Lee Je Hoon returns with a new Korean drama titled Chief Detective 1958. Fans have eagerly awaited this drama since its production news surfaced. The reason? It serves as a prequel to the iconic MBC Korean drama, Chief Inspector, which aired for 18 years, from 1971 to 1989, totaling 880 episodes.
The prequel delves into the youth of the four detectives from the original series. During a press conference on Thursday (18/4/2024), Lee Je Hoon, portraying detective Park Yeong Han, confessed to feeling significant anxiety when reprising this legendary character. Let’s hear Lee Je Hoon’s account of the pressure, expectations, and his role in Chief Detective 1958 below.
1. Lee Je Hoon’s Curiosity About the Prequel
footage of Lee Je Hoon in the drama Chief Detective 1958 (instagram.com/mbcdrama_now)Not only from an actor’s standpoint, but Lee Je Hoon was initially curious about the prequel’s story from the audience’s perspective. As a viewer, he wanted insights into what Park Yeong Han’s youth was like before he became the seasoned detective depicted in the original drama.
Lee Je Hoon stated, “When offered this project, instead of thinking, ‘I must embody detective Park Yeong Han,’ my curiosity as a viewer to see the prequel was stronger. I engaged extensively with the production team because I wondered, ‘How did Park Yeong Han meet the detectives around him, considering he wasn’t yet a seasoned detective?'”
2. Concerns about Overlapping Roles
footage of Lee Je Hoon in the drama Chief Detective 1958 (instagram.com/mbcdrama_now)Naturally, Lee Je Hoon harbored concerns about playing a character already familiar to many. Additionally, as a 1984-born actor, he worried about breaking away from the image associated with similar genre dramas he previously starred in, like Signal (2016) and Taxi Driver (2021 and 2023).
Lee Je Hoon expressed, “At the onset of filming, I became quite apprehensive. I pondered, ‘Can I effectively portray senior Choi Bul Am’s role?’ and, ‘Can I handle a character and investigative genre akin to Signal and Taxi Driver without seeming repetitive?'”
3. Nervousness During Script Readings
portrait of Lee Je Hoon and Choi Bul Am at the drama script reading session for Chief Detective 1958 (instagram.com/mbcdrama_now)Lee Je Hoon deeply respects senior actor Choi Bul Am, who portrayed detective Park Yeong Han for 18 years in Chief Inspector. Meeting his senior at the script reading session was a nerve-wracking experience for him.
He shared, “Encountering senior Choi Bul Am for the first time during the script reading left me unusually anxious. Typically composed, I found myself jittery while portraying young Park Yeong Han in front of him. I was so nervous; I couldn’t recall if I read the script correctly.”
4. Differentiating His Portrayal
footage of Lee Je Hoon in the drama Chief Detective 1958 (instagram.com/mbcdrama_now)Chief Detective 1958 unfolds a decade before Chief Inspector. In his youth, Park Yeong Han hadn’t yet attained the greatness depicted by Choi Bul Am in the original series. Lee Je Hoon aims to showcase Park Yeong Han’s journey towards becoming the celebrated detective.
“Park Yeong Han is an experienced, skilled, and exceptional detective, but his greatness wasn’t instantaneous. I wished to depict his growth process. Despite initial clumsiness and worries, he possessed unwavering determination and passion to apprehend criminals,” explained the actor.
5. Familiarity with Chief Inspector
footage of Lee Je Hoon in the drama Chief Detective 1958 (instagram.com/mbcdrama_now)Given Lee Je Hoon’s birth year, he never watched Chief Inspector live on television. However, he often heard tales about this legendary Korean drama.
“Whenever senior Choi Bul Am appeared, everyone referred to him as Chairman Park. I heard Chief Inspector likened to South Korea’s Columbo. Unintentionally, I grew accustomed to its distinct music. The opening title sequence always struck me as cool,” remarked Lee Je Hoon.
6. Target Audience Rating
footage of Lee Je Hoon, Lee Dong Hwi, Choi Woo Sung, and Yoon Hyun Soo in the drama Chief Detective 1958 (instagram.com/mbcdrama_now)MBC has consistently achieved success with Friday-Saturday dramas. Lee Je Hoon aspires for Chief Detective 1958 to continue this trend.
He stated, “MBC is dubbed the Drama Kingdom. We aim for Chief Detective 1958 to attain the highest audience rating among MBC’s 2024 works, targeting 19.58 percent.”
Let’s hope Lee Je Hoon and the team achieve their goal! Chief Detective 1958 premiered on April 19, 2024, replacing Wonderful World in the time slot. You can catch it on Disney+ Hotstar.
