The cast and director and upcoming iQiyi Korean drama Shooting Stars held a press conference in South Korea earlier this week on 20 April to share about the new series premiering this Saturday on 23 April.

This is also the first “unmasked” press conference held in South Korea since the pandemic, marking a milestone for the entertainment industry which has been badly hit by Covid-19. 

Starring actors Lee Sung Kyung, Kim Young Dae, Yoon Jong-Hoon, Lee Jung-Shin, Kim Yoon-Hye and Sojin, and directed by Lee Soo-Hyun, episodes of Shooting Stars will be uploaded onto iQiyi’s global site (iq.com) and mobile app concurrently with the show’s airtime in South Korea.

In the series, Lee Sung Kyung plays Oh Han-Byeol, a PR lead at a management company that manages actor Gong Tae-Sung (played by Kim Young Dae). While he has a wonderful public image, he is actually bad-tempered outside of the public eye, and gets along poorly with Oh.

Speaking about the accuracy of Shooting Stars, which is set in the Korean entertainment industry, female lead Lee Sung Kyung shared that the script was almost 95% accurate in describing the reality of the scene. 

“I found the script to be really realistic. So much that I was worried that people would start speculating about who the show is trying to portray! Fortunately, the scriptwriter has handled this aspect really well.”

Through her role as an artiste manager, Lee also found herself getting to know every role within showbiz better, and through her newfound understanding, has grown as a person.

Adding on, director Lee Soo-Hyun added that scenes like management companies going into conflict with journalists, and managers having to apologise on behalf of their artistes after they get into trouble, are all things that happen in real life.

This is Kim Young Dae’s first time in a lead role for a television series. The actor admits to feeling the pressure, and humbly added: “As I am not an A-list star in real life, I found it difficult initially to portray such a role. As I began looking for inspirations and references, I realised that they were around me all along, such as my seniors Lee Sung Kyung and Yoon Jong-Hoon, who are both in the show. I have gained a lot through learning from them as we film.”

The stars were also asked if it would be possible for an artiste to fall in love with an employee in real life, just like in Shooting Stars. 

Kim answered: “Love has no boundaries. I think it’s definitely possible!”

Lee Sung Kyung added: “If I really was a PR lead, and had to take care of so many artistes, I don’t think I would even have the time to fall in love! But the two characters in the show knew each other beforehand, so it might actually be possible in this case.”

Shooting Stars marks the first time Kim Young Dae and Yoon Jong-Hoon are starring in the same show since the popular Penthouse, and they have more scenes together in this new series. Kim shared that the two are good friends outside of the shows. While Lee played his father-in-law previously, he is more like a “big brother” to Kim now. Lee also revealed that the two have visited each other’s homes as friends.

Girl’s Day star Sojin plays an entertainment journalist in Shooting Stars. She confessed to not knowing much about the work of a journalist in the past, despite being interviewed so much. To prepare for her role, she spent three hours speaking to an entertainment journalist to find out about the realities of the job. Now, she finds herself being able to relate more about the thought process of a journalist while writing an article.

CN Blue bassist Lee Jung-Shin plays the role of a lawyer who represents the management company in the series. He humorously exclaimed: “Throughout my showbiz career, I have not seen or spoken to a lawyer before. I hope it stays that way! The actors in this show are all very handsome, and it has spurred me to pay more attention to my own looks. I got a cleaner haircut, and have been exercising throughout the filming process to maintain a good figure.”

He also added that the screenwriter gave him a book written by an entertainment lawyer to learn more about his character.

Director Lee Soo-Hyun has previously directed other dramas such as The Witch’s Diner, Awaken and Find Me In Your Memory. Besides the main cast of the show, audiences can also look forward to many cameos from the likes of Choi Ji-woo, Park Jeong Min, Song Ji-hyo, Mun Ka-Young, Kim Dong-Wook, Chae Jong-hyeop, Lee Sang Woo and other actors who have previously worked with Lee Soo-Hyun.