Actors Park Jeong-min, left, and singer-actor Jisoo pose during a press conference for the Coupang Play series "Newtopia" at Conrad Seoul in Yeouido, Tuesday. Yonhap

Coupang Play series "Newtopia," starring Jisoo of BLACKPINK and Park Jeong-min, is poised to offer a fresh take on the zombie genre, with its strong romantic elements.

The eight-episode series, directed by Yoon Sung-hyun, follows Jae-yun (Park), a soldier, and his girlfriend Young-ju (Ji-soo) as they race to reunite in a zombie-overrun Seoul. Blending the apocalyptic chaos of a zombie-infested world with the heartwarming romance between the couple, the series heralds a new genre: the "zom-com."

Director Yoon, a self-proclaimed huge fan of zombie movies, said he was immediately hooked when he read the script. The script was co-written by Han Jin-won, the writer of "Parasite" (2019), and Ji Ho-jin, the screenwriter of "A Shop for Killers" (2024).

"Recently, zombies have been portrayed as fast and terrifying creatures. But in the past, they were slow, humorous and even cute. Just like trends change, I thought that the zombies from the 1970s might feel new and unique to the current generation. With that in mind, I decided to take on this project to present a story from a new perspective," he said during the press conference for "Newtopia" at Conrad Seoul, Tuesday.

He explains that the title "Newtopia" was chosen to reflect the irony of the situation.

"Nowadays, young people have various concerns, such as mandatory military service, employment and love. However, when a disaster strikes, all of those things become meaningless. I wanted to capture that irony. I thought this title would be a fitting representation of our story," he said.

Park said his character, a late-enlisting soldier, worries about whether his relationship with his girlfriend Young-ju is the right choice as she starts her career.

"Just when he decides to break up with her for her sake, a disaster strikes. He is a man who runs toward Young-ju for her sake," he said.

It is Park's third project with director Yoon. The 37-year-old actor debuted in the director's 2011 film "Bleak Night" and appeared in "Time to Hunt" in 2020.

Jisoo plays Young-ju, Jae-yun's girlfriend, who bravely runs toward her boyfriend even when the world is falling apart. She said, "Young-ju is a cool woman who realizes her love for Jae-yun when disaster strikes and runs toward him."

As for the Young-ju character, the director noted, "As the story unfolds, she becomes an unexpected and quirky figure. I needed an actress who could embody both humor and depth. When I thought of someone who fit that description, Jisoo immediately came to mind. And she was perfect."

Jisoo revealed that she attended action school to prepare for this role.

"Before I started, I couldn't even do a forward roll, but after practicing, I could do five in a row. Forward rolls were the most fun. Training my physical strength helped me endure the challenging filming schedule."

The director hopes the audience will enjoy this fresh and innovative approach to the zombie genre.

"We've worked hard to create something new and unique. I hope you'll watch it with an open mind and enjoy it."

"Newtopia" will premiere on Coupang Play on Feb. 7 at 8 p.m.