Kim Nam Hee Is Kim Hee Sun's Seemingly Perfect Husband In "Bitter Sweet Hell"

May 2, 2024

MBC’s upcoming drama “Bitter Sweet Hell” has shared a new sneak peek of Kim Nam Hee in character!

“Bitter Sweet Hell” is a black comedy starring Kim Hee Sun as Noh Young Won, the top family psychiatrist in all of Korea. When an anonymous blackmailer puts her career and family at risk, Noh Young Won teams up with her mother-in-law Hong Sa Gang (Lee Hye Young), a mystery novelist, to protect their family.

Kim Nam Hee will star in the drama as Noh Young Won’s husband Choi Jae Jin, a renowned surgeon who lives in his wife’s shadow. Although he leads a successful life as the top reconstructive plastic surgeon in Korea, he has never had the chance to pursue his own desires and live his life while making his own choices.

After years of diligently following the path that his devoted mother Hong Sa Gang had planned for him, Choi Jae Jin thought that he would be able to escape his mother’s world by marrying Noh Young Won. However, he merely wound up living in Noh Young Won’s world instead. Choi Jae Jin also struggles to pull off the balancing act of being a good son to Hong Sa Gang, a good husband to Noh Young Won, and the only confidant of his teenage son all at once.

Newly released stills from the upcoming drama also hint at the unexpected struggles that the seemingly perfect Choi Jae Jin is hiding. The first photo shows Choi Jae Jin giving his acceptance speech after receiving a “Doctor of the Year” award—but the next captures him looking troubled as he stands in front of the mirror in the operating room, clearly having a difficult time due to a surgery.

However, when he’s with his family, Choi Jae Jin is all smiles, putting on a happy face and pretending to be worry-free.

Kim Nam Hee Is Kim Hee Sun's Seemingly Perfect Husband In

Describing why he was drawn to his role in “Bitter Sweet Hell,” Kim Nam Hee recalled, “I found it appealing that [Choi Jae Jin] was such a different character from the other characters I’ve played up until now. I was intrigued by the character of Jae Jin, who has never lived his life according to his own desires, and I wanted to take on this new acting challenge.”

“Because I love black comedies, I really enjoyed taking on this drama,” the actor continued. “‘Bitter Sweet Hell’ tells the story of a family with many complicated stories and secrets. The aspect I pondered and deliberated about the most was how to depict [the characters’] relationships to make them seem like family who had lived their entire lives together.”

As for his approach to his character, Kim Nam Hee shared, “While acting, I kept in mind that [my character] was a doctor. I kept thinking, ‘How would a doctor act in this kind of situation?’ So I think that if you pay attention to Jae Jin’s behavior, you’ll be able to enjoy the drama even more.”

“Bitter Sweet Hell” will premiere on May 24 at 9:50 p.m. KST.

cr: Soompi