At the production presentation for the ENA drama ‘Climax’ held at The Saint in Guro-gu, Seoul, on the 10th, the actors strike a pose. From left: Ju Ji-hoon, Ha Ji-won, Oh Jung-se, Nana. Yonhap News

The cast and crew driven by the desire to surpass ‘Extraordinary Attorney Woo’ are coming.

The production presentation for ENA’s new Monday-Tuesday drama ‘Climax’ was held on the 10th at The Saint at D-Cube City in Guro-gu, Seoul. In attendance were Ju Ji-hoon, Ha Ji-won, Nana, Oh Jung-se, and director Lee Ji-won.

Premiering at 10 p.m. on the 16th, ‘Climax’ depicts stories unfolding at the apex of power where the worlds of politics, business, and entertainment interlock. Director Lee Ji-won of the film ‘Miss Baek’ takes on both direction and screenplay, raising expectations for a well-crafted genre piece.

Director Lee Ji-won delivers opening remarks at the production presentation for the ENA drama ‘Climax’ held at The Saint in Guro-gu, Seoul, on the 10th. Yonhap News

The director said, “Working on a drama requires shooting a large amount in a short time, which felt different from film. I settled on the title and began writing the script, but being weighed down by the title and trying to write scripts where a climax surges every episode was taxing. As I wrote a script volume eight times that of a film, I experienced burnout for the first time in my life.”

He continued, “So I tried to deliver the highest quality together with staff whose rhythm matched mine,” adding, “I aimed to render the connection across beginning, development, twist, and conclusion, and the directing itself, with film-like precision. Every episode sticks the landing on its ending.”

A solid cast with proven acting chops is another key draw. Ju Ji-hoon plays prosecutor Bang Tae-seob, a man with ambition, while Ha Ji-won plays actress Chu Sang-ah, a top star seeking a comeback; together as a married couple on screen, they are poised to portray with density a fatal relationship set before power and love, desire and conviction.

Actor Ju Ji-hoon poses at the production presentation for the ENA drama ‘Climax’ held at The Saint in Guro-gu, Seoul, on the 10th. Yonhap News

On the casting, the director opened with a laugh: “I asked myself who among the actors today has the face that most embodies desire.”

He went on, “Ju Ji-hoon said he did not choose to be born that way, but I think he has a face that projects desire, so he was the first to come to mind. There is even the term ‘Doberman’ in the script, and is he not also called ‘Joo Black’? He was a perfect fit.”

About Ha Ji-won, he said, “Working together on ‘Bikwang’ before was wonderful, and we met often even after it ended. Among the things we shared, the line ‘As an actor, I want to go to the ends of the universe’ left a deep impression. I wrote Chu Sang-ah by putting that side of her into the character.”

Actor Ha Ji-won poses at the production presentation for the ENA drama ‘Climax’ held at The Saint in Guro-gu, Seoul, on the 10th. Yonhap News

Ju Ji-hoon said, “The script was simple. I do not know politics or prosecutors well, but it was easy to understand in context and hit me hard. The way it boldly expresses the desire everyone has but will not say out loud felt like scratching where it itches,” explaining why he chose the project.

Ha Ji-won likewise said, “I was drawn to a character I had never played. For a long time I have wrestled with questions about relationships, about myself as a person, and about myself as an actor. I am still in that process; looking at Chu Sang-ah, I felt many emotions as an actor and performed with the mindset of a newcomer. As a character, the emotional acting was demanding, but as an actor, the set was great fun.”

Regarding their chemistry as a married couple, Ju Ji-hoon said, “There are fresh rom-com vibes, but there is also realistic married-couple chemistry. While acting and weighing various emotions, I received a lot of help from Ha Ji-won. There were many rough situations, but because she is a veteran, she took it in stride and we shot well,” while Ha Ji-won added, “It was my first intense melodrama, and I think it worked even better because it was with Ju Ji-hoon. He is cool and candid, so it was terrific when we synced up.”

Actors Ju Ji-hoon and Ha Ji-won pose at the production presentation for the ENA drama ‘Climax’ held at The Saint in Guro-gu, Seoul, on the 10th. Yonhap News

Asked at the end about the ratings goal, the director expressed confidence: “Working with actors like this, I have no doubt the highest figure in ENA history will come.”

When MC Park Kyung-lim asked, “Is ‘Extraordinary Attorney Woo’ the competition?”, the director reacted with surprise and a laugh: “Ah, do we have ‘Extraordinary Attorney Woo’? What percentage was it?” ‘Extraordinary Attorney Woo’ recorded a peak rating of 17.5%, holding ENA’s top drama ratings mark for four years.

Even so, the director soon added, “Why could we not reach it? This is a work made with sincerity and passion together with the staff and actors. It is no exaggeration to say I poured everything I have into it. I am sure it will be entertaining,” drawing cheers from the cast.