Screen legend Choi Min-sik teams up with breakout star Choi Hyun-wook.
On the 24th, the press conference for Netflix series Notes From the Last Row was held. The drama follows Heo Moon-oh (played by Choi Min-sik), a Korean literature professor who spots the genius of Lee Kang (Choi Hyun-wook), a student who always sits in the very last row, setting off a gripping story.
Director Kim Kyu-tae, who helms the project, said, "The script itself was so entertaining. It was so compelling I read all six episodes in one sitting," revealing his love for the work. He added, "I wanted to create a timeless piece that marries mainstream appeal with literary depth—something you won’t get tired of even after many viewings."
Choi Min-sik's Heo Moon-oh is a man who loves literature but put down his pen to teach at a university. As he becomes immersed in Lee Kang's writing, the two develop a profound literary connection. Choi said, "He’s someone who struggles with deep-seated inferiority and defeat. Lee Kang’s writing becomes his turning point."
Choi Hyun-wook plays Lee Kang, an engineering student with exceptional writing talent whose true intentions are hard to read. He shared, "Rather than going big with my expressions, I focused on delicate emotional shifts," adding that he hopes viewers will follow the story as it blurs the line between truth and fiction through the pieces Lee Kang writes.
The duo’s on-screen synergy is a major draw. Choi Min-sik noted, "Lee Kang is the axis of this story—he shakes every character to their core. The better we react to him, the more the work comes alive," before praising, "Viewers will get lost in Choi Hyun-wook’s eyes."
Director Kim said he paid special attention to the show’s structure and spatial design. "The narrative moves across the border between truth and fabrication through Lee Kang’s writing," he explained, "so we built the spaces to contrast sharply with reality." He added, "Music serves as a device to express the characters’ inner psychology."
Based on Juan Mayorga’s play of the same name, Notes From the Last Row premieres June 26 at 5 p.m. KST.