[Interview] ‘Im Sung-han’s Pick’ Jung Yi-chan: “From Aspiring Director to Actor… I Still Dream of Directing!”

Actor Jung Yi-chan (26) has shot to stardom just three years after his debut, thanks to his title role in the recently concluded ‘Doctor Shin’. He played the genius neurosurgeon Shin Ju-shin, tackling the wild “brain change” plot. By perfectly delivering writer Im Sung-han’s famously unique dialogue and tone, he left a powerful impression on viewers.

Until early this year, he worked under his birth name, Min Sun-hong. However, he rebranded himself as Jung Yi-chan before starting ‘Doctor Shin’ to create a fresh start. His landing of the lead role after a massive audition was the result of constant self-reflection and hard work.

In a recent meeting with JTBC Enter News, Jung Yi-chan shared, “‘Doctor Shin’ was a ‘desperate’ opportunity for me, just like the lines in the show.” He added with deep affection, “As soon as I got the part, my back pain, which had been bothering me, completely disappeared. In every way, this project felt like destiny.”

“Since it was my first title role, it was incredibly precious. My affection for the drama grew even more than I expected during filming. Before, I was mostly focused on doing a great job as Shin Ju-shin, but now I even feel sorry for his madness. I really don’t want to let the character go.”

Q. How did the process of becoming the lead go?

“Writer Im Sung-han had a very clear image of Shin Ju-shin, specifically an image with wavy hair flowing down to the shoulders. So, I bought a doctor’s gown from a second-hand app and used hair pieces to add length. But when I got to the audition, every single candidate had done the exact same thing! Even Ahn Woo-yeon, who played Ha Yong-jung, was holding a doctor’s gown during the second audition (laughs). I met so many school seniors and juniors there. At first, I was asked to read two lines of Shin Ju-shin’s dialogue and received feedback to sound colder and more rational. I wasn’t asked to read Ha Yong-jung’s lines, so while I wondered if I could try them, I also hoped the staff could see Shin Ju-shin in me. Later, the production team asked if I could make my hair even longer. By the time the second round progressed, the number of candidates dwindled. In the end, only five of us remained: me, Joo Se-bin (Geum Ba-ra), Ahn Woo-yeon (Ha Yong-jung), Baek Seo-ra (Momo), and Chun Young-min (Kim Jin-joo). Writer Im Sung-han was present at the final audition. That day, we went in as a group of five or in couples for detailed camera checks. Yong-jung and Ba-ra even did an impromptu dance scene. After observing us very closely, she told us, ‘You five are the leads.’ I felt amazing. As soon as I left, I called my agency, and everyone was shocked, saying they didn’t expect me to be cast in a writer Im Sung-han project.”

Q. Did you see Writer Im Sung-han often?

“She came by very often when the five leads were practicing and bought us so much food. I could tell she really wanted us to eat delicious meals. She approached me without any hesitation. Later, the director told me, ‘This is the first time the writer has come to the set this often,’ and that it showed how much affection she had for us. I recognized her the moment I walked into the final audition. I thought, ‘So that’s her.’ Her charisma and aura were truly extraordinary.”

“I actually exchanged texts with the writer and once said, ‘I’m going, Noona.’ We chatted comfortably like that. I called her ‘Noona’ on the phone too. However, the writer wanted me to maintain a sense of weight and authority while playing Shin Ju-shin, so she continued to speak to me informally (banmal). It felt strange at first, but I eventually got used to it. The advice she gave me most often was to ‘be humble.’ She frequently told me to keep a good mindset and be punctual, regardless of whether I became successful as a person or an actor. I learned the attitude of researching a role and the mindset of immersing myself rather than just reading lines.”

Q. Did your agency suggest this audition first?

“The agency did set up the audition. It was a time when I was recovering from being sick. In 2024, I had severe leg and back pain that made it hard to move. Then, in early 2025, I was cast in ‘Doctor Shin’ and recovered completely. I even told the writer and director, ‘I was so sick, but I healed after joining the project.’ I had a strong desire to do well. I met this audition exactly when I was ‘desperate.’ I also thought the project sounded really interesting. Writer Im Sung-han always creates buzzworthy hits, and I’ve watched ‘Acidurian’ too, so I was very curious. I thought playing a pillar in her worldview would be a great challenge and a learning experience. I was surprised to end up as the title lead.” Q. There is a famous story that the five leads practiced every day like idol trainees.

“That’s true. We’re still close and have an active group chat. Whenever we watched the broadcast, we’d non-stop text things like, ‘Oh, that scene came out like this!’ or ‘So that’s how you guys filmed it!’ We tried really hard to help each other with our acting. We still call each other by our character names, and they have my number saved as ‘Director’ (Won-jang-nim). Haha! To internalize the dialogue tone the writer wanted, we used the characters’ way of speaking in our daily lives. We’d talk to each other as a way of checking our delivery. After spending so much time like that, we’ve become like family.”

Q. The character of Shin Ju-shin was unique, and the plot was unconventional. How did you understand the role?

“When I first saw Shin Ju-shin, he was a character who heard his fiancé had collapsed while performing surgery, hesitated for one second, and then immediately went back to the surgery. I understood him as a one-of-a-kind, unique, cold, and rational character. His way of speaking is also unique. He proposes to Momo during their second meeting! He speaks in short, clipped sentences, which can make him seem overbearing or inconsiderate. While reading the script, I focused on how to express Ju-shin and how to look like him. But that was actually the hardest part. I agonized over it so much that I even called the writer in the early hours of the morning. I also researched the medical profession. I met doctors from various fields—plastic surgery, dentistry, thoracic surgery, orthopedics—to imagine the image of a doctor who has reached the ‘pinnacle’ of their field. Since the setting involves a love for the brain, I looked up brain-related materials so that I could have a mental image while delivering lines. Ultimately, the most important thing was ‘Why?’ By obsessively thinking about ‘Why does he talk like this?’ and ‘Why did he develop this personality?’, I gradually grew closer to Ju-shin. His world is so solid that his home is connected to the hospital, and he’s used to nurses always assisting him. I realized, ‘Ordering a scalpel or suction is his daily routine, so he’s not having a conversation with the other person, but just saying what he wants.’ That’s how I came to understand and become Ju-shin.”

“Before I cut my hair, a lot of people recognized me. At a cafe I frequent, an elderly person asked, ‘Aren’t you the doctor on TV?’ I was so grateful. Once, I went to eat cold noodles and dumplings wearing gym clothes and a hat, and ‘Doctor Shin’ was playing on the restaurant TV. Just as I was about to leave, the employee quietly told me they were enjoying the show. Even at the gym, while I was changing clothes, someone suddenly greeted me, saying they were watching the drama. It was my first time being recognized like this, so it felt amazing. My parents are obviously very happy, saying, ‘Our son talks a lot in the drama.’ People around me also find it funny because he’s so different from my usual self. My brother, who is three years older, and my two dogs all gathered to watch the broadcast together.”

Q. What are the reactions from people around you? Do you remember any memorable comments?

“Since Shin Ju-shin isn’t a typical person and even commits some wrongs, I didn’t think everyone would like him. But because he’s a character I love, I just hoped people wouldn’t hate him too much. Surprisingly, viewers saw the character in a positive light. Seeing those reactions made me feel emotional, thinking, ‘Ju-shin, you’re okay!'”

Q. You’ve joined the ranks of the ‘door-sized male leads’ born in 2000. Since you’ve already finished your military service, this rise as a lead actor is a great opportunity. How did your school friends react?

“I recently saw a Reel on SNS that gathered actors born in 2000. I laughed for a long time when I saw a comment saying, ‘There’s one person pretending to be a 2000-liner.’ I was actually grateful. It made me feel like people saw me as the 35-year-old Shin Ju-shin, and I felt good knowing I could play a wider age range. It was also fun to see many parody videos of Shin Ju-shin. I’m high school friends with Moon Sang-min. I haven’t asked him about the drama’s reaction yet, but I’m curious what he thought. My other friends sent me so many memes, asking, ‘Is this you?’ Hahaha. People really imitate the ‘Shall I go? You coming? Coming up?’ line from the flirting phone call scene. I enlisted in the 1st Division in Paju as an assistant instructor in January 2021 and was discharged in mid-2022. I started activities with my agency immediately after.”

“My dream was to be a film director. That’s why people often tell me I’m similar to Shin Ju-shin when talking about movies. They say I have a ‘subtle madness.’ In school, my morning routine was to check all the cinema schedules and book any movies I hadn’t seen. I loved the early morning air and became addicted to the process of going to the cinema. I also sought out many independent films. When I entered Hanlim Arts High School, I experienced being captured by the camera rather than capturing things. It was shocking. I had always wanted to put things on screen, but the experience of breathing as another person in front of the camera was shockingly attractive. I was instantly captivated. I studied acting at the arts high school and then entered the Department of Theater and Film at Chung-Ang University. My passion and dream of being a film director are still there. Like some of my seniors, I want to continue acting while also challenging myself to direct one day, as I have already written several scripts.”

Q. What kind of actor do you want to be remembered as?

“From the moment I dreamed of becoming an actor because I was fascinated by playing someone else in front of the camera, I wanted to be ‘someone who speaks with their eyes.’ I used to watch seniors who could tell a whole story with just their eyes, even without dialogue, and I’d be mesmerized. Someone might find comfort in those eyes, or interpret them differently. I want to be an actor who can convey a story with just a look, even for a short moment without a single line. This time, I also wanted to speak a lot with my eyes during the silent moments. I was deeply moved to see viewers analyzing Ju-shin’s gaze. I hope to be remembered as actor Jung Yi-chan, the one who speaks with his eyes. I will work hard to achieve that.”