"'I even went into a doghouse in 'Work Later, Drink Now.' (laughs)"
On the afternoon of August 6 KST, Jung Eun Ji, a singer and actress, shared her passion for comedy during an interview at IST Entertainment in Gangnam, Seoul, marking the end of the JTBC show 'The Lady Who is Different Day and Night' (hereafter referred to as 'DayNight Lady').
'DayNight Lady' recorded its highest viewership rating of 11.7% in its final episode. When asked why the show was loved, Jung Eun Ji, who had set a goal of 10% ratings, replied, "I think it's because the theme was time. People could reflect on the time they’ve experienced, and the plot of the protagonist suddenly aging was something viewers found interesting. I think the combination of humor and poignant themes was what made it appealing."
The drama, which concluded on the 4th, is a quirky romantic comedy about a job seeker who gets trapped in a "senior time" and a competent prosecutor caught up in an extraordinary internship with a lady who’s different during the day and night. Jung Eun Ji played the role of Lee Mi Jin, a public servant exam prep student for 8 years.
After her appearance in 'Reply 1997,' Jung Eun Ji earned the nickname 'dog daughter' for playing a daughter who causes her parents concern. In 'DayNight Lady,' she once again portrayed a daughter who worries her parents by not securing a job. She humorously remarked, "The term 'dog daughter' refers to an immature daughter, and it seems like that's the only type of role I've played so far," bursting into laughter.
She continued, "I think I have a bit of a 'dog daughter' tendency in real life too. I do listen to my mom, but I also tend to do what I want. That's why I ended up singing and acting. My mom originally hoped I'd have a stable job like a public servant, but I've helped broaden her perspective. I think I'm that kind of daughter."
Jung Eun Ji has often taken on roles with bold and outspoken characters. When asked if she has any genre ambitions, she shared, "Recently, I saw a post suggesting that Jo Jung Suk and I should play siblings. The suggestion was that Ra Mi Ran would be the mom, and Sung Dong Il would be the dad. It sounds hilarious! These days, I really enjoy comedy. It's a time to laugh and refresh."
She also expressed that she's not afraid of looking silly for comedy. Jung Eun Ji mentioned, "After experiencing 'Work Later, Drink Now,' I had no shame while doing 'DayNight Lady.' Everyone was worried about me, but I was quite satisfied with my funny appearance in the first episode. It gave me a strange sense of satisfaction," she said, making everyone laugh.
Jung Eun Ji also shared a recent encounter with Han Sun Hwa, her co-star from 'Work Later, Drink Now.' Both were leading JTBC dramas that gained popularity, with Jung Eun Ji starring in 'DayNight Lady' and Han Sun Hwa in 'The Woman Who Entertains.'
Jung Eun Ji said, "I recently visited her house. We joked, 'How did we end up on JTBC dramas after 'Work Later, Drink Now'? It's another connection that we finished our dramas at the same time.' Also, we went out for jajangmyeon recently, and the restaurant owner was a big fan of 'The Woman Who Entertains,' which made me happy."
She also mentioned the reactions of her Apink members, saying, "(Yoon) Bomi usually doesn’t know much about what I'm doing. But she said it was really fun. When I asked her, 'Did you really watch it? Are you sure?' she was able to describe specific scenes. That made me feel good."
Jung Eun Ji revealed that she watched SBS's 'Queen of Tears,' in which Yoon Bomi appeared, saying, "Of course, I watched it. I cried along with her when her character was crying," sharing a behind-the-scenes story.
In her 14th year since debuting, Jung Eun Ji continues to be active both as an actress and a singer. She said, "These days, about 80% of my activities are acting, but I still perform with Apink when I can. It used to feel like I was acting in between Apink activities, but now the balance is shifting. I’m thinking about how to do both well. My heart is always leaning towards singing, so I plan to keep it balanced at 50-50."
She added, "We’re discussing continuing Apink activities. We’re still deciding whether an album or a concert will come first. I hope everyone will wait patiently."
Jung Eun Ji also commented on her acting career, saying, "As an actress, I'm planning not to take a break this year. As I'm now in a position to have more say over my schedule (laughs), I'm working things out and preparing hard," she said with a smile.
