Actor Kim Jin-young Gears Up for Drama Debut in 'Eye Shopping'

Actor Kim Jin-young, also known as Dex, shares his determination as he prepares for his drama debut in 'Eye Shopping'.

Set to premiere on the 21st, ENA's new Monday-Tuesday drama 'Eye Shopping' is an action thriller that depicts the desperate survival and revenge of children abandoned by their adoptive parents and left at death's door.

In the drama, Kim Jin-young plays the role of Jung Hyun, a human weapon raised in the shadows by Kim Se-hee (played by Yum Jung-ah), the head of SH Medical Foundation, and the practical operator of an illegal adoption trafficking organization. Jung Hyun is a cold character who relentlessly pursues children like Kim Ah-hyun (played by Won Jin-ah) who have been 'returned' but survived, following Se-hee's orders without question.

Transitioning from variety shows to acting, Kim Jin-young expressed in an interview released on the 10th, "I am still lacking as an actor, but I was excited to fully showcase my strength in 'action'." He added, "The most decisive reason for choosing this project was the opportunity to learn a lot by acting alongside senior actress Yum Jung-ah."

Kim Jin-young put special effort into preparing for the action scenes, stating, "Since Jung Hyun is a human weapon, it was important to portray his rough and fierce charm well." He continued, "With the help of the action school team, I was able to bring vivid action to life, and thanks to the hard work and sweat we shared, we were able to create great chemistry on set."

Regarding his character's synchronicity, he said, "Like Jung Hyun, I also tend to show blind loyalty to those I trust and follow." Kim Jin-young described Jung Hyun with the keywords 'cold-blooded', 'deficiency', and 'warmth', explaining, "Due to deficiencies in his childhood, he naturally became cold-blooded, but deep inside, the warmth he was born with still remains."

Kim Jin-young described the atmosphere on set as "so good that it was the perfect environment to focus." Regarding his acting chemistry with Yum Jung-ah, he shared, "In scenes with senior actress Yum Jung-ah, I intentionally kept my distance to stay in character as Jung Hyun rather than Kim Jin-young." He added, "She quietly watched over me and seemed to accept my actions as passion. I wanted to talk to her more casually like in variety shows, but I was worried she might misunderstand. However, she understood my sincerity, and I hope to become a senior who embraces juniors like her someday."

Finally, he encouraged viewers to tune in, saying, "'Eye Shopping' is a work filled with passion from both actors and staff. I hope it resonates and brings satisfaction to many. Please show a lot of interest."

'Eye Shopping' premieres on the 21st at 10 PM and will be exclusively available on the OTT platform TVING.

Tae Yuna, Ten Asia Reporter youyou@tenasia.co.kr