Choi Min-sik Transforms into a Gruff Professor in Netflix’s New Series

▲ This image provided by Netflix shows South Korean actors Choi Min-sik (L) and Choi Hyun-wook, the lead cast of the OTT giant's new Kdrama series "The Boy in the Last Row." (PHOTO NOT FOR SALE) (Yonhap)

SEOUL, May 29 (Yonhap) -- Choi Min-sik will portray a gruff and eccentric Korean literature professor in Netflix’s upcoming series "The Boy in the Last Row", the streaming platform announced on Thursday. The series is based on a Spanish play of the same name.

The drama centers around a quirky professor who, haunted by his failure to become a writer and plagued by deep-seated inferiority, encounters a mysterious and brilliant student who rekindles his long-buried passion for writing.

Choi Min-sik plays Heo Mun-oh, a famously irritable and blunt professor in the Department of Korean Literature. Beneath his abrasive exterior lies the pain of past failure and persistent feelings of inadequacy.

Choi Hyun-wook takes on the role of Lee Kang, a student who sits quietly in the very last row of Heo Mun-oh’s class, exuding an enigmatic presence. Despite being an engineering undergrad, Lee Kang possesses exceptional writing skills that impress Heo Mun-oh, leading to a secret mentorship in literature between the two.

Heo Joon-ho plays Kim Soo-hoon, a successful writer and Heo Mun-oh’s former college classmate, while Kim Yunjin stars as Kim Soo-hoon’s wife, Ahn Eun-joo. Jin Kyung appears as Jo Hyun-sook, Heo Mun-oh’s wife and a psychological counselor.

The series is directed by Kim Kyu-tae, known for hit dramas like "Our Blues" and "It’s Okay, That’s Love".

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