to my scene partner's performance. But this time, I also had to predict how the other character — who was also me — would act.'
Director Park Shin-woo ('When the Star Gossip') employed creative solutions, including a stand-in actor who would recreate one character's behavior while Park Bo-young performed as the other. In some special effects scenes, she had to perform 'literally into thin air.'
'When Mi-rae and Mi-ji talk to each other — whether face-to-face or over the phone — I thought I could just memorize the entire script straight through, but it didn't work that way,' Park Bo-young explains. 'I had to memorize Mi-ji's lines separately, and then Mi-rae's separately. It honestly felt like shooting two dramas at once.'
Park Bo-young is joined by Park Jin-young ('The Witch'), formerly of boy band Got7, who plays Lee Ho-su, a successful lawyer harboring unresolved trauma. 'He's like a swan, graceful above the surface but paddling frantically underneath,' Park Jin-young describes his character.
The series marks Park Jin-young's return to acting after completing his military service. 'Being able to return to the work I love made me feel genuinely happy,' he says. 'Park Bo-young helped me a lot as well — she really made it easier for me to adjust quickly to the filming environment.'
Ryu Kyung-soo ('Yadang: The Snitch') rounds out the principal cast as Han Se-jin, a former chief investment officer who now runs his grandfather's strawberry farm after a life-changing incident. Known for intense genre roles, Ryu embraces a lighter tone here, though he notes that Se-jin's quirky exterior masks 'a profound sense of loneliness and isolation.'
For director Park Shin-woo, the project offered an opportunity to explore multiple facets of humanity through Park Bo-young's unique lens. 'After reading just one episode of the script, I stopped thinking about it as a 'dual role' at all,' he explains. 'Rather than seeing it as one actor playing two characters, I started to feel excited about the idea of seeing multiple sides of humanity.'
The director focused on authenticity over technical wizardry. 'This time, I really focused on showing the actors just as they are — as naturally and authentically as possible,' he says. When it came to Park Bo-young's dual role, he advised her not to worry about distinguishing the characters. 'What I wanted her to focus on was the emotion of the moment, the situation at hand, and what her character needed to resolve right then and there.'
The romantic dynamics prove equally complex, with Park Bo-young's characters developing different relationships with each male lead. She describes Park Jin-young's Ho-su as 'the type who would hold the umbrella over me in the rain, leaning toward me so much that his own shoulder would get wet,' while Ryu Kyung-soo's Se-jin is 'the kind of character who would throw the umbrella away and invite me to splash around in the puddles together.'
'Mi-ji is a bright, cheerful person, so Ho-su's more grounded nature somewhat tones down her brightness,' Park Bo-young explains. 'Meanwhile, Mi-rae is a bit subdued, but through Se-jin's presence, she finds some comfort and upliftment.'
'Our Unwritten Seoul' comes from Studio Dragon, the Korean powerhouse behind global Netflix hits including 'The Glory,' 'Queen of Tears,' and 'Crash Landing on You.' The company, a CJ ENM subsidiary, owns 266 global premium IPs comprising 4,127 episodes and currently produces approximately 25 titles annually for global distribution.
As the series prepares to launch, the cast hopes it will resonate with viewers seeking both entertainment and emotional connection. 'I hope viewers find comfort through it,' says Ryu Kyung-soo. 'For anyone going through a hard time or feeling lost in deep darkness lately, I wish this show can help give you courage to heal and move forward.'
Park Bo-young echoes that sentiment: 'Many times, I realized the words I said to others were also words I needed to hear myself. I believe viewers will understand why I say this as they watch the drama.'
'Our Unwritten Seoul' premieres May 24 on Netflix.
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