SBS Drama “Midas” Mid-Season Press Conference

The subtitle of SBS drama “Midas” is “A Report on Money and Greed.” The show gives a general overview of the economy and the complicated role money plays in this industry. Almost like a business school textbook, “Midas” was first produced to show an economy-based drama during primetime—a time slot currently dominated by shows based on birth secrets and romance. But due to its heavy focus on the economy and business, “Midas” is struggling to show a clear storyline and portray the different aspects of each character.

The mid-season press conference on Apr. 1^st was likewise held in complete disarray. The scriptwriter was taken to the emergency room due to a tight schedule, and the two main actors of the show, Jang Hyuk and Kim Hee Ae didn’t even make it to the press event. It was sort of reflective of the drama’s messy situation heading into the second half of the season.

The show takes a new turn after Do Hyun (Jang Hyuk’s role) gets released from prison. As Do Hyun starts his revenge on Yoo In Hae (Kim Hee Ae’s role), the storyline turns into a conflict between Do Hyun and In Hae, as opposed to the early part of the show when Do Hyun and In Hae were on the same side against Sung Joon (Yoon Jae Moon’s role). The relationship between each character is also reformatted. “This show is a report on greed, but we also wanted to have our viewers take a look back at themselves, and we hope a lot of viewers will sympathize with us,” the production team said at the press conference.

Q&A with Lee Min Jung, No Min Woo, Kim Sung Oh

Q: How was it work with such charismatic veteran actors, like Kim Hee Ae, Yoon Jae Moon, and Lee Duk Hwa?

Lee Min Jung: Kim Hee Ae is the type who motivates and encourages you to do better, instead of pressuring you. She takes care of the smallest details and I’m thankful for that.

Kim Sung Oh: This is my second time working with Lee Duk Hwa since “Giant.” It feels different. Lee Duk Hwa enjoys his job as an actor and lives a beautiful life. He’s just amazing. Every moment working with him just gives me inspiration.

Q: Have you done anything differently to play your role in this drama?

No Min Woo: I lost 9.5 kg by sticking to my cardio workout and eating a lot of salad. I don’t want to be fit and good looking when I have to be in a death scene. For more a more realistic death scene, I’m continuing to lose weight.

Lee Min Jung: I got trained on how to check vital signs before filming the show and also went to the hospital for a couple days to learn more about it. I’m still learning so before every filming session, real nurses come and coach me on how to give IV or regular shots.

Kim Sung Oh: Since “Midas” is about the stock market, I bought some stocks prior to filming of the show. I didn’t invest a lot, but luckily the stocks I bought are going up. If they drop, I’ll be disappointed, but as of now, I’m quite satisfied.

Q: Hyun Bin, who was Kim Sung Oh’s boss in “Secret Garden,” is now in the Marines. Have you seen any of his marine pictures?

Kim Sung Oh: Of course I did. The moment I saw it, I felt so bad (laughs). I guess it would look cool to the female fans. But any guy who’s been to the army, like me, would have reacted the same way as I did. Before he went to the military, I asked him why he chose the marines. From his looks on the pictures, I’m guessing he’s regretting his decision. But he’s tall and good looking, so he kind of looks cool. I’m thinking of writing a letter to him.

Q: How would you have reacted if the drama was real life?

Lee Min Jung: I don’t think Do Hyun is obsessed with money and fame, but rather, he’s disappointed with himself. I don’t know if I would have part ways but at least I would have given some advice.

No Min Woo: Myung Joon is an innocent man. He loves and looks at Jung Yun (Lee Min Jung) from afar. If I were him, I think I would have done everything possible to take away that love. Whether it’s a thing or a person, I’m the type who has to make it mine.

Q: I bet your philosophy on money changed through “Midas.” How much money do you think would make you happy?

Lee Min Jung: It depends on what you think is happiness. If it doesn’t come from money, I don’t think the amount of cash you have would change your level of happiness. I think that’s the main message of this drama as well.

No Min Woo: I played online driving games for about 4 years. Due to my busy work schedule, I couldn’t level up that quick, and I always lost to guys who drove nice cars. I set my goal at buying those nice cars, and after really putting the time into it, I was able to buy quality cars. But for some reason, after the upgrade, I lost interest and stopped playing that often. So I guess it’s not the absolute amount of your wealth, but how satisfied you are and how happy you feel about yourself.

Kim Sung Oh: If we’re strictly talking about money, I would like to have a billion won (920,000 USD). If I had a billion won, I think I’ll be able to give a lot to the people I love.

Written in Korean by girlalice@soompi; Translated by eugenekim222@soompi