Park Sang-young's International Booker Prize longlisted novel “Love in the Big City” (2019) is set to debut as a Tving series, launching less than a month after its film adaptation hit theaters. With the creative touch of four directors, the series promises a fresh take on the story, offering a unique flavor and a new spin on love that sets it apart from the film.

“I believe the narratives surrounding Go Young, his relationships with his lovers and his romantic storyline are much deeper in the sense of tone and manner in the series, as it delves into all four chapters in the original book,” director Son Tae-gyum, one of the four directors of the series, said during a press conference held in Yongsan District, central Seoul, on Wednesday. “I think this could offer a different kind of charm compared to the film adaptation.”


The eight-episode series "Love in the Big City," set for release on Monday, revolves around the romance of writer Go Young while he navigates his life and learns about love through various encounters.

The film adaption was recently released on Oct. 1, featuring actors Kim Go-eun and Noh Sang-hyun and directed by E.oni.

While the film covers only the first chapter of the book, the series spans all four chapters, with its narrative divided into four sections with two episodes each. Each section corresponds to a chapter from the original novel and is directed by a different creator, a rare attempt seen in the Korean content industry.

With actor Nam Yoon-su portraying the main character, Go Young, the first section was directed by Son, the second by director Hur Jin-ho, the third by Hong Ji-yeong and the last two episodes by Kim Se-in.

As the series is helmed by four directors, it offers a diverse take on the story. The directors each had their own different focus on how to portray the character while “freely expressing each of [their] own interpretations and beautiful images of love,” according to Hong.

Director Hur, renowned for his hit romance films “Christmas in August” (1998) and “One Fine Spring Day” (2001), revealed the reason why he decided to participate in the project.

“It [the novel] showed that the characters’ love did not have a single difference,” director Hur said. “So, I kept thinking about how to convey the idea that there's truly no difference."

The author of the original novel also participated as the screenwriter of the series, saying he tried to add more situations to the series compared to the novel.

“In a drama, the relationships and conflict situations become much more important,” Park said. “While a novel can succeed by conveying emotions just through text, the drama places a greater emphasis on the relationships, which led me to add more situations between the characters to make it richer. In terms of adding more situations, I focused on incorporating more scenes that reveal the dynamics between two characters, such as love scenes.”

The series also faced some backlash from some conservative groups, which protested to ban its screening. But writer Park looked at the situation more positively.

“[When hearing the news,] I rather felt a sense of happiness, thinking about how they are promoting our work. I also said to myself that it’s ‘Lucky Vicky,’” Park said, using a term that girl group IVE’s Jang Won-young uses — which means to find the silver lining in any given situation.

“Good works are bound to stir controversy. So now, I live with the thought that perhaps I have created something that is both a problematic piece and a great work.”

In each section, a different male character appears as Go Young's lover, portrayed by actors Kwon Hyuk, Na Hyun-woo, Jin Ho-eun and Kim Won-joong. The actors all agree that despite their characters expressing contrasting personalities from Go Young, it's this contrast that attracts their characters to Go Young in the show.

For Kim Won-joong, who is a well-known model, the series has given him his first acting role. The model-turned-actor says he gave his own twist to his character, Habibi.

“The role I was assigned from the original book was portrayed solely through Go Young's perspective, making it rather tedious, conventional and quite exhausting. But through my acting, I think the character has been reimagined more stylishly, and it has presented a mysterious yet somewhat enigmatic side,” he said.

The cast and director expressed their hope of the series being able to touch the hearts of viewers.

“I hope that the viewers watching it will have the opportunity to reflect on the close people in their lives and take a moment to recognize who they truly are,” actor Kim said.

Director Son also added, “The series [gives a sense of] diversity and newness.”

“I believe the series has the potential to set a new benchmark, and I hope that those who watch it will embrace and love it wholeheartedly.”

BY KIM JI-YE [kim.jiye@joongang.co.kr]