19+ rated period drama explores free love in an era of strict traditions

Go A-ra poses for a photo during a press conference held in Yongsan-gu, Seoul, Wednesday. (Yonhap)
Go A-ra poses for a photo during a press conference held in Yongsan-gu, Seoul, Wednesday. (Yonhap)

"Reply 1994" star Go A-ra is back on the small screen, this time in a steamy romance series titled "The Scandal of Chunhwa."

The period drama explores love in an era when rigid decorum dictated interactions between men and women. It follows Hwa-ri (Go A-ra), a princess determined to choose her own husband, even as her father, the king, rushes to arrange her marriage after rumors spread that she is the protagonist of a provocative anthology titled "Chunhwa Love Stories."

Rated 19+ for its explicit content, the Tving drama portrays the honest desires of young people who dream of choosing their own partners in a society bound by strict traditions.

Director Lee Kwang-young emphasized that his focus was on storytelling rather than sensationalism.

“The series unfolds as 'Chunhwa Love Stories' gains popularity in an era of strict gender norms. Instead of dwelling on the novel’s explicit elements, we explore who wrote such a book at the time and why,” he said during a press conference in Yongsan-gu, Seoul, on Wednesday.

Lee also shared the inspiration behind the story: “The head of the production company once told me he stumbled upon an old book in a secondhand bookstore as a child. Shocked, he immediately closed it -- but on his way out, he wondered who might have written such a story in the past. That curiosity led to this project. My focus was on uncovering the motivations behind those tales rather than highlighting explicit content.”

Go A-ra in
Go A-ra in "The Scandal of Chunhwa" (Tving)

For Go, widely known for her lead roles in "Reply 1994" and "Miss Hammurabi," "The Scandal of Chunhwa" marks a return to the small screen for the first time in five years.

On choosing the project, she said with a laugh, “It feels like I took that break just to come across this incredible work.”

Hwa-ri starts off as somewhat immature, but as she faces numerous challenges, she grows -- that was the most compelling part for me,” said Go in describing her character.

Go took over the role from actor Go Ah-sung, who was originally cast but stepped down due to an injury. “I’m truly grateful -- it was a bit of luck. I was already preparing for a historical drama at the time, so I was ready for the role,” she said, adding, “There were many aspects of Hwa-ri’s personality and choices that I could relate to and understand.”

With a wave of historical dramas like "The Tale of Lady Ok" and "The Queen Who Crowns" hitting screens, director Lee highlighted what makes "The Scandal of Chunhwa" stand out.

“There are traditions we must uphold, but there are also customs that need to evolve with time. (With 'The Scandal of Chunhwa,') we focused on reshaping these traditions in our own way,” he said.

"The Scandal of Chunhwa" premieres Thursday on Tving.