[Edaily Starin KIM HYUNSIK Reporter] "I will act with the determination to ensure my previous works don’t come to mind."

Actress Jang Seo-hee made this statement during the online production press conference for KBS 2TV’s new daily drama *The Trap of Desire*, held on the morning of the 10th.
“The Trap of Desire” is a revenge drama depicting the story of Go Eun-seol, a woman whose life was stolen after being falsely accused of murder. Expectations are high as Jang Seo-hee, who has earned titles such as “Queen of Daily Dramas” and “Queen of Revenge Dramas” by starring in numerous popular dramas including “The Mermaid” and “My Wife’s Temptation,” takes on the lead role. This marks Jang Seo-hee’s first appearance in a KBS drama in 12 years, since *The Cuckoo’s Nest* in 2014.
Jang Seo-hee has primarily played roles in which her characters, having been wronged, find catharsis through retaliation and retribution. In this drama, she is set to showcase a different side of herself as Joo Mi-ran, the target of revenge who relentlessly schemes to fulfill her ambitions and manipulates those around her like pieces on a chessboard.
Joo Mi-ran is a character who, having nurtured her ambition to take over “Cheongma Group,” has risen to the position of Director of Public Relations at the “Cheongma Scholarship Foundation.” She is a cold-blooded and meticulous character who will even completely uproot others’ lives to get what she wants.
Jang Seo-hee said, “I’ve mostly played the role of a victim seeking revenge. I’d been thinking that I wanted to try playing a villainous character with a dual nature who gaslights people at least once, and that’s when I came across this project.” She added, “I felt this would allow me to transform as an actress, and since the script was interesting, I decided to take the role.” She then laughed and added, “As I’ve gotten older, my edge has faded a bit. To pull off this role well, I’ve been recharging that edge lately.”
Jang Seo-hee hinted, “Since it’s a 100-episode drama, putting too much effort in from the start could be overwhelming. In the early episodes, I’ll mainly show her gaslighting those around her without revealing her true colors.” She added, “It’ll also be interesting to watch how Joo Mi-ran’s personality changes depending on who she’s dealing with.”

Jeon Hye-won plays the role of Go Eun-seol. In the drama, Go Eun-seol is a character who spent her entire twenties in prison after being wrongfully accused of murder. After being released following 10 years of hardship, she joins the design team at “Cheongma Group” as a new employee to seek revenge.
Jeon Hye-won, who is taking on her first leading role in a drama since her debut, said, “I’m approaching the filming with the mindset that I need to give it my all. In particular, I’m focusing on delivering an intense gaze.” She added, “I’ll do my best to deliver a great performance by drawing inspiration from senior actress Jang Seo-hee, the ‘Queen of Revenge Dramas.’”
“The Trap of Desire” is the follow-up to “Red Pearl,” which concluded with a peak viewership rating of 8.2% (based on Nielsen Korea’s national standards) and a final episode rating of 7.4%. Planned as a 100-episode series, it will air every weekday at 7:50 p.m. starting today. The series is directed by Lee Dae-kyung, who co-directed *Youth in May*, and written by Koo Ji-won, the screenwriter behind *Summer, Please* and *Go for It, My Life*. The cast includes Jang Seo-hee and Jeon Hye-won, as well as Joo Sae-byeok, Seo Jeong-hwan, Yoon Hae-young, and Yoo Tae-woong.
Jang Seo-hee encouraged viewers with a laugh, saying, “The fact that I get a lot of criticism just means there are a lot of viewers watching the drama, doesn’t it? I’m prepared to take some harsh criticism head-on in the second half of this year.”