Jo Hyun-tak, director of the upcoming JTBC romance K-drama Snowdrop, has shared how he convinced BLACKPINK singer Jisoo to join the show.

During a press conference for the series on December 17, Jo spoke about how he initially had preconceived notions of what type of actress would play female lead character Young-ro, and how that changed when Jisoo came into the picture.

“[While] preparing the character of Young-ro… [writer Yoo Hyun-mi and I] didn’t think that a rookie actress would play Young-ro,” he said, per Soompi. “However, as soon as I saw Jisoo, I thought, ‘That person is Young-ro’.”

Jo noted that the moment he met Jisoo, he was “imploring and compelling her to take the role. “[I remember saying], ‘You have to do it no matter what’,” he added. “Although I had no dignity, I remember it was hard to hide my feelings so I just suggested it.”

Elsewhere during the press conference, Jisoo spoke about how she worked with co-star Jung Hae-in during the show’s production. “Since I was acting for the first time, I wasn’t sure how I was coming out [on video] and was lacking in many aspects,” she said. “Jung Hae-in led me along well and treated me comfortably so it was an environment that I could focus more in.”

Set to premiere tomorrow (December 18), Snowdrop is set in 1987, a pivotal year in the South Korea’s history that saw a nationwide mass movement that forced the ruling government to hold elections. Su-ho (Jung) is a graduate student with a secret past, while Young-ro (jisoo) is a university student who lives in an all-female dormitory.

Watch the teasers for Snowdrop here and here.