tvN ‘How to Become a Building Owner in Korea’
Actor Shim Eun-kyung, in tvN’s new SaturdaySunday drama ‘How to Become a Building Owner in Korea,’ plunged living rooms into a chilling dread in just two episodes, successfully marking her return to television after six years.
In last week’s premiere of tvN’s ‘How to Become a Building Owner in Korea’ (written by Oh Han-ki/directed by Im Pil-sung/planned by Studio Dragon/produced by Mindmark, Studio329), Shim Eun-kyung transformed into her first-ever villain, ‘Yona,’ and drew viewers’ acclaim with an overwhelming performance that completely shattered the conventional villain mold. Her signature clear, luminous face contrasted with a cold gaze and a restrained, calm voicemore terrifying than any sensational baddiewere more than enough to herald the birth of an ‘all-time villain.’
# The ‘cuffs & makeup’ she proposed herself... the secret behind building a Shim Eun-kyung-style villain
In particular, episode 1 spotlighted the meticulous details of Yona’s character that came from Shim Eun-kyung’s own ideas. A prime example is Yona’s right shirt cuff, caught in a scene where she pressures Gi Su-jong (played by Ha Jung-woo) over the phone to give up his building. The propa grotesque, bloodshot eyeball ornamentwas a reference taken from the film ‘A Clockwork Orange’ and was a device she personally suggested.
Regarding this, Shim said, “I wanted to visually reveal Yona’s duality, where something chilling coexists with childlike traits.” In addition, the makeup that added a red hue around the eyes to emphasize a ravaged mood further enhanced the character’s completeness. Shim Eun-kyung’s thorough preparation, missing not even the smallest detail, completed Yona’s singular aura of being ‘more frightening precisely because she seems harmless.’
# “Sign and it’s 1.4 billion”→“Let’s pretend that never happened”… an ‘overwhelming performance’ that toyed with viewers
Her acting scenes in the drama have also become a hot topic. In a call with Gi Su-jong, she wears a bright smile completely at odds with the content and, in a low murmur, asks back, “What are you curious about, then?”a moment that exudes a grotesqueness sending chills down viewers’ spines. Even in an actual face-off, she drives the other party’s anxiety to the limit with an indifferent expression devoid of any emotional fluctuation, steering the tension of the narrative.
In particular, her unpredictable move of making the shocking offer, “Sign and it’s 1.4 billion,” then immediately flipping her words to “Let’s pretend that never happened” the moment she registers the other’s disbelief, left even the audience feeling a cold dread.
In episode 2, the grand big picture of ‘Real Capital,’ the company Yona belongs to, revealed its true form, doubling the dramatic tension. Beginning with the Jeong Chang-su Building, then the Seyun Building, the Hanmaeum Building, and even the land of Jeon Yang-ja (Kim Geum-soon), Yona’s relentless moves to swallow them one by one kicked into full gear.
Moreover, when cracks first formed in the perfect world Yona had constructedas she faced reprimand over a killing from her boss Morgan (Miyavi) and fierce pressure from headquartersthe ambition hidden behind her icy poker face flickered even more fiercely. In particular, the offhand line she tossed to a subordinate asking for a briefing, “Wait and see, they said to go easy,” laid bare her chilling fixation on the Seyun Building and Jeon Yang-ja’s plot that had thrown her plans off course. Under mounting pressure, Yona’s desire, honed to an even sharper edge, is pushing viewers’ tension to the breaking point as they wonder what disruptive moves and upheaval she will unleash next.
# ‘Pure evil’ laid bare under headquarters’ pressure… anticipation for what follows peaks
Even under headquarters’ razor-edged surveillancewith the demanding condition of ‘completing the redevelopment project within legal bounds going forward’ and the looming risk of becoming subject to disposal in the event of failureYona’s coolheadedness did not waver.
As Shim Eun-kyung explains, “Yona is a mysterious figure whose true intentions are hard to read and whose next move is impossible to predict,” Yona is infusing taut tension throughout the entire series, amplifying curiosity about what is to come.
In just two episodes, she has birthed an irreplaceable villain ‘unimaginable without Shim Eun-kyung.’ All eyes are on how much more destructive a turn she will take going forward.
Meanwhile, tvN’s ‘How to Become a Building Owner in Korea,’ which depicts a debt-ridden, small-time building owner’s desperate struggle to protect his family and building, airs every Saturday and Sunday at 9:20 p.m.
