Filming by the beach and drinking beer: Kim Min-jae and Kim Hyang-gi on their favourite moments shooting Poong, the Joseon Psychiatrist 2

Sequels to beloved shows often have big shoes to fill, and the second season of K-drama Poong, the Joseon Psychiatrist is no different.

This season sees the titular Yoo Se-poong (Kim Min-jae) return from the idyllic Gyesu village to the royal court in Hanyang, which he was once ousted from, with his mentor Gye Ji-han (Kim Sang-kyun). Their help is needed as an illness ravages the royal court and people who have fallen ill see the ghost of their late queen.

Eventually, his love interest Seo Eun-woo (Kim Hyang-gi) joins them, too.

Poong also returns to physical medicine, as Min-jae hinted at having to perform acupuncture — something Poong has lingering trauma over since season one — in a recent interview with AsiaOne.

"There is a scene where Se-poong inserts a needle once again into his patient. I have been 'living' as Yoo Se-poong for a year and that scene was a huge moment for me," the 26-year-old said.

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Despite returning to the 'big city', some of the best memories lead actors Min-jae and Hyang-gi have involved filming in the great outdoors.

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Min-jae said: "I took part in a lot of outdoor filming for season two and we would all head to the convenience store in front of our accommodation and have a beer while chatting with each other."

Hyang-gi, 22, added: "My favourite scenes were the ones filmed on the beach, because I remember the cold wind very clearly."

Though she didn't have much time to bond with the others while filming, Hyang-gi reckoned she got closer with her colleagues through their time spent together.

That's not to say that she didn't have funny moments on set, recalling: "There was a scene where Eun-woo was being cuddly with the members of the Gyesu family, and I remember almost bursting into laughter because I could feel the intensity of their gazes."

Despite working on a drama series about mental health, Min-jae told us last August that he didn't really know how to manage negativity and his own mental health. He reckoned that was why he was drawn to the character of Poong.

He said then: "Sometimes it is important to build up one's ability to ignore all things negative. I think it is crucial for me to show myself love in order to not be too harsh on myself, while also taking the time to listen to what my heart has to say."

However, he admitted in our recent interview that he's been neglecting to follow his heart due to his work schedule.

"I don't think I've had my own time in the past few months, I was really busy," he said. Nevertheless, he wanted to congratulate himself from remaining "true to the character Yoo Se-poong".

Hyang-gi, on the other hand, was interested in the field of psychiatry even before accepting the role of Eun-woo.

She shared some of her mental health tips in our latest interview: "Recently, I have tried my best to vocalise my thoughts even if I am alone at home." She also treated herself to some health supplements.

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"I am the kind who gets tired of my own thoughts because I have too many of them, so I'm going to focus a little bit more on putting my thoughts into action this year," she added about her goals for 2023.

Back in August, she mentioned that she liked to "get her body up and moving" at times where she felt down, and this time around, physical health is also something on Min-jae's mind for the upcoming year.

"I want to have a healthy year without falling sick," he said.

Career-wise, he added: "I'm also planning to take part in and enjoy working on other new productions, while letting the audience see different sides to me as an actor."

Poong, the Joseon Psychiatrist 2 streams on Viu.

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drimac@asiaone.com

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