During an interview held at a café in Gangnam, Seoul, on September 22 to mark the conclusion of SBS drama Flex X Cop 2, Jung Eun Chae was asked about the reactions she had received from people around her. She said, “I don’t have a particularly wide social circle, so I haven’t received that much feedback. But the drama has received a lot of love, so when I walk around my neighborhood, people often tell me, ‘I’m enjoying the show.’”
When asked about the reaction of Kim Chung Jae, whom she has been publicly dating since 2023, Jung Eun Chae replied, “Kim Chung Jae and I respect and support each other’s work, and he told me that he enjoyed watching it.” Asked whether there was anything in particular that Kim had done to take care of her, she smiled shyly and said, “We’re both the type to take good care of ourselves, so there wasn’t anything in particular.”
Jung Eun Chae, who played violent crimes team leader Joo Hye Ra in the drama, reflected on what she learned from the character. “Something I’ve been thinking about a lot lately is that when I look at the impressive people I’ve met in life, their charisma becomes even more apparent when their human side is revealed,” she said. “In that sense, Joo Hye Ra can seem rather cold at first glance, and she’s a character who doesn’t reveal much of her personal side. But at crucial moments, she genuinely trusts, relies on, and acknowledges her team members. I found that very appealing. I think that is Joo Hye Ra’s greatest strength.”
Regarding how similar she is to Joo Hye Ra, Jung Eun Chae said, “I think our synchronization is higher than I expected. At first, I thought we were completely different, but after playing her for more than six months, I think I gradually became more like her.” She added, “The director told me that the moment he met me at our first meeting, he thought, ‘That person is Joo Hye Ra.’ I was really surprised by that. It made me realize that the way someone else sees me can be different from how I see myself.”
Jung Eun Chae, who has recently been receiving considerable attention from female fans, said, “I really don’t know what the secret is.” She continued, “Maybe it’s because the character herself is so cool. I think viewers experience a sense of vicarious satisfaction from watching such a charismatic character. Even while playing her, I found those moments exhilarating and satisfying.”
Meanwhile, Flex X Cop 2, which concluded on September 19, gained popularity with its story of a chaebol-turned-detective and a new violent crimes team leader working together to solve a series of cases.
Jung Eun Chae played Joo Hye Ra, the leader of Violent Crimes Team 1 at Gangha Police Station, while Ahn Bo Hyun reprised his role as Jin I Soo, a third-generation chaebol heir who works as a detective on the same team.
Sources: Daum | JTBC