Choi Min-sik Praises Co-Star Choi Hyun-wook in Netflix's "Notes from the Last Row"

Veteran Korean actor Choi Min-sik says the appeal of his new Netflix series "Notes from the Last Row" lies in its literary depth. At a press conference for the show, he repeatedly turned the spotlight onto his much younger co-star, Choi Hyun-wook, saying his main job on set was to react well to the rookie's performance.

The production press conference was held on June 24 at Hotel Naru Seoul MGallery in Seoul's Mapo district. Director Kim Kyu-tae attended alongside Choi Min-sik and Choi Hyun-wook.

"Notes from the Last Row" is a suspense drama about Heo Mun-oh, a failed novelist and Korean literature professor played by Choi Min-sik, who discovers the genius of a student named Lee Kang, played by Choi Hyun-wook, sitting in the last row of his classroom. As Heo grows obsessed with the boy's writing, the story turns darker. The six-part series is based on the play of the same name by Spanish playwright Juan Mayorga.

Director Kim said he tore through the script the first time he read it. "I read it really fast. It was that fun," he said. "It's a six-part series, but I don't think I've ever read a project without stopping like that." He said the writing pulled him in. "The author's style makes situations and characters feel simple but intense, and you can't predict what comes next. It has both popular entertainment and literary depth, which made me want to direct it." He said his focus as a director was on staging the characters' emotions and inner lives.

Choi Min-sik plays Heo Mun-oh, a literature professor consumed by a sense of failure. He said the role was not hard to relate to. "I have plenty of pathetic sides too. Everyone has envy or feelings of inferiority they can't talk about. That sense of 'why am I like this' is something most people have felt at least once," he said. "Heo Mun-oh is an extreme version of that. The script was written so well. I want to thank the writer again. It felt like I was doing a stage play."

He also spoke warmly about the source material. "I missed projects that carry a literary scent. There are plenty of fun, popular shows, but "Notes from the Last Row" leaves room to think. Viewers can put themselves in it. The work has something to say." He added that the professor-student dynamic felt unusual for the current TV landscape. "That setup is a bit far from current trends, but that's exactly what made it feel fresh. That's part of what drew me in."

Kim returned the praise to his lead. "As a director, he's a great actor, and he was a senior I really wanted to work with," he said of Choi Min-sik. "On set, he kept the mood light and fun. He felt like a pure kid one minute and a wise adult the next. I respected him and wanted to be like him. I learned a lot." He compared the experience to watching a favorite artist live. "It felt like being a fan watching an artist perform in person. It was thrilling. I felt chills."

Choi Hyun-wook plays Lee Kang, an engineering student with a striking talent for writing. He said the project's biggest draw was the people attached to it. "The biggest appeal was that director Kim Kyu-tae and Choi Min-sik were doing it," he said. "When I read the script, I got pulled in right away, just like they did. Lee Kang is a restrained character, but I thought there was a lot of range to show within that."

He said the show's themes hit home. "The message about the two sides of a person really landed for me. The kinds of feelings anyone could have at some point are in this drama. As the story moves toward the second half, you start to see what's missing in Kang. I felt a kind of kinship there."

Kim said the young actor brought a quiet intensity to the role. "His eyes themselves carry suspense. They're calm and still, but they look like something is about to happen." He said Choi Hyun-wook flipped a switch the moment cameras rolled. "He'd be quiet on set, and then the second the take started he'd change and pour out this explosive, focused energy. He's a young actor, but his maturity was surprising." He added that he is genuinely curious about how far the actor can go. "As a director and as a viewer, I'm excited to see how much he'll grow."

Choi Min-sik was just as generous. "On this show, I figured that if I reacted well to Choi Hyun-wook's acting, everything would fall into place," he said. "Lee Kang picks Heo Mun-oh up, throws him in the air, then slams him back down. My job was to get tossed around with him whenever Kang swung. That was the key. I tried not to miss anything he was doing."

He kept going. "I couldn't picture anyone else as Lee Kang. I felt that every shoot day. He slowly became Lee Kang." He singled out his co-star's gaze. "One of Choi Hyun-wook's strengths is that sly look Lee Kang has in his eyes." Then he turned and stared at the younger actor, drawing laughs from the room. "You really get pulled in." Choi Hyun-wook seemed flustered by the praise. "Your eyes have this tiger-like intensity. I felt overwhelmed by it. It was an honor to feel that up close."

Choi Min-sik also sat in on the audition for Lee Kang. "I was curious about who would play him too. He's my scene partner, and I don't know many young actors, so I wanted to see raw acting," he said. "I asked the director, 'Would it be okay if I sat in?'" He said the director consulted him on the choice. "He asked me which actor I thought was better. The assistant director and producer were there too. We talked it out and landed in the same place."

The two actors also shared the story of the dinner that followed the audition. Choi Min-sik shot down rumors that he personally cast his co-star. "The rumor going around that I cast Choi Hyun-wook is nonsense," he said, laughing. He revealed that, to his surprise, the rookie picked up the check. "It was around dinner time when the audition ended, so I asked, 'I need to eat, want to come along?' Then he said he'd treat." Asked if Choi Hyun-wook actually paid, he laughed and said, "His company probably paid." Still, he said the meal said something. "I liked him. That's probably why I asked him to eat in the first place."

The conversation also turned to Netflix's recently released series "Recruit 3" (Cham Gyoyuk), which has been performing well globally. Kim joked about it. "I'm jealous of 'Recruit 3,'" he said, drawing laughs. "I hope our show does well too. We worked hard, the process was happy, and as a director I'm satisfied with the quality. Please look forward to it."

Choi Min-sik offered his own pitch. "I hope viewers watch it the way they'd read a book, page by page. It won't leave you feeling tidy, but there's a lot to think about. You'll find yourself thinking about what life is." Asked if late night was a good time to watch, he had a recommendation. "If you can't sleep, start from episode 1 and focus. You'll get through all six in no time."

"Notes from the Last Row" premieres on Netflix on June 26 at 5 p.m. KST as a six-part series.