Actors Go Hyun-jung and Jang Dong-yoon, co-starring in SBS’s new thriller Queen Mantis, have captivated fans with a striking pictorial for Dazed Korea. The shoot quickly went viral, with many debating whether the two projected a mother-son bond—or something far more ambiguous.
In the September issue, Go Hyun-jung appeared in a casual yet chic look—white sleeveless top, wide-leg denim, and a brown jumper—her natural waves enhancing her trademark charisma. Jang Dong-yoon contrasted with a navy knit and straight denim, emphasizing his tall, lean physique.
Though the shoot avoided overt intimacy, the subtle eye contact and restrained closeness created an undeniable tension, leaving netizens intrigued.
Queen Mantis director Byun Young-joo reacted humorously after seeing the photos: “They don’t look like mother and son at all. It feels like a couple concept.”
Go Hyun-jung protested: “What are you talking about? That’s nonsense.” Jang Dong-yoon added: “Honestly, she does look like she’s my peer.”
Director Byun clarified: “Not quite a peer, but she seems just a little older than Dong-yoon. It’s the kind of couple you might see in real life.”
Online, responses were mixed but playful:
- Their visuals together are top-tier.
- Where’s the mother-son vibe here?
- This chemistry is oddly thrilling.
- I get exactly what the director meant.
The situation reminded many of 2009’s Queen Seondeok, where Go Hyun-jung as Lady Mishil shared an electrifying dynamic with Kim Nam-gil, who played her son Bidam. Fans resurfaced screenshots, joking: “Where’s the mother in this? Their gazes were guilty!” and “Go Hyun-jung always has the most intense chemistry with her on-screen sons.”
In a Dazed interview, Go Hyun-jung revealed she was drawn to Queen Mantis because it avoided melodramatic portrayals of motherhood: “Some scripts use maternal love as a cliché, but I wanted to question whether my character even possesses maternal instinct.”
Jang Dong-yoon added: “I thought a lot about how my character, Cha Soo-yeol, views his mother. Acting with her cleared many doubts. Her performance was so raw, I felt less pity and more complex emotions toward her character.”
Queen Mantis follows a detective forced to cooperate with his estranged mother—once a notorious serial killer—when a copycat crime emerges 20 years later. After just two episodes, it reached 7.3% Nielsen ratings in the Seoul metropolitan area and a peak of 10%, signaling strong momentum.
As the drama blurs lines between family ties and psychological tension, the off-screen chemistry between Go Hyun-jung and Jang Dong-yoon only adds to the buzz.
Sources: Nate
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