As the mother of a seven-year-old daughter, actress Kim Hee Sun knows that bullying is a reality in schools. And if her daughter was ever confronted with bullies, she said she might take even harsher measures than her character does in her new drama "Angry Mom."
"I know that bullying takes place, even in kindergarten where there's not necessarily any violence, but certain kids are pushed aside as outcasts," Kim said at the drama's press conference.
That's why she understands what drives her character Jo Kang Ja to protect her daughter when she sees the bruises inflicted by her daughter's classmates.
"I can very much empathize with Jo Kang Ja and I believe all mothers around the world would feel the same," said Kim Hee Sun.
To protect her drama daughter Jo Kang Ja pretends to be a student and enlists in her daughter's high school. She is prepared to get physical and use her former street fighter skills to give her daughter's bullies a taste of their own medicine.
Fortunately at 34 Kang Ja is still young enough to pretend to be a teenager who just had to repeat a few years. She became a single mother as a teen.
And fortunately, Kim Hee Sun looks young enough to play the role. According to the drama's director Choi Byung Gil, Kim, 37, is one of the few Korean actresses youthful enough to act both the roles of mom and high school student.
And she's passionate enough about protecting her own child to play the character convincingly.
"If such incidents happened to my own daughter, I think I would be willing to go beyond what Kang Ja did in the drama," said Kim Hee Sun, who recently appeared in the weekend drama "Wonderful Days" and the Lee Min Ho historical fantasy drama "Faith: The Great Healer."
Kim Yoo Jung, 15, plays Kang Ja's daughter, the smart sensitive Ah Ran. The role led her to think more about school violence and bullying.
"Many high school students, including myself, fear such situations and worry about what they would do if victimized," said Kim Yoo Jung.
But the fact that the drama focuses on a serious issue does not mean it won't feature plenty of lighthearted moments and an appealing romance.
Kang Ja's desire to protect her daughter will lead to some complicated situations. And that includes a teacher-student romance with teacher Park No Ah, which would not be a problem if she were not pretending to be a student.
Ji Hyun Woo, last seen in "Trot Lovers" plays Ah Ran's idealistic teacher Park No Ah. B1A4 member Baro plays a supporting role.
The MBC Wednesday-Thursday drama premieres this week.
