Son Ye-jin 'overwhelmed' by drama’s success in Japan

Television

Published: 19 Aug. 2020, 17:37

Son Ye-jin 'overwhelmed' by drama’s success in Japan

Ri Jung-hyuk (played by Hyun Bin), second from left, grills some meat on charcoals at the request of Yoon Se-ri (played by Son Ye-jin), far right, in the drama series ’Crash Landing on You,“ set in a small North Korean village.Ri Jung-hyuk (played by Hyun Bin), second from left, grills some meat on charcoals at the request of Yoon Se-ri (played by Son Ye-jin), far right, in the drama series ’Crash Landing on You,“ set in a small North Korean village. [TVN]

Korean actress Son Ye-jin, who played the role of a wealthy heiress who lands in North Korea in a paragliding accident in smash hit drama “Crash Landing on You,” said she is “overwhelmed” at the immense popularity the romantic comedy has generated in Japan.

“It has been a while since the series ended [in Korea], but I’m surprised that people have continued to express their interest and love for it,” Son said in a recent written interview with Kyodo News.

The 16-episode melodrama — a love story between a Korean heiress of a conglomerate family and a North Korean military officer — has taken Japan and other parts of Asia by storm since it premiered on Netflix at a time when the coronavirus pandemic has forced people to stay at home.

“I think the warm atmosphere and sense of comfort surrounding the drama have offered [viewers] inspiration and happiness in the face of the global threat of the spread of the novel coronavirus,” she said.

The 38-year-old actress also said she is “overwhelmed” to hear that their work “played a role in raising interest in Korean dramas” in Japan.

In the series, which was aired on the Korean cable network tvN between December 2019 and February this year, Son plays Yoon Se-ri, who crash lands on the North Korean side of the demilitarized zone after her paraglider is caught in a tornado. Forced to live in the North while searching for ways to return to South Korea, she falls in love with Ri Jeong-hyeok, a military officer who comes from a powerful political family. The hero was portrayed by popular Korean actor Hyun Bin.

Son said she gave much thought to how she could effectively portray her character, whom she refers to as “very optimistic and positive,” as the heroine adapts to life in the North.

“There were many scenes where I had to deliver my lines like a rapid-fire gun,” said Son, who is also popular in Japan for her role in the 2004 film “A Moment to Remember” in which she played a woman who has Alzheimer’s disease.

“I tried to be expressive in various ways, not just facially but also through my body and hand movements,” she added.

While the popular melodrama depicts life in North Korea, the filming was done in South Korea and Mongolia, among other places. It has scenes in which the protagonists travel to Pyongyang on a train, as well as eat and drink with locals. Kyodo