Actor Ha Jung-woo explained why he is returning to the small screen after 19 years.

tvN new weekend drama ‘How to Become a Landlord in Korea’ (written by Oh Han-gi/ directed by Im Pil-sung/ hereafter ‘Landlord’), which premieres on the 14th, depicts the suspense that unfolds as a debt-ridden, livelihood-type building owner becomes involved in a staged kidnapping to protect his family and building, which are more precious than life. Its star-studded cast of Ha Jung-woo, Im Soo-jung, Kim Jun-han, Jung Soo-jung, and Shim Eun-kyung is drawing attention.

Above all, attention is focused on Ha Jung-woo, who is returning to TV dramas for the first time in 19 years. Having long dominated the big screen as a representative actor of Chungmuro, Ha Jung-woo is coming back to the small screen, and there is keen interest in what kind of character he will bring to viewers. He plays Gi Su-jong, a ‘yeongkkeul (maxed-out borrowing that scrapes together even the soul)’ landlord, and will portray a heartrending struggle to protect his building and family.

Ha Jung-woo chose ‘Landlord’ because of the character’s three-dimensional appeal. He said, “I thought Su-jong is a character that shows human nature. He is an ordinary person who is at times good and at times evil,” and added, “When Su-jong is on the verge of having the building that is his hope in life taken away, he becomes desperate. Among people who are even more vicious, he reveals the many facets of humanity by showing ‘let us survive, endure’,” speaking to the character’s appeal.

There are high expectations for the intense performance Ha Jung-woo will deliver. He said, “The staged kidnapping that Su-jong sets in motion takes unexpected turns, and as he sinks into a quagmire, he gradually grows darker. I focused on portraying that process of darkening and its emotions convincingly,” heightening anticipation for what variations in acting he will show within a single work.

Ha Jung-woo also said that in deciding to appear in ‘Landlord,’ not only the strength of the work but also his trust in the people on set mattered greatly. He said, “The power of the story was, of course, significant, but my trust in director Im Pil-sung was greater. By having many conversations with the director and the actors, I felt even more certain about the drama called ‘Landlord’.”

Finally, Ha Jung-woo picked the viewing hook of “one twist leads to another,” explaining, “The chain of events in which one tail bites the next, and the emotional arcs of the characters that change accordingly, are the key viewing points.” Signaling a story that will not let viewers take their eyes off it for a moment, he drew attention to ‘Landlord,’ which promises extreme immersion with every episode.

Ha Jung-woo’s boldly chosen small-screen comeback after 19 years, ‘How to Become a Landlord in Korea,’ will air its first episode at 9:10 p.m. this Saturday.