In dramas, “extramarital affairs” may seem conventional and clichéd, but it easily captures viewers’ interest with provocative dialogue and conflicts
Most male protagonists in recent dramas are associated with extramarital affairs, drawing viewers’ attention. In particular, some viewers experienced real-life outbursts due to their “intense” performances.
Kim Young-jae
Kim Young-jae played the role of Kim Pil, the husband of the female lead Cha Se-eum (played by Lee Young-ae), in tvN’s drama “Maestra: Strings of Truth”, which concluded on Jan 14th. In the early stages of the drama, he portrayed a model lover with affectionate smiles and consideration, causing heartwarming feelings.
However, as the episodes progressed, such appearances turned out to be hypocritical. Using loneliness as an excuse, he maintained an affair with horn player Lee Ah-jin (played by Lee Si-won). In addition, he created tension by exploiting Cha Se-eum’s weaknesses to protect his honor.
Kim Young-jae, showing the true colors of a veteran actor, shared his thoughts on the end of the drama through his agency UL Entertainment on Jan 14th. He said, “2023 was a year spent with Kim Pil. It was a series of worries during the 8 months of portraying Kim Pil’s life. I was afraid and had thoughts like, ‘How far does Kim Pil want to show the human nature?'”
He continued, “When I realized that Kim Pil could be a person we might see around us, I was able to portray a realistic and multidimensional character. I sincerely apologize to the viewers who were stressed by my acting.”
He concluded with a New Year’s greeting, expressing gratitude for supporting “Maestra: Strings of Truth” until the end.
Lee Yi-kyung
In tvN’s Monday-Tuesday drama “Marry My Husband,” which had its first broadcast on January 1st, Lee Yi-kyung is playing Park Min-hwan, husband of Kang Ji-won (Park Min-young).
In the drama, Park Min-hwan caused viewers’ anger from the beginning by committing an affair with his wife’s best friend and eventually killing his cancer-patient wife.
Even during the time after Kang Ji-won returned to the past, Park Min-hwan showed his trash personality. He is the worst boyfriend ever, pouring out rude talk to his girlfriend and often using violence upon Kang Ji-won’s breakup notice.
In an episode of MBC’s Saturday entertainment show “Hangout With Yoo,” which aired on January 13th, Lee came as a guest and was cursed by citizens while visiting Namdaemun Market. “Bad guy,” “I’m enjoying the drama. You bad guy.”
Son Ho-joon
Actor Son Ho-joon also grabbed viewers’ attention by playing the role of a cheater husband. In TV Chosun’s “My Happy Ending,” which began airing on December 30, Son is playing Heo Soon-young, the husband of Seo Jae-won (Jang Na-ra).
Heo Sun-young seems like a devoted husband and caring father, but in reality, he maintains an affair with his wife’s best friend, painter Kwon Yoon-jin (So Yi-hyun).
With the drama “My Happy Ending,” Jang Na-ra and Son Ho-joon reunited for the first time in six years since the KBS drama “Go Back Couple” in 2017, which has made headlines.
