Bae Suzy, Nam Joo Hyuk to star in Netflix K-drama about start-ups and business dreams

Renowned Korean actors Bae Suzy and Nam Joo Hyuk will star in a K-drama about young people who are chasing their business dreams.

Titled "Start-Up," the series also stars Korean actors Kim Seon Ho and Kang Han Na.

On Monday, all four Korean stars including its director Oh Choong Hwan were present at a virtual press conference for the show attended by select media outlets from all over the world, including GMA News Online.

Director Choong Hwan said the drama series has "a lot of stories to tell" and it is about "encouraging the people who want to grow up or go up as they start out."

The story follows four young people who are chasing their dreams in a place called "Sand Box." Seo Dal Mi (Suzy), whose dream is to become the Steve Jobs of Korea despite not having a fancy background, will show her passion and energy to reach her goal having had a wide-range of experience from her part-time jobs.

Suzy said she was drawn to the project because she personally enjoyed the stories and relationships of the characters within the series.

She also said she wanted to "encourage other youth my age because that's the message of this show. It's a very heartwarming story."

Meanwhile, Nam Do San (Joo Hyuk), who will play as the founder of Samsan Tech and considered as a "math genius" as a young boy, has turned into his family's shame after once being a pride of his clan.

He later meets Dal Mi who will mistake him as her first love. He then decides to work his way up with hopes to turn misunderstanding to reality.

Joo Hyuk said he decided to take on the role because he thought the character was still incomplete.

"Right now this character seems to be a bit lacking a little bit here and there but as the story unfolds, he is going to grow so I wanted to portray that," he said.

The Korean actor also said that through his portrayal, he had an opportunity to look into his past and future.

"I really identified with my character. It is about a story of a young person and also to immerse myself in my character, I really looked into myself," he said.

Senior investment manager at a venture capital company Han Ji Pyeong (Seon Ho) will be recognized in the industry as "the Gordon Ramsay of investments" given his sharp tongue and investment skills.

Seon Ho similarly said what sparked him to join in the cast is how compelling each episode was as he read the script.

"I felt very comfortable reading the story and the character and what sets this show apart from others. When you look at other dramas they have a lot of spicy juicy stories but our stories are very heart warming and encouraging," he said.

Won In Jae (Han Na) will be playing a young CEO with an attractive background that everyone wants, good education, beauty, and money. Despite this, she struggles to create her own success and be recognized for her own talent and skills.

Han Na said she was attracted to her character because they have a similar desire to achieve something and get things done once she starts doing a task.

According to the Korean actress, she specifically had her hair cut short for her portrayal. The series writer Hye Run also gave her reference videos of actual successful CEOs which she said she decided "to emulate their energy and aura" into her character.

The new Netflix K-drama series is under the helm of Oh Choong Hwan, the same director for "Hotel del Luna," "While You Were Sleeping," and "Doctors."

For the series, he worked closely with writer Park Hye Ryun, who is known for her works "Dream High," "I Can Hear Your Voice," "Pinocchio," and "While You Were Sleeping."

"Start-Up" is set to premiere on Netflix on October 17. —MGP, GMA News