Cho Yi Hyun Dishes On Portraying Her Character In "The Matchmakers," Chemistry With Rowoon, And More

Oct 12, 2023

KBS2’s upcoming Monday-Tuesday drama “The Matchmakers” unveiled new stills of Cho Yi Hyun!

“The Matchmakers” tells the story of the meeting between the young widower Shim Jung Woo (Rowoon) and young widow Jung Soon Deok (Cho Yi Hyun) as well as the struggle the two go through together to marry off Joseon era’s unmarried women and men who are considered older than the typical prime age range.

Cho Yi Hyun plays Jung Soon Deok, the second daughter-in-law of the first vice-premier’s family who lives a double life as Mrs. Yeo Joo, the best matchmaker in Hanyang City.

On her reason for starring in “The Matchmakers,” Cho Yi Hyun shared, “It is true that I felt burdened after hearing that it is a sageuk (historical drama) before first reading the script.” She continued, “However, after reading the script, the role of Jung Soon Deok felt so charismatic, and I felt greatly charmed because all the characters are adorable and the storyline is solid. I think it will be an opportunity to show a new side of me as well as grow as an actress.”

The actress continued, “I was happy to be able to greet audiences with an ambitious and energetic character through the role of Jin Ji Won in ‘School 2021,’ and I’m excited to be able to showcase another bright and fun [character] through ‘The Matchmakers.'”

Cho Yi Hyun described her character as lovable, elaborating, “Soon Deok is positive, and she thinks of love foremost. I felt that she is a person who continues to live through the power of love.” On her similarities with Jung Soon Deok, Cho Yi Hyun shared that they both cherish people close to them, but she added that while Soon Deok is extremely extroverted, she is introverted.

In regards to portraying her character’s double life as Jung Soon Deok and matchmaker Mrs. Yeo Joo, Cho Yi Hyun elaborated, “I thought a change in my exterior appearance would have the greatest affect, so I thought it over a lot and tested various [styles] before filming. As the daughter-in-law, I went with a chignon, while as the matchmaker, I wore a gache (traditional Korean wig), used heavy makeup, drew a beauty mark beneath my eye, and changed my clothes,” also mentioning the slight differences in portraying her character’s personality as the more modest Jung Soon Deok and the lively Mrs. Yeo Joo.

On her chemistry with Rowoon, Cho Yi Hyun shared, “Rowoon is an actor who starred in various genres, and I enjoyed his projects, so I was very happy to work with him. Rowoon was very considerate while filming, and he created a comfortable atmosphere, helping me to talk comfortably about the project.” Cho Yi Hyun further asked viewers to anticipate her on-screen chemistry with Rowoon.

Finally, Cho Yi Hyun picked Soon Deok’s double life as the point to focus on while watching the drama, expressing her hopes for viewers to enjoy “The Matchmakers.”