Yuna's success in 'The Tyrant's Chef' cements her status as a top actress, showcasing her dedication and talent in a challenging role.

Yuna from Girls' Generation successfully concluded the drama 'The Tyrant's Chef', firmly establishing her status as a 'drama queen'. Even amidst the challenge of a lead actor change, she fulfilled her role unwaveringly, achieving overwhelming results through synergy with all her co-stars, making her title of 'channel savior' not an exaggeration. 'The Tyrant's Chef' is a survival fantasy romantic comedy where a chef who time slips to the past meets a tyrant king with absolute taste. After its premiere on August 23, it captivated viewers with the actors' passionate performances and delicious dishes, recording a peak rating of 15.8% (episode 10, Nielsen Korea) before concluding with episode 12 on September 28. Yuna, who played the role of Yeong Ji-yeong, brought laughter with her comedic acting while struggling to survive in a sudden time slip situation. Meanwhile, she depicted a thrilling romance with the absolute taste tyrant Lee Hong (Lee Che-min) with delicate emotional acting, making viewers' hearts flutter. To leverage the drama's culinary theme, she performed 95% of all cooking scenes without a stunt double, providing a deep immersion. Thanks to her efforts, the show topped the Netflix non-English TV show category, creating the 'Tyrant's Chef Syndrome' both domestically and internationally. Following 'Big Mouth' and 'King the Land', Yuna achieved three consecutive hits with 'The Tyrant's Chef', recording five consecutive weeks at number one in the TV-OTT drama cast and buzz category, solidifying her status as a 'hit queen'. Yuna expressed her pride and affection for the work, stating, 'I feel a great love every day. 'The Tyrant's Chef' especially evokes strong emotions that tighten my heart when I think back on it. There were emotionally appealing scenes, and it was a project that required long trips for filming. The process of preparing for the new field of cooking was complex, making my feelings even more intense.' She also mentioned, 'From the moment I received the script, I spent over a year as Yeong Ji-yeong, so I feel lonely, but I am proud to have received so much love for the effort I put in.' As the secret to her three consecutive hits, she cited the 'three beats of power', saying, 'I don't think everything can be achieved by my strength alone. The drama's interestingness, the actors and production staff who created it together, and my choice of the project all aligned well to achieve good results.' Regarding the success of 'King the Land' and 'The Tyrant's Chef' on Netflix, she expressed gratitude, stating, 'It is surprising and I am thankful that two works have achieved such good results and been loved worldwide. Good works are important, but I believe the good results came from the synergy with the staff and co-stars who created the work together. I want to continue to show various aspects in my activities.' A new descriptor has emerged from this hit, with Yuna particularly fond of being called 'the most beloved actress', explaining, 'It is a phrase I can realistically feel. When I go to the airport or a restaurant, or meet acquaintances who say 'Wait for the skilled hand!' or that they are enjoying 'The Tyrant's Chef', I really feel it.' To perfect her role as a chef, Yuna put in extraordinary effort. She shared her interest in cooking, stating, 'I think cooking is the protagonist of 'The Tyrant's Chef', as the story unfolds through cooking.' Notably, she performed 95% of all cooking scenes herself without a stunt double. She explained, 'From the moment I received the script, they sent me a list of cooking-related works, so I watched cooking contests and practiced alone, but I thought it was impossible alone, so I started attending cooking classes. I received guidance on plating and Western cuisine from famous chefs.' She also mentioned, 'When demonstrating the dishes in the drama from start to finish, I went to the set, contributed ideas, and took time to understand the process. Thanks to this time, I was able to understand and master the cooking process, so I tried to do as much as I could myself on set. In any case, even if a stunt double was involved, there were parts where I needed to capture what I actually cooked on camera, so I aimed to reach a level where I could do it exactly the same from start to finish.' She displayed a professional attitude. Regarding her acting philosophy in romantic comedies, she said, 'It may seem exaggerated, but I believe doing my best leads to good results. I try to perform without being too shy.' Reflecting on the scenes that made viewers laugh, such as taekwondo and singing, she shared, 'I thought the lyrics of 'Come Back Home' (originally by Seo Taiji and Boys) fit Yeong Ji-yeong the best.' She even rewrote the lyrics to fit Yeong Ji-yeong's situation. Furthermore, she added details like using dishes as instruments to create a sense of rhythm during rehearsals. The director was flexible in accepting ideas and would rewrite the script if he thought it was good, creating a collaborative atmosphere where actors could freely discuss and create together. The diverse culinary feast introduced throughout the work was as unmissable as the actors' passionate performances. In particular, Lee Hong's (Lee Che-min) reactions became a hot topic. Yuna praised him, saying, 'I didn't have any tasting scenes, so I was curious about how everyone would shoot this. It took a long time to film the tasting cuts. We did CG shooting with a green screen and shot full shots... I remember there was a bit of waiting time when we started filming. Each time, I watched the filming from the side, and I thought Lee Hong's confident expression without shyness was really good and wonderful.' She added, 'While the cooking process is visible, the reactions of those who eat express how great the cook's ability is. Thanks to him eating so deliciously and reacting as if he had become a chef who made incredible dishes never tasted before, I think my skills stood out more. Lee Hong always said, 'I don't know how you made this. I want to escape reality.' The scene in the reed field was actually filmed in a reed field. I couldn't go, but when I saw the completed scene, it was really well done.' What was the most memorable reaction? Yuna explained, 'First, Lee Hong in the reed field. That scene where he ate the dish and threw off his clothes, and the expressions with MSG shrimp and shiitake mushrooms flying around. Then there was the scene where Lee Hong and Myung's U-gong expressed the spicy taste in a volcano. There was also sword dancing. All of them left a strong memory.' Before the drama started, Park Sung-hoon left due to discussions surrounding his SNS posts, leading to a change in the lead actor. Despite this, she focused on her role without being shaken. 'Regardless of the work, expressing that character well is my task and responsibility, so I studied hard for character expression,' she recalled. Particularly, it was her first time partnering with a younger, junior actor. Yuna revealed, 'I thought a lot about how the seniors and colleagues I had worked with before did it,' and shared her efforts to take the lead. She praised her co-star Lee Che-min, saying, 'I believe the most important thing is to match the breathing with the partner on set. (The lead actor change) was a situation that arose before filming began, and I had many things to prepare for my role, so I poured my energy into preparing to complete Yeong Ji-yeong. Even though there were many things to prepare in a short time, I felt that Lee Che-min, who came to the set well-prepared, was truly wonderful. So, I am very grateful.' Yuna expressed that through this work, she realized that it is important not to pull alone but for everyone to work together, reaffirming that the good chemistry with her co-stars was the core of the good results. Looking ahead to further leaps as an actress, Yuna reflected on how 'various experiences contribute to my growth', stating, 'I think there is a natural expression that seeps out without me realizing it. There are parts that only an actor can understand and parts that only a viewer can understand. If one side is too biased, there will be parts where the actor understands but cannot reach the viewer, or the viewer understands but the actor cannot be satisfied. In that regard, I have become more conscious of the points where a bit of explanatory parts can be seen in each work, so that viewers can chase the emotions. While doing so, I think I am always sincerely facing it and expressing what is given in my own way as my own charm. In that sense, if I can mesh well with the character, I think I can express it well while coexisting.' She continued, 'It is difficult to say when the starting point is, but I always continue in the same way. However, as I accumulate experiences, it seems that my own growth is occurring without me realizing it.' Yuna's sincere attitude and efforts likely led to the success of 'The Tyrant's Chef'. She expressed her determination to continue captivating people's taste buds through diverse activities, likening herself to a 'buffet' of expressions.