Kim Byung Chul “‘Doctor Cha’ controversies, we should have been more careful. I feel responsible”
Actor Kim Byung Chul expressed his thoughts on “Doctor Cha”.
Kim Byung Chul brought up a lot of stories in a wrap-up interview for JTBC’s Saturday-Sunday drama “Doctor Cha” at a cafe in Gangnam-gu, Seoul.
“Doctor Cha” follows the story of Cha Jeong Suk (Uhm Jung Hwa), a housewife of twenty years who becomes a first-year medical resident. Kim Byung Chul played Seo In Ho, Cha Jeong Suk’s husband who has an affair with family medicine professor Choi Seung Hee (Myung Se Bin).
Kim Byung Chul said, “I didn’t expect the success of ‘Doctor Cha’. I thought I’d get a lot of criticism.”
When asked about the secret to the success of “Doctor Cha”, he replied, “It seems that the response to the story of a woman whose career was interrupted was greater than I thought. I feel that there were many people who wanted to see the story of overcoming these difficulties and growing up.“
He added, “‘Doctor Cha’ is an inspiring and hopeful story even for men. I could feel that there was a lot of hope for this story. I had a wish that ‘It’d be nice if the rating reached double digits’. I’m glad that it exceeded that quite a lot.”
But as popular as it was, there were also controversies. This is because “Doctor Cha” revealed negative perceptions of Crohn’s disease, downplayed thyroid cancer and generalized the side effects of herbal medicine.
Regarding this, Kim Byung Chul shared his thoughts, “We should have been more careful. It’s someone’s growth story, but it can hurt some people. This should have been handled carefully.”
He expressed his apology, “I also felt a sense of responsibility as a member of ‘Doctor Cha’. I apologize to those who felt bad.”
Kim Byung Chul then revealed that he watched “Doctor Cha” alone. He added, “I watch it alone. I point my finger and get angry. I sometimes click my tongue when looking at In Ho.”
How did his family react to the success of “Doctor Cha”, which has become one of the most popular dramas in 2023? The actor said, “They always told me that they enjoyed the drama, but I feel sorry that my character did lots of negative things”, adding “But I guess people around me really like the drama and they compliment me a lot. My father promised that he would buy me a meal if ‘Doctor Cha’ achieved high ratings. The drama turned out to be a hit and he already treated me to a meal”.
During the interview, “Doctor Cha” already ranked 4th among all JTBC dramas with the highest ratings. The third place went to “Sky Castle”, another drama starring Kim Byung Chul. Regarding the rating competition that might have happened between “Sky Castle” and “Doctor Cha”, Kim Byung Chul confessed, “I’m happy and grateful to have a chance to have that thought. I never consider it ‘a battle against myself’.”
When asked if he was satisfied with the ending of “Doctor Cha”, the actor smiled and replied, “It’s a drama about the growth of Jung Sook. I think it’s a good ending that best portrayed her growth”. Regarding the possibility of Season 2 production, Kim Byung Chul shared, “It may happen, but I don’t think the drama has a kind of ending that would make you think of Season 2. It ends with a focus on Cha Jung Sook’s growth, and I’m satisfied with that.”
Lastly, Kim Byung Chul expressed affection for “Doctor Cha” and his character. He said, “Seo In Ho is such a fresh and new character to me. Wasn’t the intention of the drama to make a man with a love affair look cute in the end? It was successfully portrayed through comedy scenes”, adding “Even when depicting extreme situations, the combination of these comedy elements and freshness seemed appealing to viewers. The development of the story also surprised many people. The story felt like a rollercoaster ride, with surprising twists and turns. Overall, it was a well-written script.”
Source: Naver
