The stars of Korean sitcom So Not Worth It come from all over the world
The directors of sitcom So Not Worth It, Kwon Ik Joon and Kim Jung Sik, are concerned about the youth in South Korea and their lack of prospects, as they talked about their series in an online Netflix interview last week.
So Not Worth It is currently streaming on Netflix; read our review here.
The sitcom's directors and cast discussed what viewers can expect from the show and their thoughts on the characters that they played.
"The title is actually bleak compared to what the sitcom is really about, as it is really positive," says director Kwon Ik Joon. "The youth shouldn’t worry about tomorrow, just enjoy today. We hear a lot about the troubles that young people go through today, and they are insecure and worried about their futures."
So Not Worth It is a refreshing slapstick sitcom that features a rich cast of diverse characters from all over the world. It is set in a foreign students' dormitory in Seoul and shows how these students interact hilariously with each other, and is also about how foreign students negotiate the complexity of Korean culture (despite all of them being able to speak fluent Korean).
Read more:
Each of the cast members had a chance to explain their character during the interview. Park Se Wan is the lead actress as the Resident Assistant of the foreign students' dorm. She takes every opportunity to abuse her power and extorts money from students who break the rules in the dorm.
Park also received the Best New Actress Award from the KBS Winner of Excellence Award from MBC for a weekend drama TV series.
Jamie (Shin Hyun Seung) is the puppy-eyed, American-born-Korean with smoking hot good looks who harbours a deep secret. He's also very popular with the girls and yet is naïve and innocent, not fully understanding many things about the real world. Shin garnered great popularity from starring in Be My Boyfriend, which aired earlier this year.
"Jamie is a freshman, he's very shy and not used to being around girls, but he ends up falling in love with Se Wan. He's also hiding a really big secret!" says Shin. "He travelled from the States where he lived for most his life to Korea, so he’s not aware of the culture, and he's also lived quite a cushy life."
Other members of the cast who also presented on their characters were Choi Young Jae from idol group GoT7, who played Korean Australian Sam, who is a pathological liar and a rascal. "This character is not all about bluffing and he has a pure heart, he's not used to expressing himself so he lies, and I hope you find him adorable," says Choi.
Thai actress Minnie, who was unable to join the interview, talked about her character through a recorded video, and said that Minnie was a huge fan of K-dramas and aspires to be a fashionista.
Han Hyun Min, who is of Korean and Nigerian descent, talked about his character in fluent Korean. "Hyun Min is a pure soul trying to live life to the fullest. He tries to leech off Park Se Wan but ironically ends up giving her money," says Hyun Min. "I really apologize to my fellow actors because I laughed so much being absorbed in watching their performances!"
Actors Yoa Kim and Terris Brown also spoke briefly about their characters. Yoa Kim plays Hans, a Swedish exchange student who's a stickler for rules and a snob. Terris plays a Trinibagonian exchange student who's a Casanova and a smart aleck who gets on his friends' nerves.
American actress Carson Allen played herself as an American exchange student. The actress has had a lot of experience acting in K-dramas like The K2 (2016), Voice 3 (2019) and When The Camellia Blooms (2019).
"It's been 15 to 16 years since the last Korean sitcom series, and thankfully Netflix gave me the opportunity to direct one. Covid-19 has made everyone's spirits down and we need a bright sitcom with comfortable content that could give everyone a good laugh," says director Kim Jung Sik.