Gong Yoo returns to Netflix with mystery melodrama ‘The Trunk’

Gong Yoo poses for a photo during a press conference for Netflix series “The Trunk” in Seoul on Tuesday. (Yonhap)

Actor Gong Yoo returns to the Netflix original series with a mystery melodrama “The Trunk,” set for release Friday.

His last Netflix series was the 2021 thriller “The Silent Sea.”

Gong Yoo plays Jung-won, a music producer who marries In-ji (Seo Hyun-jin), an employee at a wedding company called NM, on a fixed-term contract basis.

The drama is helmed by Kim Kyu-tae behind the hit series “It’s Okay, That’s Love” (2014) and “Our Blues” (2022) and the story is based on the 2015 novel of the same title by Kim Ryeo-ryeong.

As In-ji enters into her fifth contractual with Jung-Won, their married life takes a darker turn when a mysterious trunk is discovered in a lake.

Gong Yoo said he liked the drama's intriguing mix of romance, psychological drama and mystery.

“This drama takes a different approach in discussing love and relationship. Its storyline can be interpreted differently based on perspective, so I was attracted to it,” Gong told reporters during a press conference in Seoul on Tuesday.

“It was also a great opportunity for me to act with Oh Hae-young,” he added, mentioning the hit role that Seo played in the 2016 hit rom-com “Another Miss Oh.”

“The Trunk” (Netflix)

“The Trunk” (Netflix)

In “The Trunk,” Gong Yoo showcases lingering pain of Jung-won’s past, particularly his unresolved feelings for his ex-wife who initiated the contract marriage between Jung-won and In-ji.

“Jung-won is something of an immature character who has a traumatic past. I felt bad about this character, while feeling attached to the character as well, a which came out naturally,” Gong added.

Seo Hyun-jin said she felt challenged to play the role In-ji.

“Because the script is without a lot of directions or emotions (required for acting), I felt that In-ji could be a different person depending on who plays her,” Seo told reporters.

Seo Hyun-jin poses for a photo during a press conference for Netflix series “The Trunk” in Seoul on Tuesday. (Yonhap)