[Sportschosun Reporter Cho Min-jeong] From Lee Seo-jin, who has teased Han Ji-min for 20 years, to Kim Yong-gun and Park Jung-soo, friends of 55 years who trade spicy remarks whenever they meet, the entertainment industry’s representative male–female friends are coming together in one place.
tvN will launch the new variety program “Just Friends” in the fourth quarter of this year. Na Yeong-seok PD and Shin Geon-jun PD will direct the show, which will feature Lee Seo-jin, Han Ji-min, Kim Yong-gun, Park Jung-soo, MONSTA X’s Jooheon, and TWICE’s Jeongyeon.
“Just Friends” follows the entertainment industry’s representative male and female friends as they embark on a trip to celebrate their long-standing friendships, spend time together freely, and discuss a variety of topics.
Together, the three friendships span an astonishing 85 years. Since they are close enough that they do not need to dress up to impress one another or add special explanations, the show is expected to deliver candid conversations and realistic relationships that can come only from friends who have seen it all.
The pairing that draws attention first is Lee Seo-jin and Han Ji-min. The two first met in the 2007 MBC drama “Lee San, Wind of the Palace” and have maintained their relationship for about 20 years. Even after the drama ended, they remained comfortable as an older-brother/younger-sister pair, displaying exceptional playful chemistry on broadcasts and at official events.
Lee Seo-jin is particularly known as a mischievous older-brother figure who gets more excited than anyone when it comes to teasing Han Ji-min. While Han Ji-min, who had always been on the receiving end, has recently begun making small counterattacks and earning support from those around her, viewers are eager to see how satisfying a revenge she will take on Lee Seo-jin during this trip.
Kim Yong-gun and Park Jung-soo are representative best friends in the entertainment industry, having shared an impressive 55 years. The two first met in 1972 and are known to rely on each other, speaking on the phone frequently even in their daily lives.
Their conversations are as extraordinary as their friendship, which has lasted well over half a century. They have amused audiences by exchanging blunt remarks that might hurt if said by someone else, yet showing no sign of taking offense. A key point of interest will be what kind of tell-all the 55-year friends stage on their trip, as they know each other’s embarrassing pasts and personal circumstances inside out.
MONSTA X’s Jooheon and TWICE’s Jeongyeon join the show as an unexpected best-friend pairing. The two debuted in the music industry in 2015 and naturally grew closer as their promotional periods overlapped.
They are comfortable friends who can reconnect after a long time without awkwardness. However, they have said that talking in front of cameras with just the two of them feels embarrassing, prompting laughter. After 10 years since their debuts, the two will work together on a regular variety show for the first time, raising curiosity about what kind of real-life friendship they will show away from the stage.
Rather than relying on flashy premises, “Just Friends” puts the relationships forged over many years at the center. Attention is focused on what stories Na PD will draw from the three friendships spanning different generations.
tvN’s “Just Friends” is scheduled to air in the fourth quarter of this year.
Cho Min-jeong mj.cho@sportschosun.com
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