연합뉴스
| yna@yna.co.kr 2026-10-01 15:50:27
SEOUL, Oct. 1 (Yonhap) -- Actor Kim Young-kwang said Thursday that returning to romantic comedy after a long hiatus felt unfamiliar but exciting as he took on the lead role in Netflix's series "Take Charge of My Heart."
Kim said he needed time to readjust to romance acting because he had recently focused mainly on weightier genres, appearing in Netflix's "Somebody" and "Trigger" and ENA's "The Kidnapping Day."
"At the beginning of the series, I felt a little embarrassed delivering those tingly romantic comedy lines for the first time in a while," Kim said at a press conference for the series in Mapo-gu, western Seoul. "But as we continued filming, I felt like my heart was completely melting."
Explaining why he chose the series, Kim said, "When you first encounter a romance comic as a child, there are settings and fun situations that make you think, 'What is this?'"
"I thought it would be fun because it is a dreamlike story in which things that exist only in one's imagination actually happen," he said.
Set to premiere on Oct. 9, "Take Charge of My Heart" is a 10-episode romantic comedy based on a web novel of the same name. It follows a third-generation chaebol heir whose artificial-heart battery has run out and a drama writer who has the ability to generate electricity from her body as they enter into a three-month contract relationship.
Kim plays Baek Ho-rang, a perfectionist third-generation chaebol heir who lives according to a meticulous plan from A to Z.
"To bring out the character's status as a third-generation chaebol heir, almost all of my costumes were custom-made," he said. "Since he is a character who tries not to show his pain and pursues perfection, I acted calmly so that his pain would not be overly visible on the surface."
Chae Soo-bin plays Na Bo-bae, a writer who has never dated and whose body began generating electricity after she was struck by lightning as a child.
"I was actually worried that I might become too confined to the romance genre and be unable to take on other genres, but the production team persuaded me by saying they were confident in me," she said. "The character's electricity shoots out according to her emotions, and the lighting team helped a lot by turning the lights on and off."
Director Park Soo-won said he was pleased with the chemistry between the two actors, comparing their visual pairing to Nick and Judy from the film "Zootopia."
"Kim Young-kwang has all the elements needed for a romantic comedy, from his looks and physique to his unexpected cuteness, while Chae Soo-bin gave such lovely performances that the staff would marvel at her every time we filmed," Park said.
Park said the changing relationship between the two characters is at the heart of the series.
"At first, the two don't like each other, but they become entangled out of necessity," he said. "As the story progresses into the latter half, they embrace each other's complexes and defense mechanisms stemming from the artificial heart and electrical powers as they are, and the relationship develops into a genuine romance that heals their wounds."
The two actors' romantic chemistry also contributed to the series.
"I was impressed watching Chae Soo-bin act so naturally and playfully," Kim said.
Chae returned the compliment, saying, "Kim Young-kwang delivered lines that could easily have sounded cheesy in a natural and stylish way."
The cast and production team said they hope to fill viewers' hearts with laughter and excitement.
"We wanted to convey comfort and warmth to modern people who live busy lives day after day and often feel drained, so that they can think, 'I want to recharge like that, too,'" Park said.
[ⓒ K-VIBE. 무단전재-재배포 금지]