TVXQ! leader U-Know is making his major small screen debut in tonight`s new MBC series "Maen-ddang-e He-ding." Although the world of television is not new to the K-pop idol, this is the first time he will be taking on the lead role in a prominent TV drama.

In the upcoming Wednesday and Thursday night series, the hit boy band member will appear onscreen as Cha Bong-gun, a talented soccer player who harbors big-time ambitions. In the face of adversity - which includes narrowly escaping death three times - Cha realizes his dreams and also falls for soccer agent Kang Hae-bin. The media was treated to a 20-minute preview of the new series at a press conference last week where Jung Yun-ho - a.k.a. U-Know - shed his pop star persona and showcased his acting skills.

"Please excuse any shortcomings I may display and view them in a generous light," the 23-year-old singer-actor requested at the press conference.



"Everything is new and fun," U-Know described how he felt about acting in "Maen-ddang-e He-ding."

"I felt that the tale of a character who sidestepped death and never gave up was similar to mine," U-Know said, as he revealed the hardships he faced as a child and later on as a member of TVXQ!

When U-Know was young he fell from the fourth floor of a church and suffered burns on his leg. Following his debut as a singer, he also survived an incident involving a drink spiked with an adhesive. While recounting the hardships he has faced thus far, U-Know declared: "And I will continue to overcome them."

At the press conference, "Maen-ddang-e He-ding" director Park Sung-soo revealed that, at first, he did not know that U-Know was a major pop star. According to Park, when they first met, he and U-Know bonded over their similar experiences, one of which was the fact that they had both slept outdoors before.

"When I was young there was a curfew," Park elaborated. "One could sleep at Seoul Station till four in the morning."

U-Know revealed that, he too, had slept outdoors when he first moved from his hometown of Gwangju to Seoul.

"There was no place to sleep and I did part-time work, so I have slept outdoors before" he explained.

When asked about the current status of the legal action taken by three TVXQ! members against their agency, S.M. Entertainment, he answered: "Honestly, I cannot say anything about it right now."

The singer expressed a desire for the whole situation to be resolved amicably.

"Because I am filming a drama I cannot see them, but I receive lots of text messages," said U-Know of his fellow band members, adding that they are cheering him on.

When asked about a kiss scene with co-star Lee Yoon-ji, who plays his character`s childhood friend, U-Know quickly set things straight.

"It is not a kiss scene, it is a mouth-to-mouth resuscitation scene," he clarified. "The night before the scene was filmed, before I went to bed, I was nervous."

Co-star Lee, who starred in the hit MBC reality show "We Got Married," quipped: "I didn`t know U-Know was nervous. I thought I was the only one."

According to actress Lee, extensive filming took place in the water prior to the resuscitation scene and there were many U-Know fans on set, so she focused on getting the scene done "accurately and quickly."

Actress Ara will star opposite U-Know as his character`s love interest, soccer agent Kang Hae-bin. The actress, who starred in a commercial for the cosmetic brand Etude, is also affiliated with S.M. Entertainment.

"Maen-ddang-e He-ding," which roughly translates to "Going Against All Odds," airs tonight on MBC at 9:55 p.m.

(oh_jean@heraldm.com)



By Jean Oh