'The Scandal' director questions future in erotic cinema

Director Jung Ji-woo has been behind some of Korean cinema’s most acclaimed erotic dramas — including "Eungyo," the 2012 feature that catapulted Hallyu megastar Kim Go-eun to stardom in her breakthrough role as a sexually precocious high school student.

Naturally, expectations were high for Jung’s latest project: an erotic K-drama adaptation of the seminal 18th-century French novel "Dangerous Liaisons" for Netflix Korea.

The pressure only intensified with the A-list cast — including Ji Chang-wook and Son Ye-jin — and the source material's track record. The novel's 2003 screen adaptation, "Untold Scandal," stands as one of the most commercially successful adult-rated films in Korean film history.

Despite the hype, Jung’s adaptation has received mixed reviews, with critics pointing to its sluggish pacing and lack of dramatic tension. The drama also ignited online debate over Nana’s portrayal of the chaste widow, Hui-yeon, as viewers argued that her visibly filled lips were unsuitable for a character defined by self-denial.

Addressing the response at a press interview in Seoul on Monday, Jung took responsibility for the creative choices that ultimately appeared on screen.

“I’m looking at every response with a complicated heart,” Jung said.

On whether the series required a different rhythm from the source material, particularly in light of criticism over its pacing, Jung said that he deliberately placed greater emphasis on the characters’ interior lives.

“There is a great deal happening internally for each character, and because their feelings have not yet been settled, there needed to be an element of having to wait and see where their hearts would lead them,” he said.

That emphasis on interiority also shaped Jung’s decision to cast Nana as Hui-yeon. According to Jung, he believed she could embody a woman capable of standing on her own and moving forward after hardship.

“In the latter part of the story, it was extremely important to me that Hui-yeon, after learning the truth of what had happened without any lies or omissions, face the question of how she would go on living,” Jung said, adding that he saw Nana as well suited to conveying that resilience.

“Hui-yeon had to be portrayed (by someone) who could say, ‘I will survive and live on defiantly,'" Jung said.

At the same time, Jung expressed regret over the controversy surrounding Nana’s lips, briefly acknowledging that the appearance on screen ultimately fell under his responsibility as director.

“I’m not saying this simply to lump everything together, but (the latest controversy) is the director’s responsibility. The visual conclusion that appears within the frame belongs to the director. I think that’s the right way to look at it,” he said.

Beyond the controversy, Jung said his interest in revisiting "Dangerous Liaisons" stemmed from the opportunity to invert the power dynamics between men and women.

Rather than simply placing a woman in a position of greater social or sexual power, he wanted to explore a broader reversal of conventional gender roles — most clearly reflected in the relationship between Cho Won and Cho Yoon. Jung described Cho Won as a man who is manipulated by Cho Yoon throughout his life.

“For me, reading such a relationship was a very interesting challenge," said Jung. "In a way, I found a character like Cho Won, a man who is being gaslit, to be a very strange and intriguing concept. By looking more broadly at the characters from the starting point of the original novel, I felt I had an opportunity to depict the late 18th century in a different way.”

Asked why a story built around such a reversal still felt relevant in 2026, Jung said he wanted to move beyond familiar narratives about women’s achievements and examine female ambition on its own terms.

“Modern female characters discussing gender issues have moved far beyond just pointing out that a man's success was secretly his wife's doing,” he said, noting that Cho Yoon’s journey offered a far more compelling narrative arc.

Jung’s relationship with erotic filmmaking, meanwhile, may be changing.

The director, whose filmography has often included sexuality and desire as vehicles for psychological exploration, said he has begun questioning whether he wants to continue making erotic projects.

“I’m starting to wonder if I should stop now,” Jung said. “I can’t shake the feeling that discomfort has reached a point where it is consuming the essence of the work.”

He acknowledged the delicate balancing act required when directing intimate scenes: building tension and emotional depth while ensuring actors aren't objectified.

“On one hand, you’re pushing for maximum intensity and tension; on the other, you’re trying to avoid objectification,” Jung said. “You end up exhausting yourself trying to satisfy both demands.”

As for what comes next, Jung said he is considering several projects but indicated that his next film or series will likely move away from the territory for which he has become known.

“I’m considering a few things. I'm afraid they won't be erotic," he said.