Actor Park Jung Min is not shy about sharing his admiration for BLACKPINK's Jisoo, and his sweet confession has fans swooning!

On January 7th, at a press conference for the upcoming Coupang Play series Newtopia, held at the Conrad Hotel in Yeouido, Seoul, Park Jung Min didn’t hold back when talking about Jisoo.

Newtopia has already generated tons of buzz before its official release, especially because it pairs Park Jung Min with Jisoo in a thrilling romance set during a zombie apocalypse.

In the drama, Park Jung Min plays soldier Jae Yoon, while Jisoo portrays his girlfriend, Young Joo, a “military girlfriend” (gomshin).

Together, they navigate the chaos in Seoul during a zombie outbreak. Directed by Yoon Sung Hyun, known for The Night Watchman and Time to Hunt, the series has all the makings of a hit.

During the press event, Park Jung Min revealed just how big of a fan he is of BLACKPINK, especially Jisoo. He shared, "At my house, there's a display case where I only keep precious things."

He added, "At the very front, there are two signed BLACKPINK CDs. I’m a huge fan, and I even asked Kim Go Eun to get a signature for me."

He continued, "One CD says, 'Thank you for supporting me, Senior Jung Min,' and the other one says, 'Jung Min oppa, please take care of me~.' Looking at these, I think, 'I’ve lived well.' I never imagined I would be acting and speaking casually with Jisoo on set."

Jisoo was clearly touched by Park Jung Min’s kind words. She couldn’t hide her joy at hearing his confession.

She also shared a sweet moment about Park Jung Min’s dedication on set. "There was a scene where I had to talk to Jung Min oppa on the phone," Jisoo recalled.

"I could hear his voice so clearly, and it turns out he wasn’t even shooting that day. He was hiding behind the set just to record the phone call. I was really surprised, and it helped me get so immersed in the scene."

When asked by the host, Park Kyung Rim, if he usually goes the extra mile for phone scenes, Park Jung Min humorously admitted, "I’ve never done that before," which made everyone laugh.

Park Jung Min continued to praise Jisoo for her commitment, saying, "The filming location was in Yeongdeungpo, so I could go, but Jisoo came all the way to Anseong in Gyeonggi Province early in the morning. It really touched all of us."

The romance between Park Jung Min and Jisoo amidst a zombie crisis is set to premiere on February 7th, and fans are already excited to see their sweet chemistry on screen.

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The new OTT series Newtopia has faced mixed reactions, with BLACKPINK’s Jisoo's acting and a slow storyline making viewers question if the show can survive.

Released on the 7th, Newtopia on Coupang Play promised to offer something fresh in the K-zombie genre. The drama follows an unlikely couple, Lee Jae-yoon (played by Park Jung Min), a late-blooming soldier, and his girlfriend Kang Young-joo (Jisoo), as they fight to survive in a zombie-infested Seoul.

The mix of zombies and romantic comedy sounded like an interesting twist, but the show hasn’t exactly hit the mark.

Jisoo’s second lead role after Snowdrop in 2021 was highly anticipated. But many fans and critics have been concerned about her acting, especially after she received some backlash for her unclear pronunciation and awkward expressions in her previous project.

Director Yoon Sung-hyun, aware of the concerns, said at the press preview, “Since Jisoo hadn’t acted for a long time after her last project, I was also initially worried, thinking, ‘Will she be okay?’ But Jisoo dedicated herself, doing script readings four days a week. She worked hard, and as a result, I had no doubts or difficulties. By episode 8, you'll feel that only Jisoo could have portrayed Young-joo. She did an amazing job.”

Despite his words of praise, Jisoo’s performance still left fans worried. While she showed some improvement, her portrayal of Young-joo seemed inconsistent, lacking the calmness expected from the character. However, her "girl crush" image, with her background as a "campus goddess," did add some intrigue to her role.

The main issue, however, wasn’t just Jisoo's acting. Newtopia also struggled with its pacing. While other recent hits like Trauma Center or Trigger grab attention right from the start, Newtopia spent too much time in the first episode on Jae-yoon’s military life and Young-joo’s personal struggles, making it feel like a waste of time. The show failed to showcase the humor and zombie elements it promised, leaving many viewers unimpressed.

On top of that, some characters came off as annoying, like Jae-yoon’s colleague, Line Ho (Im Seong Jae), and the "unlikable" senior character Seojin-wook (played by Kang Young Seok). Even Park Jung-min didn’t do much to help the show move along, making the 57-minute episode feel even longer.

Thankfully, the show picked up pace in episode 2, finally diving into the zombie chaos. But will that be enough to save Newtopia? With the first episode still fresh in fans’ minds, the jury’s still out on whether this K-zombie drama can find its footing and deliver the thrills viewers are hoping for.

The remaining six episodes of Newtopia will air every Friday at 8 PM, with one episode released per week. Stay tuned to see if the series can bounce back!

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