Chae Jong Hyeop And Kim So Hyun Talk About "Serendipity's Embrace," First Love, Their School Days, And More

Jul 23, 2024

Chae Jong Hyeop and Kim So Hyun joined W Korea magazine for a stunning photo shoot!

After posing for the pictorial, the two stars of the new series “Serendipity’s Embrace” sat down for an interview to discuss their drama, share their thoughts on first love, and reflect on their school days.

The highly-anticipated drama “Serendipity’s Embrace,” which is based on a webtoon, has already generated a lot of buzz. The series is directed by Song Hyun Wook, known for the hit dramas “Another Miss Oh” and “Beauty Inside,” and written by emerging writer Park Geu Ro.

When asked about how they wound up joining the drama, Chae Jong Hyeop said, “The title caught my attention. It’s a story about a first love encountered by chance. It vaguely reminded me of my school days.”

Kim So Hyun added, “When I first received the script, I hadn’t read the webtoon. As I read it, I felt a tickling excitement. It’s not easy for a script to be fun to read without grand plot developments or provocative elements. That alone made me want to try it. I also felt that if I didn’t work on a youth drama like this now, I might not have the chance later.”

When asked about their memories of first love, Chae Jong Hyeop replied, “What can I say about first love? I think it’s a word that reminds me of those times [in the past]. It’s difficult to define first love exactly. It could be the person you first liked or the first person you dated. For me, I think your first love is the person who comes to mind first when you hear that word.”

Meanwhile, Kim So Hyun shared, “Through this drama, I developed many fantasies about first love. When I think of first love, I think it might feel like the emotions I had when I was young and still wore a school uniform. I liked the portrayal of first love in ‘Serendipity’s Embrace’ because it felt more realistic.”

Discussing what kind of students they were at 19, Kim So Hyun said, “Because I started acting when I was very young, I don’t have many memories from my school days. At 19, I experienced difficult growing pains. It was a transitional period before becoming an adult, and I felt like I was gradually losing myself. When I was young and someone asked me, ‘What kind of person do you think you are?’ I had a lot to say, but starting from a certain point onward, I didn’t know what to say anymore. I struggled with the questions, ‘What kind of person am I? What do I like?’ After turning 20, I slowly worked through these concerns and overcame them. As I visited new places and met new people, I learned more about my tastes, and my personality became clearer.”

Chae Jong Hyeop shared, “I lived fiercely. I spent my high school years in South Africa, struggling with graduation, language barriers, racism, loneliness, and finding my path. I started going to the gym and gained confidence through exercise. That’s when I began modeling locally.”

“My foreign friends were taller and had better proportions than me, so I often failed auditions,” he continued. “In the end, I came to Korea. Now that I have become an actor, I feel like I’ve found what I wanted. I wonder if all of this is a coincidence.”

When asked what kind of person his character Hoo Young is, Chae Jong Hyeop said, “Hoo Young is smart, but he’s lacking in many ways. He doesn’t know how to express his emotions and has a clumsy side. Sometimes he seems dry, harsh, or cynical. But as he meets the loving Hong Joo, he gradually falls deeper and deeper for her, and the walls around his heart begin to break down.”

Kim So Hyun described her character Hong Joo by saying, “Hong Joo has a lot of love to give. She loves deeply and gets hurt easily. Since she’s alone without any family, she fears being left alone if someone leaves her. There is a pure and quirky side to her. So when Hoo Young runs into her again after 10 years, he sees that she has remained the same as she was in school, to the point where he asks, ‘How can you still be exactly the same?’”

As we age, love often takes a backseat to other priorities. Questions about timing and busy schedules are likely to arise as the drama unfolds. When asked about the best time to love, Kim So Hyun replied, “When you are ready to love yourself? Isn’t that the only way you can truly love others? If you meet someone when your self-esteem is low, it will be a difficult relationship.”

Chae Jong Hyeop responded, “When I can embrace someone, and when I can lean on someone without collapsing. Actually, it’s the same thing. It should be a mutually beneficial relationship, not a struggle or a battle.”

Regarding what the drama aims to convey, Chae Jong Hyeop said, “The thing about fate is that you never know when it will come, and a coincidence can be the beginning of something.”

Kim So Hyun added, “That’s why you should make choices without regrets. Life is full of moments of choice, and no matter what decision you make, there is no right answer. ‘Serendipity’s Embrace’ will be more interesting to watch if you consider the characters’ choices and ask yourself, ‘What choice would I make in that situation?’ Like watching [the dating show] ‘I Am Solo.'”

As for their impressions of one another, Chae Jong Hyeop said, “Some people might expect So Hyun to be a somewhat cold person, but that’s not true at all. She is a very warm, cheerful, and positive friend.”

Kim So Hyun added, “Jong Hyeop always has a smiling face, whether in pictorials or on social media. But there’s a calmer and more serious side to him than you might think. Even on the set, he needs alone time, so he can sometimes be seen listening to music by himself.”