“I staked not just my career but my life” ('Shin I-rang Law Office' director Shin Junghoon)
Actor Yoo Yeon-seok is set to deliver a showy run of possession-driven alter egos. Having put his career on the line for this role, can Yoo turn 'Shin I-rang Law Office' into the savior of SBS’s Friday–Saturday lineup?
SBS hosted a production press conference for its new Friday–Saturday drama 'Shin I-rang Law Office' on the afternoon of the 11th at its Mokdong headquarters in Seoul. Director Shin Junghoon and actors Yoo Yeon-seok, Esom, and Kim Kyung-nam were on hand.
'Shin I-rang Law Office' pairs Shin I-rang (Yoo Yeon-seok), a lawyer who becomes possessed and settles the unresolved grudges (han) of the dead, with Han Na-hyun (Esom), a cold, elite attorney who stakes everything on winning. By combining courtroom catharsis with a fantasy worldview, the series positions itself as a fresh, energetic take on the satisfying courtroom drama.
Making his directorial debut, Shin Junghoon said, \"I've long wanted to make a comedy-leaning drama that feels warm, accessible and genuinely funny. I'm thrilled to realize that dream with 'Shin I-rang Law Office.' Above all, it's an honor to work with actors I love. I deal with the pressure by imagining the show doing well. I think our strength is the series' ease and comfort compared with other dramas. We want to deliver a show people can laugh at and enjoy with confidence.\"
Yoo plays Shin I-rang, a lawyer who starts seeing ghosts after turning a former shaman's house into his office. Outwardly dependable, he’s actually timid and a bit scattershot, but he shows an iron resolve when a ghost client with an unjust past comes to him. The show's central conceit—possession, where a client's traits seep into Shin—forces him into unpredictable transformations, turning him into completely different people regardless of age or gender.
Through Shin's dramatic shifts in personality and energy, Yoo will showcase a wide acting range. \"This is my first full-on comedy,\" Yoo said. \"When I read the script, I realized it would let me show a different side of the character each week. That variety excited me. I think viewers will enjoy the episodes that arise as I become possessed by new deceased clients. I didn't expect there would be so many professional characters; what drew me was less the lawyer's routine and more the moments where I'm possessed by other ghosts and solve their stories.\"
Esom laughed when asked which of Yoo's alter egos stood out most: \"The idol was the most fun. He seemed really confident—he practiced for two months. Even when we didn't shoot, he showed us recorded takes. He was so confident and so good. That stuck with me.\"
On their on-screen rapport, she added, \"Because our characters start as opponents, it felt awkward at first to act opposite him. But as we got further into the shoot, our chemistry clicked. We started trading jokes and having fun on set.\"
Esom plays Han Na-hyun, a top litigator at a major firm with a 100% win rate. She judges life by victories and climbed to the top through ruthless efficiency. After suffering an unexpected loss to Shin, her life is thrown off course. At first she flat-out distrusts his claim of seeing ghosts, but his sincerity and the strange incidents that unfold before her gradually open her up. Esom brings subtlety to Na-hyun's hidden wounds and the slow thaw of her emotional defenses.
Joking that Esom kept her distance after seeing his possession scenes, Yoo said, \"We start out as opposing counsels, filming a lot of confrontational moments, but our chemistry grows stronger as the show progresses. I enjoyed working with Esom—she thought deeply about Na-hyun and had many conversations with the director. Watching her later emotional scenes, I could see how sincere and committed she is. She also clearly enjoyed the comedy. Plus, she knows great places to eat, so we bonded over meals between shoots, which helped our chemistry.\"
Kim Kyung-nam plays Yang Do-kyung, head of the Taebaek law firm. When his partner Na-hyun becomes entangled with I-rang, Do-kyung responds with a chilly, controlled pushback. Kim brings the character a heavy presence and intensity that amplify the show's tension.
\"As the story moves into the middle and later episodes, I-rang and Na-hyun grow closer,\" Kim said. \"That makes my character feel extremely lonely. He ends up isolated in the office, longing for Na-hyun, feeling jealousy and solitude. I remember enduring that sense of isolation on set. Dramatically, it could add an intriguing layer to the story.\"
The show's unusual clients are, in fact, ghosts. The central pleasure comes from the partnership between two lawyers with very different but complementary abilities. Shin hears the voices of ghost clients and, at times, becomes a conduit for their memories and traits—an edge that lets him zero in on key clues. Han Na-hyun then unpicks those clues with logic and the law, assembling the scattered pieces into a coherent case.
Shin Junghoon said, \"We focused more on the act of seeing ghosts than on shamanism itself. To make the idea credible, we recreated an authentic-feeling workspace: the office layout, talismans and even items that real shaman practitioners use. I thought that realism was important. We also emphasized the human side of ghosts—approaching them as people who were once human. That was the angle we wanted to stress.\"
Asked whether they had chosen an auspicious date for the premiere, he admitted, \"It would've made for a fun story if we had, but we didn't.\"
On what viewers should pay attention to, Shin added, \"You'll see ghosts that are more charming and entertaining than the usual fare. The appearance of new, unexpected types of ghosts will set us apart. Yoo's possession work is fun to watch, and the reactions from other characters add to the entertainment.\"
Preparing numerous alter egos, Yoo said, \"I worked with excellent actors and a great crew. By chance, our cinematographer was also the DP on my earlier film 'A Werewolf Boy,' so it was a welcome reunion. Filming scenes with ghosts is never easy, but he found great angles and created stylish shots. The work we made together with the production team is itself a reason to watch. Above all, in a crowded time slot, the goal is to get viewers to turn on their TVs. Our drama is warm-hearted and even moving—qualities I think will be its strengths.\"
Esom called 'Shin I-rang Law Office' \"a show the whole family can watch together,\" while Kim Kyung-nam said it's \"a drama people can enjoy regardless of taste.\"
\"I approached the filming as if my career depended on it,\" Yoo said. \"In the possession scenes I kept asking myself whether I could let go that far. I hope audiences watch with affection, knowing how much I gave.\" Director Shin added, \"One of the best moments for me was watching the actors' performances as if I were an audience member. I saw those masterful moments during filming, and the thought of showing them to viewers excites me.\" He concluded, \"Though 'Shin I-rang Law Office' features ghosts, it's not scary—it's a fun, easy, and comfortable show. I staked not just my career but my life on this project.\"
'Shin I-rang Law Office' premieres Friday the 13th at 9:50 PM.
[Mokdong (Seoul)= Geum Bit-na, MK Sports reporter]
