Tutoring popular among television stars... Why? 'For professional acting'

It is becoming common for actors to go have private tutoring before filming dramas. Many dramas these days have the theme of professionalism, and the main characters want to show the career realistically.

SBS "Gourmet" is about cooks who compete for the top cook spot, and it is a key point for the main characters to make it seem more realistic. The production company, JS Pictures, made Kim Rae-won, Kwon O-joong, and Won Ki-joon attend cooking school three months before filming.

Main characters of dramas to come later in the year are also receiving training or lessons. Yoon Soy, the female lead of SBS "City of Glass - Drama", set to air in September, and Jeong Da-yeong are attending Baek Ji-yeon's Speech Korea. These actors come out as announcers. A representative of Yoon Soy said, "Baek Ji-yeon has said that if they're going to do it, they might as well do it well. They are attending the same classes as future announcers".

MBC "Beethoven Virus" is about members of an orchestra, so the main characters are receiving private lessons and submersing themselves in studying music. Kim Myeong-min, who plays a conductor, has been receiving lessons twice a week from Seo Hee-tae, a music director for dramas and arts director for Seoul National Symphony Orchestra. Lee Ji-ah, who plays a violinist, is taking lessons, and the writer of the drama is also taking violin lessons to get familiar with instruments.

Jeong Il-woo, main character of MBC "Triple", which will probably air next January, has been receiving lessons for ice skating six months before airing. He plays a short track athlete, and since he didn't know any skating, he has been attending special classes at Korea National Sport University. On the days he doesn't have lectures, he is receiving private training. Professor Jeon Myeong-gyu, his trainer, has been the national team's coach and trained gold medalists such as Ahn Hyeon-su. There is great anticipation for Jeong Il-woo to step out onto the ice.

SBS "Painter of the Wind", which will air later this year, stars Park Shin-yang and Moon Geun-yeong as Kim Heung-do and Shin Yun-bok, respectively, and they are attending a calligraphy school. They are learning oriental painting from a college professor and are trying to get closer to the image of a genius painter.

One person involved in dramas has said, "The viewers' expectations are higher, so it seems actors study hard before acting so that the basic qualities can be etched into their bodies".