Actress Go Yoon Jung recently addressed the controversy over her full makeup appearance in Resident Playbook, the latest spin-off of the beloved Hospital Playlist series. Go Youn-jung plays Oh Yi-young, a first-year OB-GYN resident, and some viewers felt that her polished look disrupted the drama’s realism.
In a recent interview, Go Youn-jung candidly explained, “After filming, color correction is done in post-production. I didn’t have much lip color on set, but on screen, it looked heavy. It was part of trying to balance things.”
Resident Playbook follows young residents navigating the trials and growth of medical life. Go Youn-jung‘s character Oh Yi-young was introduced with a fully made-up look, drawing mixed reactions online. Some argued the styling clashed with the character’s concept of a novice doctor, affecting immersion.
Go Youn-jung elaborated, “On her first day, I-young wasn’t emotionally committed to the hospital. She was ready to quit if things didn’t go well, so she dressed up. Even my sister asked, ‘You’re going like that?’ As scenes continued, the makeup carried over into OR scenes. I agree it may have felt jarring in surgery scenes.”
She added that she had tried to reflect exhaustion through makeup, “I used mousse for greasy hair and applied dark circle makeup. In hindsight, it may not have translated well. Since I was a lead, the staff also wanted me to look good, using reflectors and such. I’ll be a wiser actor moving forward.”
Discussing the challenge of portraying a first-year resident, she shared, “They wanted her to seem clumsy, not too skilled or natural, so it wasn’t difficult to act.”
Go Youn-jung also revealed she related to Yi-young’s early-career struggles, “She’s extreme, but I started out like her. I had no motivation to impress others—just wanted to do my job well. I thought I didn’t care about people, but I grew attached. I saw myself in the mix of I-young and Professor Um Jae-il.”
Her social growth mirrored Yi-young’s, “I learned that the better you get along with people, the more comfortable set life becomes. I found my own way to manage workplace dynamics.”
Go Youn-jung also reflected on reuniting with actress Lee Bong-ryun from Sweet Home, “We didn’t film together back then just exchanged greetings. I was glad to hear she’d play Professor Seo Jung-min. I’m not great at being friendly with seniors. I worried I might be annoying or a burden, so I barely spoke. But I cried during our last scene together.”
She added, “Yi-young might become like Professor Seo someday. She’s my favorite professor. Seo isn’t focused on regrets or social relationships she’s all about her work. If Yi-young develops that kind of passion, she could become a professor like Seo.”
When asked about Kim Hye-in’s character, Myung Eun-won, who causes trouble for Yi-young, Go Youn-jung said, “I’ve been lucky with good people. I couldn’t work with someone like that.”
Wrapping up, Go Youn-jung said she’s recently become passionate about work, “I usually lack motivation, but when I’m into something, I go all in. These days, I’m really focused on acting.”
With Resident Playbook, Go Youn-jung didn’t just take on the role of a young doctor finding her footing; she also opened a conversation about authenticity, artistic choices, and growth on and off screen.
