JTBC’s upcoming drama “My ID is Gangnam Beauty” promises to be more than just a sweet campus romance tale.

The Friday-Saturday drama, an adaptation of a well-known web comic of the same name, centers on a character named Kang Mi-rae, who grew up listening to hateful comments about her appearance.

Actress Lim Soo-hyang poses for photos before a press event at Times Square mall in Yeongdeungpo-gu, Seoul. (JTBC)

Stressed out by her appearance, the character undergoes extensive plastic surgery.

But even after her transformation, she experiences difficulties, as people call her “Gangnam beauty.”

The term refers to how a lot of people in the Gangnam area of southern Seoul look pretty yet appear similar to one another, as they received plastic surgery at the same hospitals.

“The overall story is sweet and lighthearted, but the underlying message is important. We don’t show a female protagonist who lives a wonderful life after plastic surgery,” producer Choi Sung-bum said at a press event held Thursday in western Seoul. “She doesn’t succeed in getting over her complex, as she receives attention for another reason.”

Actress Lim Soo-hyang, who says she is a fan of the original series, takes the role of Kang Mi-rae.

“As I read the original comic, I thought that Kang is sweet and lovely. I was happy to take the role,” she said. “At first, I was worried about the plastic surgery image, but as an actress, I have lived as a serial killer, a North Korean defector and a killer, too. It’s just a story.”

“At the beginning, Kang is not perfect. But as the story develops, she matures and overcomes her trauma,” she said.
The 16-part series will air its first episode Friday at 11 p.m.

By Im Eun-byel (silverstar@heraldcorp.com)