Han Ji-hye on Drama, “Insular Town Teacher”

Han Ji-hye on Drama, “Insular Town Teacher”. May. 20, 2004 22:36. by Katherine Cho kathycho@donga.com.

Scene #1: A hotel at Mokpo, Jeonnam--

“Although today is the day of the coming-of-age (May 17), I got nothing!”

When I met with Han Ji-hye on the afternoon of May 17, she spoke with a prominent gesture, using both of her hands, which contrasted to her rather composedly combed hair. All through that afternoon, she filmed a scene of her escape with the police investigator, “Ho-tae,” performed by Kim Min-jong, away from the gangsters of “Gwang-ki,” performed by Kwon Oh-jung, at the passenger’s pier of Mokpo Seaport.

In contrast to her last dramatic character, “Jung-suk” in the drama “Clarion eighteen-years-old,” which can be likened to a foal without a bridle, the 26-year-old female teacher, “Eun-su” in the “Insular Town Teacher,” can be described as an aggregation of Audrey Hepburn and Candy, a famous Japanese animation heroin, explained Han.

Han Ji-hye even stated that she wants to play the protagonist’s role of historical dramas that sways over the era, which young actors and actresses recently have tried to avoid.

“Although I will be criticized as ‘Awkward,’ I think I can do it very well!”

The producer concerned, Kim Young-seop, assessed Han Ji-hye as a “twenty-year-old female warrior.”

Scene #2: A Café Close to the Hotel—

Just a minute after our conversation, Han suddenly burst into laugh towards me.

“Do you have any nicknames? Haven’t you heard that you resemble a funny character? Your eyes take after the bizarre rabbit, Mashimaro, quite similarly. That is, your eyes are cute.”

Han is particularly concerned about people’s eyes. She promised that she would undergo laser surgery on her eye because of myopia.

“Every time I ride out the all-night filming, my contact lens-studded eyes suffer a lot. Though I want to have laser surgery, I postponed it due to my hectic schedule.”

Han did not turn down the beer jugs that came over with the congratulatory remarks, “Cheers for you becoming an adult,” at the spot. She said, “Though I don’t like drinking very much, I do it with my best effort when it is time.”

“The day I drank most was my birthday with my lovely friend, Han Ye-sul. She and I are relying on each other.”

Han Ji-hye and Han Ye-sul were both awarded prizes at the 2001 Super Elite Model Contest, and are very close with each other.

During our conversation, Kim Min-jong, who sat at the next table, approached and introduced a funny episode while filming.

“Ji-hye always teased me as a ‘senior actor.’ When she said, ‘Hey senior actor, when will your teeth fall off?’ my gold tooth indeed fell out the next day. She laughed at me all the way, even when I couldn’t get my lunch down …”

Scene #3: At the Karaoke Joint in the Hotel—

After the press conference, all of the producers and the players visited a karaoke joint. Han sung the song, “Magic Carpet Ride” by Jaurim. Though she made many mistakes in the lyrics, she showed off her splendid dancing ability with the day’s master of ceremony, Kim Min-jong. Even though she kept coming and going between the two different characters, “Jung-suk” and “Eun-su,” on this day, she was fretful over not receiving any presents of the coming-of-age day such as roses, perfumes, and kisses just as a regular twenty-year-old girl does.

Receiving roses and perfumes from the staff and her fans later, she was even kissed by Kim Min-jong when they filmed the title scene of “Insular Town Teacher” on their way to the next lot on a boat.