On the morning of the 5th, a press conference for the Netflix original series 'As You Stood By' was held at CGV Yongsan I'Park Mall in Seoul. Present at the event were director Lee Jung-lim and actors Jeon So-nee, Lee You-mi, Jang Seung-jo, and Lee Mu-saeng.
'As You Stood By' is a Netflix series that tells the story of two women who, faced with a reality where they must kill or be killed, decide to commit murder and find themselves entangled in unexpected events.
Director Lee described the series as "a story about two women with similar traumas who decide to commit murder to escape their hellish lives, only to get caught up in unforeseen circumstances."
Based on the Japanese novel 'Naomi and Kanako,' Director Lee shared, "I read the novel shortly after it was released because I'm a big fan of the author. I empathized with and felt sorrow for the lives of the two women. Despite this, I was moved by their progress. When I heard about the adaptation, I hoped for the opportunity to be involved. I loved the script and was determined to make it well."
Jeon So-nee plays Eun-soo, who proposes a murder plot to her friend Hee-soo (played by Lee You-mi) to save her from a similar hell. Jeon emphasized, "I hoped their choices would be convincing to the audience."
Lee You-mi portrays Hee-soo, who lives under the constant threat of violence from her husband, No Jin-pyo (played by Jang Seung-jo). She stated, "My primary goal was to make Hee-soo appear as a real person in front of the camera."
Jang Seung-jo takes on dual roles as Hee-soo's abusive husband No Jin-pyo and as an employee at Jin Kang Sanghoe, run by Jin So-baek. Director Lee revealed, "I cast Jang Seung-jo because he has two faces. When he plays a villain, he gives a sidelong glance. Even during script discussions, he would glance sideways, and I had to tell him, 'Stop glancing, look straight.' In real life, he's a kind and good father, which aligns with his character Jang Kang."
Lee Mu-saeng plays Jin So-baek, the secretive ally of Eun-soo and Hee-soo. Sporting long hair, Lee Mu-saeng explained, "The hairstyle was decided after many discussions with the director. The character is trapped in a dark past, and I thought a lot about how to effectively express the fear that arises from the depths. Meeting Eun-soo and Hee-soo allows him to step away from his trauma. I also considered how to portray the distance between him and the women, neither too close nor too far."
Regarding the violent elements, Director Lee stated, "I was aware from the start that the visual impact would be much more shocking and stimulating than reading the text. We had many discussions to include only what was necessary. If you look closely, there's almost no physical contact. We aimed to create a grim atmosphere by showing the situations before and after. I learned a lot and tried to maintain balance."
He added, "The central theme of domestic violence is unavoidable. The choices the characters make are influenced by this. While there are many difficult and uncomfortable scenes, if viewers empathize with Eun-soo and Hee-soo, they might find happiness and belief in their journey. I kept this in mind while creating the series. Personally, it's disheartening if people don't watch despite the challenges. We discussed using music to keep the drama from dragging and tried to engage the surrounding characters to maintain momentum."
'As You Stood By' will be available on Netflix starting November 7th.
Ryu Ye-ji, TenAsia Reporter ryuperstar@tenasia.co.kr