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Hospital Playlist spin-off Resident Playbook is a drama about OB-GYN residents working at Yulje Hospital as they walk the path to becoming wise doctors.
Go Youn Jung played the role of first-year resident Oh Yi Young. Initially working at the hospital with the goal of paying off debts, Oh Yi Young gradually breaks down her emotional walls and comes to embrace her work. Her sincerity won over not only the patients but also her fellow residents and professors.
At the interview, Go Youn Jung spoke about her own 'social skills': "I don't think I should be like Oh Yi Young, but I think I started out much like her. I had the drive to do my job well, but I lacked the motivation to do well in my social life or to try to make a good impression."
She continued, "But while working, I realized that 'relationships are important too.' I think now my social life is a mix of [how] Um Jae Il (Kang You Seok) and Oh Yi Young [live]. I thought I didn't care much about other people, but [I've come to realize] I actually do like people. As I took on more projects and went to more sets, even if I didn't notice it while filming, it hit me on the last day of shooting — 'I've really grown attached.'"
He said, "In the past, I didn't know much. Even when someone said, 'If you have questions, just ask,' you need to know something first. Since I didn't know much, I didn't have questions or much desire to know. But after working with actors my age and spending time with peers, I realized that the better I get along with these people, the easier the filming becomes."
"It wasn't just Yi Young — I felt this while watching other characters too. When you don't know something, you should ask questions. But there's also that feeling that if you ask, you might get scolded, right? ... So, in the early days of my career, I didn't ask many questions. I was worried people would say, 'How can an actor not know this?' so I held back. Now, I ask a lot, share my opinions, and if I don't know something, I ask questions."
Resident Playbook had been scheduled to air in May last year, but due to the Doctors' Strike, the premiere was postponed for about a year. On this, Go Youn Jung said, "Since I'm seeing the final version a year after filming, I honestly don't remember the details very well. So I'm watching it now from the perspective of a viewer for about 80% of the time. I find myself thinking, 'What happened with these characters again?' as I watch." "I had been so busy that I didn't really feel the delay in the broadcast all that much. Still, it would be a lie to say I wasn't disappointed about it being postponed. I was disappointed, of course, but the cast members were all busy in their own ways. After waiting a year, the drama finally came out, and it felt really nice. I've also been looking forward to the new episodes every week with excitement."
The character Oh Yi Young had the highest congruity with herself among all the roles she has played so far. "Oh Yi Young feels like the character most similar to me among all the roles I've played so far." "After the casting was finalized, the writer created the characters by referencing each actor's traits. Since the character had many similarities to me, I was able to suggest various ideas and even incorporate parts of my real personality into the filming."
She also said that Oh Yi Young's warm-hearted demeanour, despite her coming off as blunt, helped the viewers resonate more with the character. "Even though Yi Young tries to act tough, she has these very human moments, like the time when she breaks down in the operating room. At first, she was completely focused on just making money and getting out without getting emotionally attached to the hospital, but as the story progresses, she gradually moves past that denial phase and begins to open her heart and become more engaged [in her work]."
She added, "If I were a patient, I wouldn't want to meet someone like former Yi Young either (laughs). I think Yi Young went through a kind of 'denial phase' when it came to her job. She knew that once she started to like it, she'd fall for it completely, so she kept denying her own feelings. But in truth, even from the beginning, Yi Young was sincere about her work."
When asked, "Does your younger brother think that his sister is pretty?", she candidly responded, "My brother doesn't think I'm pretty." "Every Sunday and Monday morning, he captures the drama's ratings and shows them to me. He likes the drama more than I do. He does seem to be rooting for his sister." Go Youn Jung also mentioned that she gives her younger brother a lot of allowance, saying, "After filming, I don't even have time to do laundry, and when I go to overseas shoots, it takes a long time to pack and unpack. So I ask him to help clean, and I give him a generous allowance." It was also revealed that Go Youn Jung's brother is a civil servant. When asked, "Is your brother also good-looking?", she replied, "Just like my younger brother doesn't think I'm pretty, I don't think he is good-looking either," evoking laughter.
This project featured numerous cameo appearances by actors from Hospital Playlist. Go Youn Jung shared her thoughts, saying, "It felt like I was watching the seniors' drama," and added, "We're such junior actors compared to them. I thought they might try to maintain a certain image in front of us, but even when they made mistakes, they'd say, 'Let's go one more time,' and never seemed embarrassed or ashamed. That was really cool."
When asked about what she learned from this drama, she replied, "I realized just how important physical stamina is. I caught colds so frequently during filming that I ended up having to do a lot of post-recording. Seeing firsthand how my getting sick affected everyone made me realize just how much of a nuisance I could be. It was a time of growth for me as an actor. While filming, I often thought back to working on JTBC's Law School in 2021. Senior actors like Kim Bum and Ryu Hye Young really showed us a lot of consideration. After becoming the lead myself, I realized that such consideration is not something that comes easily. Everyone was busy with their own thing, and it was total chaos, so I was surprised and grateful for how well they treated us. Watching and learning from such great seniors made me want to become a senior figure who treats juniors like Shin Shi Ah or Han Ye Ji, who just debuted, well. I feel that my sense of responsibility has grown a lot."
"Through this drama, do you feel you've grown as an adult [in any aspect]? Anything you'd like to share with those just starting out in the job field?" "There are people who handle everything wisely, but there are also those who are inexperienced. I think Resident Playbook is a drama that sends a message of understanding to the latter — saying, 'It's okay, no one gets everything right from the beginning.' I hope people keep learning, keep asking questions, and grow together. I hope they stay strong (laughs)."
