The Matchmakers is one of the highly anticipated new South Korean drama series set to premiere this October. Female lead Cho Yi-hyun recently expressed her excitement about the upcoming project and praised her co-star Rowoon.
Although the pair are sharing the screen for the first time, their chemistry is swoon-worthy in teasers and trailers. Speaking about working with Rowoon, Yi-hyun told Soompi, “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.”
While the Destined With You actor plays the young widower Shim Jun-woo, Yi-hyun appears as the young widow Jung Soon-deok. Set in the Joseon era, the two work as matchmakers trying to marry off unmarried men and women who have crossed the society-set primal age of marriage.
Cho Yi Hyun dishes on her character’s double life in The Matchmakers
In The Matchmakers, Cho Yi-hyun plays a double life — one as Jung Soon-deok, the widowed second daughter-in-law of the first vice premier’s family, and another as the “best matchmaker” named Mrs. Yeo-joo.
Speaking about how she differentiated her two characters on-screen, Yi-hyun said, “I thought a change in my exterior appearance would have the greatest effect, 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.”
The actress also mentioned that she felt burdened when she got the project. “It is true that I felt burdened after hearing that it is a sageuk (historical drama) before first reading the script,” She said. “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.”
Her character Jung Soon-deok lost her husband but didn’t lose faith in love. She is an extrovert widow who claims to be the best matchmaker in town. She meets Rowoon’s Shim Jun-woo, a widower who is a brilliant scholar and cannot go to work or re-marry, as per the Joseon rules. Thus, he becomes a matchmaker and joins forces with Mrs. Yeo-joo/Soon-deok.
The Matchmakers cast, episodes and release date
Directed by Hwang Seung-gi, The Matchmakers stars Rowoon as Sim Jung-woo, Cho Yi-hyun as Jung Soon-deok, Park Ji-young as Park So-hyun, Jo Han-chul as King, Lee Hae-young as Jo Young-bae, Choi Hee-jin as Mrs. Jo, Jin Hee-kyung as Queen, Jung Sin-hye as Maeng Ha-na, and Park Ji-won as Maeng Du-ri among others,
The official synopsis of the K-drama series reads:
“A comedic romance set during the Joseon dynasty. It tells the story of the meeting between the young widow Jung Soon Deok and young widower Shim Jung Woo as well as the struggle the two go through together to marry off the four young maidens who represent Joseon.”
Consisting of 16 episodes, The Matchmakers will premiere on October 30, 2023, at 9:45 PM KST on KBS. New episodes will air every Monday and Tuesday.
