[Edaily Starin Choi Hee-jae Reporter] “If Director Lee Jun-ik asks me to do it, I’ll have to, right? Haha.”

Actor Jeong Jin-young shared his special connection with Director Lee Jun-ik during a pre-release interview for the short-form drama *Father’s Home-Cooked Meals*, held on the 4th at Kidari Studio in Seongdong-gu, Seoul.
“Father’s Home-Cooked Meals” tells the story of Ha Eung (played by Jung Jin-young), a father who has relied solely on home-cooked meals for three meals a day for 40 years, as he steps into the kitchen for the first time in his life to take over for his wife, Soon-ae (played by Lee Jung-eun), who suffers from “cooking amnesia.” “Father’s Home-Cooked Meals” marks the first short-form drama by Director Lee Jun-ik, whose films—“The King and the Clown,” “Sado,” “Dongju,” and “Byeonsan”—have each drawn over 10 million viewers.
This was the first foray into the short-form genre not only for Director Lee Jun-ik but also for Jung Jin-young. Jung Jin-young said, “I’d heard there was such a thing as the short-form genre, but I didn’t expect to be doing it so soon.” He added, “The director asked me to do it, and when I read the script, I thought, ‘This is such a great story. I definitely have to do this.’ I think it’s the kind of project and role that’s hard to come by even as an actor.”
Did he have any reservations about taking on the unfamiliar short-form genre? Referring to his long-standing relationship with the director, Jeong Jin-young smiled and said, “The director and I have known each other for 26 years, since 2000. We first met when he was the producer of the film *Let’s Play with Dalma*.” He then joked, “He’s a powerful director—it wouldn’t be strange to call him a ‘master’ or a ‘legend.’ If he asks me to do it, I have to do it.”
He was able to take on this project while filming the drama *Four Hands* after securing the production team’s approval to work on both simultaneously. Jeong Jin-young shared, “The director told me he had me in mind while working on the script. He said, ‘This is a role for Jeong Jin-young,’” adding, “It’s a role I was happy to take on.”

He also expressed boundless trust in Director Lee Jun-ik. Director Lee remarked, “The more time passes, the more I think he’s a genius. He has incredible focus and is quick on his feet,” adding, “I guess you could say he has a massive CPU.”
He continued, “He has a style of constantly creating something new. Just when I think I know everything about him, I discover something new while working together. I’m curious to see what challenges he’ll take on next.”
What does Jung Jin-young think is the appeal of *Father’s Home-Cooked Meals*? He replied, “Usually, short-form dramas are love stories for young people, dramatic tales, or stories designed to grab viewers’ attention quickly. But this is a family drama with a very different pace from existing works—it’s a story rich in emotion.”

Jung Jin-young took on the role of Ha Eung and delivered a compelling performance. “I thought I had to live while remembering the passion I shared with my wife for the first time, and that I shouldn’t end up shedding tears too late, like Ha Eung did,” Jung Jin-young said. “Older viewers watched it and just burst into tears.”
When asked what he focused on most, he explained, “Since it’s a short-form series, I thought I’d have to approach the acting differently, but I didn’t specifically consider the genre’s characteristics.” He added, “There’s a main narrative arc driving the story, I had to incorporate comedic elements, and I needed to create a shift that builds to an emotional climax and brings viewers to tears by the end, so I prepared emotional scenarios that would allow me to maintain that emotional range.”
He shared, “What makes the character Ha-eung interesting is that his inner self is laid bare—through the narration and the way he looks at Soon-ae. That gaze seems to carry a lot of weight, and I think viewers pick up on it right away.”
This marks the second time he has played a married couple with Lee Jung-eun since Director Lee Jun-ik’s *Yonder*. Jeong Jin-young said, “Lee Jung-eun and I have developed a relationship built on mutual trust and affection. I didn’t have to worry at all about our chemistry when acting as a married couple.”
He added, “Isn’t their relationship in the film quite peculiar? He started out as a husband who slightly dominated his wife, but ended up being dominated by her. I think it’s interesting how this dynamic of domination is expressed through cooking.”
He continued, “The value of home-cooked meals shouldn’t be viewed as a political power dynamic, but that’s how it played out in this film,” adding, “There’s a comedic undertone beneath this absurd dynamic. It was fun and comfortable to work on.”

Jeong Jin-young emphasized that while it’s important to adapt flexibly to changes in media and format, a “good story” must ultimately be at the core. He said, “I’ve done movies, dramas, OTT series, and even short-form content. As times change, I don’t know what genres or formats will emerge. If genre shifts call for my involvement and I agree, I’ll likely take them on.”
He explained, “I think a genre is a kind of window. If a large window is a movie and medium-sized windows are TV dramas or series, then short-form dramas are small windows,” adding, “Aren’t they devices for viewing the scenery outside? What’s important is the scenery—a good story. The shape may vary depending on the size of the window, but it can still capture the scene well. I believe each has its own value.”
Although “Father’s Home-Cooked Meals” is a short-form drama, it will premiere in select theaters on the 9th. Jeong Jin-young said, “I didn’t even think about showing it on the big screen at a theater when I started working on it,” and laughed, adding, “It’s a family story, and while it’s a story that can resonate with people my age, I think it might be difficult for them to access short-form platforms. It’s difficult for me, too.” He continued, “I’m hopeful that (through the theatrical release) we’ve secured a space where people can experience this story. I think it increases the points of contact with the audience.”
Jeong Jin-young expressed his affection for the film, saying, “I think I can say without hesitation that ‘Father’s Home-Cooked Meals’ is my signature work.” He explained, “Actors often feel very uncomfortable watching their own performances. They might spot flaws in their acting, or it might feel like looking into a strange mirror and asking, ‘Is that really me?’ so they tend to avoid watching it. It’s not that I dislike it—it’s just uncomfortable.”
He continued, “I didn’t feel uncomfortable while working on this production,” adding, “I think it’s because it doesn’t feel like a distorted version of myself. Perhaps there’s a transparent emotional connection as a character. It’s also a production I’m not ashamed of.”
Finally, Jeong Jin-young urged viewers to take an interest, saying, “In a way, I believe it’s up to the audience to seek out and discover a work. With limited theater screenings, it might not be easy for viewers to find it, but I’d be incredibly grateful if you took the initiative to discover it and watch this film.”
“Father’s Home-Cooked Meals” will be released on the short-form drama platform Regin Snack following its premiere on the 9th.