Joo Ji Hoon: From Climax to The Remarried Empress

Actor Ju Ji-hoon continues his active career this year, following the drama 'Climax' with his next project, 'Remarried Empress'. The ENA Monday-Tuesday drama 'Climax' depicts the survival drama of prosecutor Bang Tae-seop, who dives into a power cartel to reach the top of South Korea, and those around him. This work garnered attention as a new project from Hive Media Corp., which produced 'Inside Men' and '12.12: The Day', and Ju Ji-hoon took on the role of star prosecutor Bang Tae-seop.

'Climax' is attracting viewer interest with its unconventional settings, such as a same-sex kiss scene and entertainment industry sponsors. Ju Ji-hoon commented, "Although the work, initially planned for a 19+ rating, was changed to 15+ in collaboration with the ENA channel, it felt unconventional when I actually saw the scenes." He also expressed surprise about the kiss scene with Ha Ji-won, saying, "By movie standards, it's not a scene with detailed descriptions, but while watching, I felt a 'Huh? Wow' kind of reaction."

Regarding his first collaboration with Ha Ji-won, Ju Ji-hoon praised her, saying, "Ji-won noona is definitely a good senior. When she needs to concentrate, she works while maintaining her own boundaries." He mentioned that he was intrigued by the new side of her shown in this work, unlike her strong image in previous projects. He added that he was particularly impressed by how she subtly blended her personal innocence with the character's maliciousness in scenes requiring the expression of ill will.

Ju Ji-hoon, who has worked with male actors in various past projects, joked that he "becomes more careful and observant" in 'Climax' due to the different gender of his co-star. 'Climax' received positive reviews, along with some disappointed reactions regarding the limited romantic storyline between Ju Ji-hoon and Ha Ji-won. In response, Ju Ji-hoon stated, "As an actor, I chose to participate because I fully understood and accepted my role and its purpose," adding that he would not have appeared if he had concerns about how the character was utilized.

Looking back at his filmography, Ju Ji-hoon expressed satisfaction, saying, "Last year I showed a romantic comedy, and through 'Climax', I presented the complete opposite, didn't I?" Recently, the 100th special episode of the YouTube content 'Pinggyego', featuring Kim Nam-gil and Yoon Kyung-ho, achieved over 10 million views in just 11 days of its release, gaining immense popularity.