[Dispatch=Reporter Tae-yun Jung] "We approached the fantastical story in the most realistic way possible." (Director Yoon Young-bin)

Everyone easily dreams of winning the lottery's first prize, but it's a miracle that rarely happens in reality. So, if one truly holds that miracle in their hands, does everything really change?

tvN's new drama 'Even Lottery Winners Go to Work' tells the opposite story instead. The protagonist doesn't leave his company even after winning first prize in the lottery.

While borrowing the unrealistic fantasy of winning the lottery's first prize, what this work ultimately observes is people who are far more realistic.

Office workers who go back to work even when exhausted, who challenge again even when shaken, and who spend their days quietly yet passionately each in their own place.

The production team of 'Even Lottery Winners Go to Work' held a production presentation on the 8th at CGV Yongsan I'Park Mall in Seoul. Lee Jun-hyuk, Seo Hyun-woo, Oh Dae-hwan, Hong Jin-ki, Ha Yul-ri, and Baek Ye-in attended.

'Even Lottery Winners Go to Work' is a K-office drama. It depicts the story of team leader Gong Eun-tae (played by Lee Jun-hyuk), who has been enduring day-to-day while being pressured from above and below, going to work with a different mindset after winning first prize in the lottery.

Director Yoon Young-bin said, "I was curious whether a story about an ordinary office worker winning the lottery would resonate with most people," and added, "I was impressed by the original work's power to bring the differentiation of winning the lottery down to universality."

He continued, "It's fantastical material for some, but we tried to tell it as realistically as possible. It's not a story of good clashing with evil, but a story of each person's good clashing with another's good."

The protagonist Gong Eun-tae is a person who has worked harder than anyone to live an ordinary life. However, he doesn't receive proper recognition at work, and his daily life becomes increasingly dreary. Then one day, when he's merely enduring, he faces a turning point in life with an unexpected lottery win.

For Lee Jun-hyuk, Gong Eun-tae was not an unfamiliar character. He said, "I thought there were many similarities with me," and added, "There were many points in Eun-tae's lines that resembled my life."

"I've been acting for over 20 years and have done more than 50 projects. Over 50 projects means I've really only worked, and this environment is ordinary for me. Those points were similar."

Winning the lottery doesn't instantly flip Eun-tae's life. He decides to continue doing the work he loves.

Lee Jun-hyuk said, "Eun-tae loves his work. So do I. But work is always difficult," and added, "It seems difficult because he loves it."

He continued, "For an actor, the lottery is a project succeeding. But even when a project succeeds, in reality, you have to work harder, responsibilities grow larger, and there's more to learn."

Director Yoon praised Lee Jun-hyuk, saying, "He's the most sincere actor I know. When he comes to set, the first thing he says is 'There are so many lines.' But he never once messed up a line on set."

Centered on Gong Eun-tae, the stories of Sales Team 5 also unfold. While everyone works at the same company, their desires and reasons for enduring are all different.

Yang Junho (played by Seo Hyun-woo) is a perpetual senior assistant. Watching younger Gong Eun-tae become a team leader, he falls into despair.

Team Leader Jung Sun-hyuk (played by Oh Dae-hwan) was Gong Eun-tae's mentor, but at some point becomes a fellow team leader and falls into another dilemma. He is a character who makes choices for his family.

Baek Ki-tae (played by Hong Jin-ki) is the youngest new employee in Sales Team 5. His desire to do well is greater than anyone's, but that passion creates clumsy situations instead.

Lee Ji-hye (played by Ha Yul-ri) is the only contract employee on the team. She lives spiritedly while dreaming of becoming a full-time employee. Hyang Eun (played by Baek Ye-in) is a mysterious character who transfers to Sales Team 5 after working at the China office.

While each person's circumstances are different, the important axis of the drama is that they ultimately form one team. Seo Hyun-woo recalled the set as "feeling like family gathering during Chuseok holidays."

In particular, Lee Jun-hyuk cited 'teamwork' as the distinguishing factor of this work. His solo drama 'Good or Bad Dong-jae' was driven by the activities of one character, whereas this time it's a story created together by multiple people rather than one alone.

He explained, "I feel the same burden toward every project. In 'Dong-jae,' there were things only Dong-jae had to accomplish, but this time teamwork was very important. We shot while helping and supporting each other."

Desires and choices that unfold in the office space sometimes flow tautly like noir. But by unfolding a story about people at its core, this work completes its own rhythm.

Lee Jun-hyuk said, "The part I like most about this work is the rhythm. The rhythm of life rises like a heartbeat, and when you meet your teammates, it rises once more. When you watch the work, you'll find yourselves moving to the rhythm together," he added confidently.

What 'Even Lottery Winners Go to Work' speaks of is not the lottery. The lottery is merely the most dramatic device to begin the story. Director Yoon encouraged viewership, saying, "This work is a tribute to people who live with dedication."

Finally, Lee Jun-hyuk added a lighthearted wish to prospective viewers, "I hope you watch our drama and win first prize in the lottery."

'Even Lottery Winners Go to Work' will be exclusively released on Tving on the 10th at 6 p.m.

<Photo provided by Tving>