[Dispatch=Lee Myung-ju Reporter] "I've returned to MBC as MBC's daughter-in-law."

Gong Hyo-jin, known as 'Gong-ful,' has made her comeback to MBC dramas after 15 years. She takes on the noir genre rather than romantic comedy, delivering a rich blend of comic, action, humanistic, and thriller elements.

Instead of her signature lovely charm, she exudes cool charisma. She sets aside the 'rom-com queen' title and becomes a 'one shot, one kill' sniper.

Gong Hyo-jin said, "Revenge dramas seem to be trending, like So Ji-sub's 'Kim Bujang.' 'Married Woman Killer' appears to be riding a good wave."

MBC-TV's new Friday-Saturday drama 'Married Woman Killer' (screenplay by Kim Eun-hee, directed by Yoon Jong-ho and Jihoon) held its production presentation on the 30th at MBC in Sangam, Seoul.

Attending the event were director Yoon Jong-ho, Gong Hyo-jin, Jung Jun-won, Lee Sang-i, Moo Jin-sung, Choi Woo-sung, and Lee Eun-saem.

'Married Woman Killer' tells the story of a working mother with the world's deadliest profession who returns to work after three years of parental leave.

The project has a unique premise from the start. A cold-blooded sniper is actually an ordinary married woman, and her disappearance was due to parental leave.

Director Yoon explained, "Unlike other crime thrillers centered on men, our drama focuses on a working mother with the occupation of a killer."

What gives credibility to this distinctive approach is Gong Hyo-jin's caliber. Gong Hyo-jin plays Yoo Bo-na, a department head at Durumi Electronics Sales Team 3 and sniper codenamed 'Kingfisher.'

She is also a housewife with a newspaper reporter husband and a four-year-old daughter. She struggles to protect both her convictions and her family's happiness.

It was not an easy task. Gong Hyo-jin said, "It was difficult to naturally navigate the dual gap of being a killer while having a daughter waiting at home and a loving husband."

"In my previous works, I mostly played characters driven by emotion, but this was truly different. I had to hide emotion as much as possible and appear unknowable."

She also had to consider the original webtoon. "The webtoon received so much love. I thought 'I shouldn't disappoint the fans,' so we discussed the story a lot with the production team," she explained.

"I worked to create a Bo-na that fans would have imagined. We made it by referencing the expressions and dialogue in the webtoon."

The drama also drew attention as Gong Hyo-jin's return to MBC after 15 years. She has starred in numerous acclaimed works including 'Eye of the Storm,' 'Pasta,' and 'The Greatest Love.'

Gong Hyo-jin said, "I can't believe the number 15 years," and reflected, "It seems MBC dramas in particular offered many works where I could develop characters."

"There was my first leading role 'Snowman,' and then I became 'Gong-ful' with 'Pasta.' (laughs) And I even led a syndrome-level hit with 'The Greatest Love.'"

The drama's biggest appeal lies in Bo-na's double life. A married woman who is someone's mother, wife, and daughter-in-law transforms into a killer at work, meting out vigilante justice against corrupt criminals without hesitation.

"The occupation of a killer is hard to imagine. There will be fun in following the process of how an ordinary neighbor-like woman came to live such a life."

Another viewing point is the relationship between Gong Hyo-jin and her on-screen husband Jung Jun-won. They are a loving couple, but it's precarious. The outcome between a wife hiding her identity and a husband pursuing the truth heightens curiosity.

Finally, Gong Hyo-jin said, "We filmed for over eight months, so many things are contained in this," and expressed confidence that "as an MBC drama returning after 15 years, it will dominate this summer and fall."

Director Yoon also said, "We worked hard on it," and hoped that "it becomes a work where viewers can look back on the precious people by their side."

Meanwhile, 'Married Woman Killer' airs its first episode on the 31st at 9:50 p.m.

<Photo=Lee Ho-jun Reporter>