Actor Lee Jong-suk shed some weight to add to the authenticity of his North Korea scenes, the actor said in a press conference for SBS TV’s “Doctor Stranger” in Mok-dong, Seoul, Tuesday.

“I know I am pretty skinny, but I still tried to lose extra weight for the part until my face got all bony,” Lee said.

Doctor Stranger is the actor’s first major role in a medical drama.

“We tried to pick the costumes that best fit the scenes, rather than (based on) corporate sponsorship,” the actor added.

The Monday-Tuesday drama is set in a famous hospital, and addresses the idea that “every individual is a stranger of his or her own,” with a faint hint of inter-Korean issues, the makers said.

SBS pushed back the date of airing the first episode by a week, from April 28 to May 5, after the Sewol sank off the southwest coast on April 16.

By Chung Joo-won (joowonc@heraldcorp.com)