The upcoming Netflix mystery series “The Art of Sarah” spotlights human ambition. For star Lee Jun-hyuk, the story feels especially timely and all the more compelling in today’s climate.

“I think that, at this point in time, a story about a woman like Sarah Kim who simply pursues her ambition is both meaningful and necessary,” said Lee during the show’s press conference held in Jung District, central Seoul, on Tuesday. “Personally, I find it to be one of the most interesting stories right now. I believe it would resonate with audiences anywhere in the world.”


Director Kim Jin-min, who was behind the series “Extracurricular” (2020) and “My Name” (2021), added, “I hope viewers allow themselves to confront and even fully explore their own desires alongside the story."

The cast and director were careful not to reveal spoilers to preserve the show’s suspense, but they were eager to speak about making the series.

The show opens with a dead body found frozen in a sewer in Cheongdam-dong, Gangnam District, one of Seoul’s wealthiest areas. The victim is later revealed to be Sarah Kim, played by Shin Hae-sun, a mysterious woman whose name is heard everywhere but who cannot seemingly be found anywhere. The show follows Lee's character, detective Park Mu-gyeong as he tackles the case, chasing her trail.

Shin shared that she underwent extensive styling to capture both her character's job as the head of a high-end brand’s Asia branch and her mysterious background.

“I think I’ve tried just about every kind of makeup imaginable,” said Shin, thanking her makeup and costume team.

“With Sarah Kim, I really got to try a lot of things, like wearing contact lenses, applying false eyelashes, and normally, I’m the kind of person who feels a bit uncomfortable with so much makeup, but with the wigs, the hairstyles and all the styling, I actually had a lot of fun, looking back on it. It was so satisfying that it even made me think I’d love to do it all over again.”

The series also marks Shin and Lee’s second collaboration in eight years since the first season of tvN’s “Stranger” (2017-20). Having worked together before, the two actors said there was a strong sense of mutual trust, which helped them focus and deliver the emotional depth required for the series.

“Even though it had been a long time since we last worked together, there was this unspoken trust between us that made our scenes click immediately,” Shin said. “I realized once again how much those shared moments over time matter.”

However, it was not only the actors who trusted one another. Director Kim emphasized that casting was crucial for the series, ensuring that the right actors could thoroughly portray the story's complex mystery and tension. He said that when Shin was cast, he believed his work was “mostly done.”

“For an actor, being asked to portray a wide range of emotions and faces is a really demanding task,” Kim said. “No matter how much a director asks for different sides of a character, it won’t come out unless the actor has the ability to deliver it."

“After meeting Shin, the only thing that came to my mind was ‘I trust her.’ She focused fully on her fellow actors and believed in herself, and I was amazed by the level of her performance. That energy translated directly onto the screen. I trusted both Shin and Lee, and over time, my trust in them only deepened. I think this project was made possible because they trusted me as much as I trusted them.”

Kim also described Lee’s role as "the viewers’ eyes," adding that his constant questions helped shape the final performance.

“From the very first meeting and throughout the shoot, Lee asked me a lot of insightful questions,” the director said.

“Whenever he didn’t understand something or wasn’t sure how to approach his performance, he asked sharp, precise questions. Usually, if the director doesn’t know much about it, the actor usually goes on with it. But Lee would ask the questions until I answered them, which [in the end] helped me avoid a lot of directorial mistakes.”

While deliberately not revealing much about the show, they expressed confidence in the show itself and its appeal.

“I liked it so much that I already watched it several times,” Shin said. “Each time, I discovered something new and could interpret it a little differently, which made rewatching really fun. So, I’d say my [real-life] desire would be for viewers a series they want to keep watching again and again.”

The mystery series "The Art of Sarah" is set to be released on Netflix on Friday.

BY KIM JI-YE [kim.jiye@joongang.co.kr]