‘Heart Signal 5’ PDs Park Cheol-hwan and Kim Hong-gu Share Vivid Behind-the-Scenes - 스포츠경향

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With Tuesday nights dyed in anticipation by ‘Heart Signal 5’, and only the much-anticipated ‘final choice’ left, the planning-and-directing PDs Park Cheol-hwan and Kim Hong-gu shared vivid behind-the-scenes stories and their special thoughts as Season 5 comes to a close.

On the 21st (Tue) at 10 p.m., the final episode of Channel A ‘Heart Signal 5’ (directed by Park Cheol-hwan and Kim Hong-gu) will show the residents, who have lived in the ‘Signal House’ for one month, entering the much-anticipated ‘final choice’. In this regard, PDs Park Cheol-hwan and Kim Hong-gu shared their reflections along with this request: “The residents’ heartfelt final choices will finally be revealed. We would be grateful if you stay with us through the very end.”

‘Heart Signal 5’ climbed to no. 1 in ‘TV-OTT non-drama buzz’ on the ‘Fundex Chart’ (compiled by Good Data Corporation) right after its April 14 premiere, and has entered the ‘chart Top 5’ for seven consecutive weeks since the last week of May. It has also ranked first among ‘Tuesday non-drama’ shows for six consecutive weeks, showing formidable staying power. Viewers are now watching with keen interest to see whether the couples they support, such as ‘Wooyugyeong’ (Park Woo-yeol-Kang Yu-kyung) and ‘Seosoyun’ (Kim Seo-won-Choi So-yun), will become the final couples. Regarding this wave of popularity, PD Park Cheol-hwan said, “There were many moments when we on the production team were surprised as we watched the reactions of viewers. Seeing the three-second cut in which, on day one in the kitchen, Woo-yeol strides toward Yu-kyung and Yu-kyung takes a step back, there were reactions like, ‘I have chosen these two,’ which was astonishing and fascinating. In truth, that moment felt ineffably good to us as well, and it reminded us that such ‘goodness’ can simply be conveyed. A comment that said, ‘Wooyugyeong is something you feel,’ also stays with me,” he laughed. He added, “The moment Jun-hyun bought hotteok for Yu-kyung was thrilling, and it was gratifying to see it draw a big response (about 5.08 million views of that clip as of the 16th). The response that Min-ju and Sung-min had a Tokushima bicycle date that was beautiful and moving was exactly how our team felt, and we were grateful that people immediately recognized the chemistry between Seo-won and So-yun. ‘Seosoyun’ is even more poignant because the feelings began late, and cherishing them as much as we did gave us strength.”

‘Heart Signal 5’ also drew attention for the frank love styles of ‘Gen Z’ and for residents’ candid yet witty remarks that rose to the level of ‘quotable lines’. While lines like Jung Jun-hyun’s ‘Romance comes with waste’ and Kang Yu-kyung’s ‘Let us try walking even a thorny path’ set the internet ablaze, PD Park Cheol-hwan said, “All of those lines remain in my heart, and many scenes gave either a refreshing jolt or deep emotion. Personally, I thought So-yun and her ‘Nasajos-i (good time with a bad person)’ were ingenious, and to add one more, a line from unreleased footage in which Woo-yeol said ‘Like my original self‘ also resonated deeply. As one goes through social life, one comes to have multiple versions of oneself, and I wondered whether, after meeting Yu-kyung, Woo-yeol recovered the sense of ’my original self’, which moved me.”

A special affection for the residents also came through. PD Park Cheol-hwan said, “(About this season’s residents) I was grateful for the point that ‘these are people who are natural and frank as they are,’ but that also made us tense. Because each person sped forward with their own frankness, nothing could be predicted. The remark ‘What do texts matter’ is, in a way, correct. The excitement that came through in that remark made it good in itself. Woo-yeol’s confession ‘I like you’ was an unfiltered truth that burst out, so regardless of any rules it was inevitably thrilling.” He continued, “The adult and the boy within Woo-yeol, Yu-kyung’s purity and courage, Min-ju’s warmth and insight, Sung-min’s gentle nature and diligence, So-yun’s sense of fun and girlish tenderness, Jun-hyun’s gentleness and innocence, and Seo-won’s depth and steadiness. All these charms were exactly as they are in each of them, so we were happy while making the show and learned a lot.”

They also revealed surprise casting anecdotes about the residents. PD Park Cheol-hwan said, “I first met Min-ju during ‘Heart Signal 4’. Coming together this time made me feel, ‘It really is fate.’ Also, after finishing the casting interview, there is a memory of everyone on the team buzzing because Woo-yeol looked astonishingly handsome while checking his ‘school record’.” In addition, PD Park Cheol-hwan said, “I feel very grateful because it seems the freshness and the sound of heartbeats in twenty-something romance, which we especially wanted to convey this season, somehow came through,” and added, “We will prepare an even better season and return without delay. Please look forward to and support the final episode that contains the residents’ final choices.”

Below is a Q&A with PDs Park Cheol-hwan and Kim Hong-gu.

1. As the final choice approaches, viewers’ deduction fever is heating up. Among the passionate reactions, was there any point that surprised you?

-Watching the three-second cut in which, on day one in the kitchen, Woo-yeol strides toward Yu-kyung and Yu-kyung takes a step back, I once saw a reaction that said, ‘I have chosen these two,’ which was astonishing and fascinating. In truth, that moment felt ineffably good to us as well, and it reminded us that such ‘goodness’ can simply be conveyed. On a date between Woo-yeol and Yu-kyung there is no conventional romance-show context or mood. Yet when you watch, a smile simply comes, and your heartbeat rises along with it. I once saw a YouTube comment that said, ‘Wooyugyeong is something you feel,’ and it really seems that way.

The moment when Jun-hyun bought hotteok for Yu-kyung was also thrilling, and it was gratifying that it drew a big response (about 5.08 million views of that clip as of the 16th). The reaction that Min-ju and Sung-min’s Tokushima bicycle date was beautiful and moving matched exactly how our production team felt, and we were thankful that people immediately recognized the chemistry between Seo-won and So-yun. ‘Seosoyun’ is even more poignant because the feelings began late, and cherishing them as much as we did gives us strength. The moments of the two are a joy to unearth, so we are keeping them well. We will share them. In addition, the final choices that contain these participants’ true feelings will be revealed in the last episode, and we hope many viewers will watch warmly with supportive hearts.

2. There is also immense curiosity about self-talk clips, inner-thought interviews, and messages on the study room postcards. Might you perhaps release the unreleased self-talk videos later?

-Yes, of course. Around the finale, we plan to show each cast member’s meaningful unreleased moments.

3. There were many impressive lines from the cast, such as ‘Romance comes with waste’, ‘It is decided in three seconds’, ‘Let us try walking even a thorny path’, and ‘Can we keep riding the roller coaster’. Which quote hit you the hardest?

-All of the above quotes remain in my heart, and many scenes gave either a refreshing jolt or deep emotion. I thought So-yun and her ‘Nasajos-i (good time with a bad person)’ were ingenious. To add one more, a line from unreleased footage in which Woo-yeol said ‘Like my original self‘ also resonated deeply. As one goes through social life, one comes to have multiple versions of oneself. I wondered whether, after meeting Yu-kyung, Woo-yeol recovered the sense of ’my original self’, which moved me.

4. This ‘Heart Signal 5’ had many dramatic moments. In particular, there were many reactions that it was unbelievable that the theater locations overlapped for the double dates of Woo-yeolYu-kyung and Seo-wonGyu-ri in episode 8. Although the broadcast explained the situation, please tell us how the team felt at the time when you realized it was the same theater.

-First of all, it truly was not a situation we created. Of course, we thought what happened then was unbelievably exquisite. Woo-yeol first told us about a booking at a theater in Gangnam, and around 3 a.m. Seo-won told us about his booking details, and it was the same theater, which shocked us. We could not recommend a different theater. That would itself be interference and could plant a thought in one of the residents. ‘What if these four think we deliberately set them up’ was our first worry through the night, and ‘How can we secure that theater by tomorrow’ was our second. It was actually impossible, but thankfully the theater staff helped us, for which we were very grateful.

5. In episode 8, there were many reactions that said the scene of Woo-yeol and Yu-kyung sitting side by side in the parlor and texting was a first for the entire season, that it was ‘true to Gen Z’s love style,’ and that it was ‘surprising’. Did the team feel the same on site?

-We felt a sense of newness in many moments. We were grateful for the point that ‘these are people who are natural and frank as they are,’ but that also made us tense. Because each person sped forward with their own frankness, nothing could be predicted. The remark ‘What do texts matter’ is, in a way, correct. The excitement that came through in that remark made it good in itself. The confession ‘I like you’ is an unfiltered truth that bursts out, so regardless of any rules it is inevitably thrilling.

The adult and the boy within Woo-yeol, Yu-kyung’s purity and courage, Min-ju’s warmth and insight, Sung-min’s gentle nature and diligence, So-yun’s sense of fun and girlish tenderness, Jun-hyun’s gentleness and innocence, and Seo-won’s depth and steadiness. All these charms were exactly as they are in each of them, so we were happy while making the show and learned a lot.

6. The Valentine’s Day ‘Truth Game’ episode was also breathlessly tense. You must have had many editing dilemmas; what did you focus on, and how did you hope viewers would watch it?

-It was the hardest night for the residents, and it was where many changes and conflicts began. We watched with bated breath, clutching our hearts, and that night none of us could sleep. We felt we had to convey the tension and confusion on set as vividly as possible. Only then would the sincerity and steadiness of the residents who overcame that process and found their own hearts be conveyed as well.

7. Season 5 seems to reflect feedback from previous seasons, such as quick catfish entry, self-talk interviews, brisk editing, and release of behind-the-scenes photos, and it has received many positive responses. Was there any memorable feedback from viewers this season?

-We worried after seeing reactions that found the interviews in episode 1 awkward, but afterward people waited for the self-talk and interviews too, which we felt was fortunate. As the episodes went on, it seems we found a golden ratio for capturing the residents’ inner thoughts. That likely needs to continue. It is a deduction game, but there are moments when the subject’s inner thoughts are essential. Conversely, there are moments when expressions and actions matter more than words. We will continue to refine the balance of inner thoughts that is unique to ‘Heart Signal’ with more precision. We will also reflect on the feedback you gave this season and return with those thoughts applied.

8. The fact that Kim Hyun-woo designed this season’s ‘Signal House’ interior became an issue. Besides that, were there any other hidden contributors who helped ‘Heart Signal 5’?

-It was a collaboration that came together over a meal with Hyun-woo after a long time, and it was very satisfying and fun. As we felt during ‘Messiah’ (the name of the restaurant Kim Hyun-woo used to run), he is exacting in his work, and above all, thanks to his outstanding aesthetic sense, we were able to create a house with a fresh feel. We would also like to thank Studio ‘Eum’ CEO Lee Sun-hong, who designed the self-talk space with sophistication, and Chairwoman Lee Mi-ja, who offered her Itaewon mansion. Beyond that, there are many staff members, experts in various fields, and brands who work hard to make a season possible. Since we have this opportunity, we would like to say thank you.

9. The cast members won much love, including the ‘fox man’ Park Woo-yeol, the ‘all-vote woman’ Kang Yu-kyung, and the ‘Ros look-alike’ Kim Min-ju. What qualities impressed you at casting and led you to choose them? There are also many comments that, despite their young age, this season’s residents were especially mature and well-mannered. If there is any casting-stage episode you remember, please share it.

-We first met Min-ju in Season 4, and she remained a candidate we kept remembering. She has an elegant aura paired with frankness and liveliness, so our whole team had remembered her for years. Finally doing this together made us feel, ‘It really is fate.’ For Woo-yeol, after the interview, there is a memory that everyone buzzed because he looked astonishingly handsome while checking his student record. He felt diligent and mature, yet with a sense that not everything had been shown, and he revealed that potential once he moved in. We first saw Yu-kyung in a photo from the first-round interview site, and even in one photo her unique vibe came through. When we met her in person, a ‘mischievous streak’ was added, and we thought her charm was impossible to predict.

Jun-hyun struck us at first sight as having a rare ‘teto’ ace and charm these days. Yet he is also quietly funny and delicate, so we were curious how he would navigate a budding romance. As Min-ju said, Sung-min is easygoing, and in a way innocent and gently endearing, which we liked. Because of Seo-won’s handsomeness and purity that can transform the surrounding air, we remember there being smiles from the very first interview. And as for So-yun, it was fascinating and charming to see someone who resembled actress Shim Eun-ha walk in and deliver unhesitating wit. The well-mannered and mature qualities that viewers noticed also moved us. They are sincere and brimming with humanity, so over six months we grew very attached.

10. As this season ends, there must be things you were grateful for, things you regret, and thoughts on the direction ‘Heart Signal’ should take. Please share them.

-There is some regret regarding initial buzz and ratings, but in the end the buzz rose a lot, and above all we are relieved and grateful that you gave so much love to the residents. Because ‘Heart Signal’ is a program created together with viewers’ immersion and support, we must say we are grateful for each and every piece of feedback. One of our ongoing considerations is the early progression. We believe that deep feelings and genuine chemistry that build over the course of a month are one of the cores of ‘Heart Signal’, but the first four episodes may feel somewhat slow, which is our current concern. We will come back with a good answer to this.

Lastly, what we are most thankful for is that the freshness and the sound of heartbeats in twenty-something romance, which we especially wanted to convey this season, seem to have been delivered. Everyone who watches ‘Heart Signal’ likely keeps or anticipates feelings from a romance somewhere in their twenties, and we wanted you to feel that. We also wanted ‘Heart Signal’ to start again from that feeling. We will prepare a better season and return without delay. Please look forward to and support the final episode that contains the residents’ final choices. Thank you.

After a month-long journey in the ‘Signal House’, the residents finally enter their final choices. Their last stories can be seen in the finale of Channel A’s ‘Heart Signal 5’, airing on the 21st (Tue) at 10 p.m.