“Mental Coach Jegal” is a 16-episode sports drama centering on Jegal Gil, a former Taekwondo national athlete who quits sports after causing a scandal, and starts working as a mental coach to help retired professional athletes and current active athletes who are struggling.
The new K-drama stars Jung Woo (김정국), recent Emmy award-winner Lee Yoo-mi (이유미), Kwon Yul (권율), and Park Se-young (박세영). In this interview, the star-studded cast talks about sports, difficulties in filming, and more. The actors even delved into their pasts, adding more personality to their characters. Scroll down to read more:
Q: Please describe your character in a phrase or word.
Jung Woo: “To describe Jegal Gil in a word, I would say it is positive. He always strives to make impossible things come true with his positive energy.”
Lee Yoo-mi: “I play the role of short-track speed skating athlete, Cha Ga-Eul. Although I resemble the ice princess, the ice gradually melts and my character becomes warmer.”
Kwon Yul: “I played the role of gold medallist Gu Tae-man. Like how a gold medallist represents someone who belongs to the top class, he is really obsessed over power.”
Park Se-young: “I play the role of a doctor from the psychological support team, Dr. Park Seung-ha. She is like a warm sun, and when the sun comes into contact with the ice, the ice will melt. Seung-ha has the charm to melt people’s hearts.”
Q: What is the charming point about Mental Coach Jegal?
Park Se-young: “The charming point is that the atmosphere amongst the all actors was great, and the such atmosphere is reflected in the drama as well. The chemistry was very interesting. The actors also make the effort to play the sports personally. They practiced so hard that their toes hurt. Hard work is the most important point.”
Q: What were the most difficult parts when filming the drama?
Lee Yoo-mi: “I play a short track speed-skating athlete. While I was practicing and skating in the ice rink, it was really freezing. So withstanding the coldness was one of the difficulties. Although I thought that my toes were going to break, being inside the ice rink was the happiest but also the most difficult moment.”
Q: What was the most interesting and memorable episode during filming?
Jung Woo: “Actually, there were a lot of memorable episodes. Every day during filming, the director made us very comfortable and cozy. During set-up times in-between scenes, we also enjoyed chatting with one another. We had a lot of such memories, especially while filming at a popular spot at Geojedo Island. Also, there was a scene where we were performing with friends from the “No Medal Club” (in Episode 9). While performing, we were able to deliver our positive energy. I also felt that I gained energy myself during filming. With Gu Tae-man (Kwon Yul’s role), we also fight against unreasonable behaviours in society. The action scenes left a deep impression on me.”
Q: Do you like sports? Which sports would you like to try?
Kwon Yul: “I really like sports.”
Jung Woo: “Kwon Yul, you have also been a sports commentator, right?”
Kwon Yul: “Yes, I have been a commentator for basketball games. I want to play basketball with Jung Woo, he is good at it! He is powerful but also flexible. That is also shown in our drama. So, I want to try that with him. I also want to play cricket with Yoo-mi. It is a high-class sport that fits Yoo-mi’s image. For Se-young, I want to go bowling with her. I think she should be good at bowling. She has a very rounded personality and goes around well at the filming site. I think it will be great to bowl with her (laughs).”
The Sports drama genre drama – such as “Stoveleague”, “Racket Boys” and “Fight My Way” – is greatly inspiring thus making it extremely approachable to fans. The upbeat energy and the uplifting messages they convey stir hope and love into the hearts of viewers. “Mental Coach Jegal” definitely brings a lot of encouragement to the audience.
This popular drama is heading into its finale with episode 15 and 16 airing on 1st and 2nd November respectively. Watch the teaser trailer here;
The series has already achieved high ratings in Korea and has a staunch following in Malaysia. Watch “Mental Coach Jegal” now, currently airing on tvN Asia via Astro and Unifi TV.
