AO EXCLUSIVE: Dive deeper into “Perfect Crown”, stellar cast members, and their perfect chemistry on set!

One of the most anticipated Korean dramas of the year has finally arrived on Disney+!

Perfect Crown is set in a reimagined modern-day Korea that operates under a constitutional monarchy. A touching romantic comedy series that depicts the romance between a chaebol heiress named Sung Hee Joo and a prince named Lee Ahn.

Ahead of the premiere of the series, an exclusive press conference was held on April 6. Dashing cast members, IU, Byeon Woo Seok, Noh Sang Hyun, Gong Seung Yeon, Yu Subin, and Lee Yeon were present, along with director Park Joon Hwa, to dive deeper into the drama, their roles, and their chemistry that ignited their on-set performances.

Director’s Area of Focus

According to Director Park Joon Hwa, since this is the 21st century under the constitutional monarchy, he said he tried to focus on imagining the physical space that the royal family might live in, what kind of things they would wear, where they would live, and what kind of food they would eat if they still had the monarchy. He said he tried to focus on how they would bring in the little details of it to make it convincing. The cast members’ wardrobes are based on the characters’ status and their origins. “I wanted to make everything seen as convincing as possible for the viewers,” he pointed out.

The Perfect Cast Members

IU as Sung Hee Joo

Sung Hee Joo is the beautiful and intelligent second daughter of a conglomerate family. Her commoner status, which she thinks is nothing special, hinders her perfect life. She wants a noble status and becomes entangled with Prince Lee Ahn. IU shared that as she was reading the script, she thought that Hee Joo was such a fascinating character and she wanted to join this project as her.

After starring in When Life Gives You Tangerines, which made a huge impression globally, IU was asked if she felt pressured because of it, and she answered, “I honestly don’t have that kind of pressure. I actually feel more at ease because it was so different from my previous one.”

Byeon Woo Seok as Lee Ahn

A Grand Prince who doesn’t have anything despite being the son of the king. He is the second son of the king and hides his true identity. His life changes when he meets Sung Hee Joo. According to Woo Seok, the reason why he chose the show is that when he read the script, he could just envision all the scenes in his head, and he could really resonate with his character Grand Prince Lee Ahn’s backstory.

Following the success of his drama, Lovely Runner, Woo Seok said that he feels no pressure; he just hopes that the fans can continue to show love and interest for the show, and he will repay all of it. Regarding his wardrobe, Woo Seok said that he talked a lot with his styling team on how he should dress, and he wanted to make sure that his style also shows his character.

Noh Sang Hyun as Min Jung Woo

Noh Sang Hyun plays the role of a prime minister named Min Jung Woo. He is a childhood friend of Lee Ahn and a senior to Sung Hee Joo from the Royal Academy. Sang Hyun said what he likes about his character is its being three dimensional, how Jung Woo changes over time throughout the show.

Sang Hyun mentioned that since he was part of MBC’s variety show, where he wears a big robe, he is kind of used to wearing hanboks, so it’s easy for him to wear it in the series.

Gong Seung Yeon as Yoon Yi Rang

Seung Yeon plays the role of Queen Yi Rang, who thinks that the royal family is very important, so she puts herself behind and puts the royal family and the country first. Seung Yeon said that the reason why she accepted the role is that she has trust in the director, the script, and the cast members. “I thought it was very interesting that 21st-century Korea is under a constitutional monarchy. I was very curious how that’s going to unfold, and I wanted to work together with these wonderful people here.“

Seung Yeon mentioned that the writer told her that she wanted her to be the symbol of the palace. She wore different beautiful hanboks that the wardrobe team prepared for her and expressed her gratitude for it.

Yu Subin as Choi Hyun

Yu Subin plays the role of Choi Hyun, Grand Prince Lee Ahn’s aide, who is very loyal to him. Subin said that there’s no reason for him to decline the role because he is with the amazing actors and he has a lot of trust in director Park Joon Hwa. In preparation for his role as royal aide, he interviewed a former aide at the Blue House and told him that he had to think the way the Grand Prince thinks and follow his beliefs.

Lee Yeon as Do Hye Jung

Lee Yeon transforms into Sung Hee Joo’s secretary, named Do Hye Jung. She said it’s her first time in a rom-com, so she really wanted to try it, and that one of the factors why she decided to be in the show was the amazing co-stars. Yeon said that she related her character to her manager.

The Perfect Reunion of IU and Byeon Woo Seok

10 years ago, IU and Byeon Woo Seok starred in the drama, Moon Lovers. They had a short scene together in the drama, and now we are seeing more of their chemistry together in this series as a royal couple this time.

Byeon Woo Seok shared, “I feel like we have a chemistry that stretches over a decade. IU makes me feel at ease instantly. She’s such a great scene partner, and she gave me a lot of advice, so I enjoyed it so much.”

IU jokingly mentioned Woo Seok’s character, who cheated on her 10 years ago, and that this time he will make it up for all the heartache he gave to her character inMoon Lovers. “After 10 years, we get to work as main characters again. Honestly, over the past decade, it’s not like we have been in touch since sharing the screen in ‘Moon Lovers,’ but it almost felt like we have been friends all along that time, that what makes me feel like I wanted to do another project with him after another 10 years from now.”

The Perfect Character Dynamics

Sang Hyun said that each of the characters has a lot of charm, so he felt that each of them has a different type of chemistry.“So, I really enjoyed having that kind of character dynamics with everybody.” On the other hand, Seung Yeon mentioned that her chemistry with each character is also different, as well as showing emotional restraint with her role in the series.

In addition, Subin also shared what his chemistry was like with Byeon Woo Seok, “He’s such a great guy to be around with. I almost grew affectionate of him in real life, I got really attached to him, and I think that brought a natural chemistry between the two of us, so I really enjoyed working with him.” Woo Seok felt the same way as well.

With regards to Yeon’s chemistry with IU as her secretary in the series, she said that she is a huge fan of IU and went into her character with that love in mind, so she had no trouble getting into character. “She was incredible, just as I expected. I learned so much from her and enjoyed every second we spent together.”

IU also shared that she is a fan of Lee Yeon and narrated, “Before we met in this project, I met her once at the award ceremony, and I told her that I’m such a fan of hers and wish to work on something together. She was the one leading me. She is well prepared, and she is full of incredible ideas.“

Furthermore, Perfect Crown‘s compelling narrative has drawn comparisons to the iconic 2006 drama, Princess Hours. Director Park Joon Hwa stated, “Each episode, your heart will flutter for all different reasons, and I dare say that this is a series that is worthy of being compared to the wonderful series, ‘Princess Hours’.”

Let us all give Perfect Crown all the love and support because the team poured their hearts and souls into it. It is now streaming on Disney+!

All photos are courtesy of MBC