Kim Bo-ra, Kim Woo-seok to deliver heartfelt story with 'Finland Papa'

The Korea Times

The Korea Times

Entertainment & Arts

Tue, September 26, 2023 | 04:35

Shows & Dramas

Kim Bo-ra, Kim Woo-seok to deliver heartfelt story with 'Finland Papa'

Posted : 2023-04-20 08:42

Updated : 2023-04-21 09:45

Actor Kim Bo-ra plays the role of Lee Yoo-ri in the upcoming series, "Finland Papa." Courtesy of Special Movie City

By Lee Gyu-lee

Actors Kim Bo-ra and Kim Woo-seok are set to deliver a heartwarming family story in the upcoming series, "Finland Papa."

The romantic drama series revolves around a cafe in Busan, called Finland Papa, whose employees are like a close-knit family caring for each other.

Run by a mysterious, anonymous owner (Kim Woo-seok), the cafe brings together people who are suffering from trauma and come from dysfunctional and broken families and provides them with a sanctuary to experience and learn what it means to have a real family.

Kim Bo-ra will play the role of Lee Yoo-ri, who joins the cafe following the death of her grandmother, who was the only family she had. She sees the cafe's job posting, which includes free meals as part of employee benefits and becomes part of the new family. It is a completely new experience for her.

"Each character has his or her own story. (Each episode of) the series always kept me curious about the next episode," the actress said during the press conference for the series, Wednesday, which was held at Megabox in Seongdong District, Seoul. "Through Yoo-ri, I wanted to show a modest and firm, but also lovely character."

The actress shared that her character's life reminded her of her own, which drew her to take on the role.

"Personally, I'm close to my grandmother. And in the script, the relationship Yoo-ri has with her grandmother was very tight. I decided to take the series simply because of that part. It reminded me a lot about my own grandmother," she said.

A scene from the series, "Finland Papa" / Courtesy of Special Movie City

Kim Woo-seok will play the role of Baek Woo-hyun who founded the cafe. Lee and he grew up together and became each other's first love. One day, he disappeared out of the blue, but when Lee starts working for the cafe, the two are reunited once more.

The actor expressed that the series' heartfelt, comforting message interested him to join the project.

"Everyone has their own traumas. And I liked how the story touches on the traumas that you can see from people around you and on how (the characters) share and get through them together," he said. "Woo-hyun has a traumatic past but he tries not to show it. He's the type of person who tries to blend in with family and friends. So I tried to focus on that part of the character in the script."

The series' writer Won Young-jin, whose previous work includes the romance series "Cafe Midnight 2," said the story is about people getting over their traumas.

"There's a line (in the series) that says it takes more courage to come back than to leave. This is my favorite line. The series is about people who have left after their hearts were broken and then come back to the place and people that caused the pain," she said.

"There are a lot of stories about people leaving, but I don't think there are many about them returning to recover from their trauma and making it a better place. That's what I intended when I wrote 'Finland Papa.'"

"Finland Papa" will premiere on April 29 and air Saturday and Sunday at 9 p.m.

gyulee@koreatimes.co.kr