A production presentation was held on May 26th at 2 PM. Lee Jae-wook, who has enlisted in the military, sent his greetings via video.
The production presentation for ENA’s new Monday-Tuesday drama ‘Doctor Island Boy’ (written by Kim Ji-soo, directed by Lee Myung-woo) took place on the 26th at The Saint Hotel in Sindorim, Guro-gu, Seoul. Director Lee Myung-woo and actors Shin Ye-eun, Hong Min-ki, Lee Soo-kyung, and Kim Yun-woo attended to share various stories about the work and their characters.
‘Doctor Island Boy’ is a medical human romance featuring Do Ji-yi (played by Lee Jae-wook), a public health doctor who arrives at the notorious Pyeondong-do island that everyone avoids, and Yuk Ha-ri, a nurse with many secrets. It is based on the popular webtoon ‘Jonber Doctor’.
Director Lee Myung-woo explained the project, saying, “‘Doctor Island Boy’ is a story about the lives that young people today are experiencing. Beyond just episodes of a public health doctor on an island, it contains a story of human growth and healing. It captures everything from their mistakes and pain to love.”
Lee Jae-wook transforms into Do Ji-yi, a public health doctor assigned to Pyeondong-do. Having trauma regarding the sea and islands, he experiences a turning point in his life as he learns love and builds human relationships on the island. However, as Lee Jae-wook entered the training center on the 18th, he was unable to attend the event in person and sent a video greeting instead.
Regarding Lee Jae-wook, Director Lee said, “Isn’t he such a lovely actor? He is one of the few young actors who possesses a calm and affectionate feel while also having charisma. I thought he was the perfect fit for the character of Do Ji-yi in ‘Doctor Island Boy’ without a doubt.”
Shin Ye-eun plays Yuk Ha-ri, a university hospital nurse who returns to Pyeondong-do with a secret. On the island, she becomes entangled with the somewhat unstable Do Ji-yi and faces a dilemma in her life.
Shin Ye-eun introduced her character, saying, “Yuk Ha-ri is a character with many charms, sometimes confident, strong, and sometimes fragile. In particular, her loveliness resembles me.” She also shared her motivation for joining the cast, saying, “The first audition of my debut was for the director’s work, and after failing then, I set a goal to definitely be in one of his projects.”
Shin Ye-eun spoke about her chemistry with Lee Jae-wook, saying, “Since we are the same age, I thought we would eventually meet. I thought we could treat each other more comfortably, but instead, we ended up being more careful and considerate. Even so, I felt a sense of comfort because we could tell what the other wanted just by looking at their eyes.”
Hong Min-ki, Lee Soo-kyung, and Kim Yun-woo add more fun as the three unique members of the Pyeondong Health Center. Hong Min-ki plays the elite public health doctor Hyun Chi-yeon, Lee Soo-kyung plays Eom Jeong-seon, a nurse born and raised on Pyeondong-do, and Kim Yun-woo plays Yong Ju-cheon, a naive public health doctor of Korean medicine.
Hong Min-ki shared his efforts to interpret the character, saying, “I’ve had a thirst for playing a doctor since I was young. I tried to understand Hyun Chi-yeon’s choices and life by meeting and asking people who had actually served as public health doctors through acquaintances.”
Lee Soo-kyung described her character, saying, “Eom Jeong-seon is like a ‘chestnut’—prickly on the outside but full on the inside. A key point to watch for is the process of Jeong-seon’s change caused by the people at the Pyeondong Health Center.”
Kim Yun-woo confidently stated, “I challenged myself with a bright character, which I had never done before. The various episodes created by the five of them are truly lovely and fun.”
The drama follows ‘Heosu-abi’, which ends today (26th). Since ‘Heosu-abi’ was a hit, recording the highest viewership rating for an ENA Monday-Tuesday drama, there might be some pressure, but Director Lee emphasized the unique points of ‘Doctor Island Boy’.
Director Lee said, “This is the project I cried the most while making among all the works I’ve directed. I focused on the growth and empathy of youth. I hope viewers can feel the same sense of healing that the production team felt while creating it.”
Finally, they highlighted the charms of ‘Doctor Island Boy’ and asked for affectionate support.
Shin Ye-eun said, “It’s a work that captures ‘a day in Pyeondong-do that goes around in a chaotic and haphazard way.’ Aren’t there times when you want to watch something comfortably, like a meal companion, without using too much energy? ‘Doctor Island Boy’ is exactly that kind of drama. It’s a work where you can comfortably feel warmth and love.”
Director Lee expressed his hope, saying, “I believe the warm gaze of viewers who watch the show is necessary for it to remain a good work. I hope you support ‘Doctor Island Boy’ a lot, show interest, and give it your love.”
Planned as a 12-episode series, ‘Doctor Island Boy’ premieres on June 1st at 10 PM on ENA. It can also be viewed on Genie TV and Disney+.
