SOUTH Korean actor Song Joong-ki is trading his adrenaline-fueled roles in “Reborn Rich” (2022) and “Bogota: City of the Lost” (2024) for the more grounded, everyday persona of a florist in a new K-drama.
Now available on Viu, “My Youth” follows child actor-turned-florist Woo-hae (Song) and his first love Jae-yeon (Chun Woo-hee), a team leader at an entertainment company. The series tells the heartfelt story of two former sweethearts who meet again years later and rekindle their bond.
Primarily known for action and fantasy projects such as “Vincenzo” (2021) and “Space Sweepers” (2021), Song, 39, reflected on returning to melodrama for the first time in nearly a decade after “Descendants of the Sun” (2016).
“It wasn’t intentional. I’m excited to be doing a melodrama again after such a long time. Melodrama is a genre I’ve always had a strong desire for as an actor. It was an honor to finally come across a script that made my heart flutter again,” he said during a press conference in Seoul on Sept 4.
Reflecting on his past filmography, Song added: “Looking back at the characters I’ve played… most of them weren’t rooted in reality. I wanted to try portraying a more ordinary, everyday character that could exist in real life. That’s when I encountered My Youth. Filming it genuinely made my heart race.”
The A-lister – who has two children, aged two years and 10 months respectively, with his British-Italian wife Katy Louise Saunders – emphasized that a core theme in “My Youth” is a reunion romance.
“It’s just my personal taste, but the word ‘reunion’ carries a kind of excitement. Our drama is a reunion romance, and I really love director Hur Jin-ho’s (2009) film A Season of Good Rain, which shares the same keyword,” he said.
“My Youth” is helmed by director Lee Sang-yeop, who has reaped success with webtoon-turned-series “Yumi’s Cells” (2021 to present).
He describes his latest project as a work that makes one think about how far one’s love for another can go in a relationship.
“It’s a drama that appears calm but is filled with wit and humor, like an ‘introverted prankster,’” added Lee.
Meanwhile, Song acknowledged the high ratings bar set by his popular series “Reborn Rich.”
He said: “Thankfully, my last project was loved so much, and I saw that as only a good thing. It’s given me a sense of responsibility to do well. Honestly, though, the pressure isn’t that heavy.” (The Straits Times/Asia News Network)
