[Edaily Starin Choi Hee-jae Reporter] "I’ve reflected on my sense of responsibility, and I will strive to become an actor who works even harder in the future."

Actor Jung Joon-won shared behind-the-scenes stories about the drama and addressed past controversies during a wrap-up interview for the MBC Friday-Saturday drama *Married Woman Killer*, held at a café in Gangnam-gu, Seoul, on the morning of the 14th.
“Married Woman Killer,” which concluded on the 13th, is a drama depicting the struggles of a working mother with the world’s most dangerous job as she fights to maintain a work-life balance.
According to Nielsen Korea, the ratings research firm, “Married Woman Killer” set a new series high with a 10.7% viewership rating based on nationwide households for its final episode. Jeong Jun-won said, “I’m so grateful,” adding, “I feel a deep sense of gratitude because it seems to have wrapped up well.”

Although the drama was widely loved, there were also controversies—including allegations of poor attitude—throughout its run. On the 1st of last month, Jung Joon-won appeared alongside Gong Hyo-jin on the MBC variety show *What Do You Do?*, where he appeared extremely nervous in the unfamiliar variety show environment. The “What Do You Do When You’re Bored?” team guided the broadcast by asking Jung Jun-won to act out various situations, but he struggled to keep up with the flow and was even seen closing his eyes at times. After the broadcast, criticism arose that Jung Jun-won’s attitude was lackluster, prompting Gong Hyo-jin and Haha—who appeared on the show with him—to address the “attitude controversy.”
Regarding the attitude controversy, Jung Joon-won began by explaining that he was extremely nervous about the impromptu nature of the variety show. “It’s a show I enjoy watching regularly, and as a fan of the senior cast members I admire so much, it’s true that I was very nervous,” he said. “I think I froze up because I was so focused on doing well. My mind went blank, and I felt like I couldn’t do anything.”
He continued, “I’m sorry and disappointed that there were parts viewers found uncomfortable,” adding, “If given the chance, I’d like to make it up to them. If I were to go back with my current perspective, I’d try to stay as calm as possible and do my absolute best.”

Earlier, Gong Hyo-jin revealed in an interview that Jeong Jun-won had been so nervous after filming the variety show that he actually threw up. Jeong Jun-won said, “I was so incredibly nervous that I can’t even remember that day. I mentioned before that my stomach was churning.”
He continued, “Senior Yoo Jae-suk and Senior Gong Hyo-jin told me it would be fine and that it would turn out funny, so I shouldn’t worry. Now that I have this experience, I need to work hard to make sure I don’t repeat the same mistake.”
In the original webtoon, Tae-sung is a “unicorn” character who is perfect in both appearance and personality. After the casting was confirmed, some fans of the original work expressed disappointment regarding the lack of a perfect match.
In response, Jung Jun-won explained, “It’s common for settings to change when a webtoon is adapted into a drama, but when I first read the script, that particular setting didn’t exist at all.” He continued, “When I read the drama script, the portrayal of an unrealistically affectionate husband and father was actually very strong, so I focused on how to bring that to life effectively.”
He continued, “Even when discussing it with the director, I thought the charms that needed to come across as realistic were more important, so I didn’t pay much attention to the level of fidelity to the original.”
Did he feel wronged by the harsh criticism of his appearance? “Not at all—I think it’s perfectly understandable that people would feel that way,” he said with a smile. He continued, “Since viewers’ tastes and standards vary, I’m doing my best to take care of myself on an ongoing basis.”
He continued, “I’d be really upset if I got criticized for my acting, but I know full well that I’m not that kind of actor to begin with.” He added, “That doesn’t mean I’d say, ‘I’m happy even if people call me ugly,’ but in any case, that’s not my priority. Still, I’m not completely indifferent to my appearance. I’m putting in a lot of effort.”

Jung Joon-won played the role of Kwon Tae-sung, the husband of Yoo Bo-na (played by Gong Hyo-jin) and a passionate investigative reporter. While acting as a steadfast supporter for his wife, who was returning to work after a three-year hiatus, he struggled with the conflict between his sense of mission as a journalist and his responsibilities as the head of the household while tracking down the mysterious “Kingfisher.”
Speaking about Gong Hyo-jin, he said, “She was a senior I really admired,” adding that he learned a great deal from her. Jeong Jun-won remarked, “There was a moment when I realized, ‘No wonder she’s called the “Queen of Romantic Comedies.”’” He continued, “It was a scene where I proposed to her—the only brief sequence that felt like a typical romance scene. I was amazed to see her gaze change so dramatically.”
Regarding his character, Jeong Jun-won explained, “My main goal in portraying Tae-sung was to show his love for his family,” adding, “I didn’t think his profession was that important, so I tried to stay true to his emotions.”
Jung Jun-won said he learned a sense of responsibility through this project. What does his “future” hold? Jung Jun-won said, “It still doesn’t really feel real that I’m an actor. There are many moments when it feels awkward to see myself on screen. I think I assumed the public would see things exactly the way I do.” He added, “I’m determined to move past my self-doubt and work hard with confidence.”