Yoon Byunghee's 'Wonderful New World' Interview

Actor Yoon Byung-hee spoke about his experience playing the role of Chief of Staff Son Jae-han in the SBS Friday-Saturday drama "Wonderful World" during a wrap-up interview. He stated that he has consistently built his filmography for 20 years and has now established himself as an indispensable presence in productions. "Wonderful World" was greatly loved, recording a peak viewership rating of 11.8%, and also ranked first in Netflix's Global Top 10 weekly viewing rankings for non-English language shows.

Yoon Byung-hee shared that he felt joy seeing viewers deeply immersed in the character of Son Jae-han and expressing concern for him. He said, "Many people worried about Director Son. It was fun to see them asking when he would go on vacation or when he could finally drink coffee comfortably." Son Jae-han, as the Chief of Staff closely assisting Cha Se-gye, was a character who, unlike a typical secretary, spoke his mind, adding to the drama's intrigue. Yoon Byung-hee revealed that by contemplating the times he spent as Cha Se-gye, Director Son, and as Heo Nam-joon and Yoon Byung-hee, the natural comfort and trust with Heo Nam-joon seemed to have created their chemistry.

The two actors recalled many moments during filming when they were the only ones laughing while the staff remained serious. Yoon Byung-hee said, "Some days, just making eye contact was funny, and other days, it was funny to think about why such a notorious CEO was having relationship counseling. I think the points that made us laugh were different each time." The chemistry that viewers loved was naturally created through this process, and online reactions even referred to it as "bromance." However, Yoon Byung-hee cautioned against reducing their relationship to just a funny dynamic, emphasizing, "Ultimately, what I pondered the most was, 'Why does Cha Se-gye keep Director Son by his side?'"

Yoon Byung-hee stated that he wanted Cha Se-gye to be seen not just as a notorious CEO, but as a relatable and charming individual. That's why he created the character of Son Jae-han, who speaks his mind despite being an employee. His contemplation of understanding Cha Se-gye led to his consideration of Son Jae-han's role, and he approached it with the keyword "butler." Just as a cat owner who raises a cat well accepts the sensitive nature of their pet, he thought Son Jae-han assisted Cha Se-gye in a similar way. While maintaining professionalism in his work, he strived for balance, knowing that approaching the character solely for comedic effect might alienate viewers.

This year, Yoon Byung-hee had a busy schedule, consecutively appearing in films such as "Method Acting," "Sold Out Today," and "Wonderful World." Even amidst his relentless pace, he made efforts to stay grounded. During the filming of "Wonderful World," he was so exhausted that he wanted to sleep all day, but he quickly told himself, "That's too much of a privileged thought," to snap out of it. He reasoned that if he was exhausted, the staff and the main actors must be even more so.