Kim Ji Woon, the K-drama writer behind MBC’s recent hit melodrama sensation When the Phone Rings, showered the show’s leading pair, Yoo Yeon Seok and Chae Soo Bin, with praises following last week’s 12-episode season conclusion. In interviews with K-media outlets, including Star News and iMBC, the prolific writer, though having caused an online storm of criticism with the controversial season finale, revealed why the now-beloved onscreen couple was the perfect pick for the Baek Sa Eon-Hong Hee Joo pair. They even picked up the Best Couple award for their contributions to When the Phone Rings at the 2024 MBC Drama Awards.
Why Yoo Yeon Seok was perfectly cast as Baek Sa Eon in When the Phone Rings?
Spilling casting deets to iMBC on January 15, Kim Ji Woon recounted how she was profoundly impressed by Yoo Yeon Seok’s melodramatic performance in the 2023 JTBC drama The Interest of Love, which saw him take the lead opposite Mun Ka Young (or Moon Ga Young) as Ahn Soo Young. Applauding his efforts to play Han Sang Soo in the workplace romance series, she even confessed that as a female viewer herself, she “had expectations to see Yoo Yeon Seok’s melodrama again.”
Akin to his former K-drama role, Yoo’s Baek Sa Eon is also someone whose “melodrama explodes as the story progresses.” Having previously witnessed Yeon Seok’s potential to tap into those emotions, she couldn’t imagine anyone else taking on the role of When the Phone Rings’ male lead. She also observed that he is “incredibly good at controlling intensity.” If he had come off as too strong, his likeability would’ve faltered. Maintaining flexibility while handling his portrayal of the headstrong character, Yoo Yeon Seok balanced it off by being gentle where it was necessary, thereby honing his control over intensity like an art form.
Chae Soo Bin as Hong Hee Joo
{{/usCountry}}Akin to his former K-drama role, Yoo’s Baek Sa Eon is also someone whose “melodrama explodes as the story progresses.” Having previously witnessed Yeon Seok’s potential to tap into those emotions, she couldn’t imagine anyone else taking on the role of When the Phone Rings’ male lead. She also observed that he is “incredibly good at controlling intensity.” If he had come off as too strong, his likeability would’ve faltered. Maintaining flexibility while handling his portrayal of the headstrong character, Yoo Yeon Seok balanced it off by being gentle where it was necessary, thereby honing his control over intensity like an art form.
Chae Soo Bin as Hong Hee Joo
{{/usCountry}}Not sparing any words of praise for Chae Soo Bin, either, Writer Kim admitted that she was drawn to the actress’ lovable and sly qualities. “I thought that the loveliness and sadness that Chae Soo-bin possesses fit Hee-joo well,” she explained. Considering how much Soo Bin had to rely on sign language to convey the story, Kim Ji Woon acknowledged that she got goosebumps in real-time while watching her sign language scene in Episode 4.
On the other hand, the scriptwriter apologised for the controversial sign language scene from Episode 1: “We should have paid close attention to each scene, so I’m sorry.”
Another Yoo Yeon Seok-Chae Soo Bin K-drama
In an interview with Star News Korea, Kim was presented with the hypothetical opportunity of casting the leading pair in another drama. Here, she expressed her desire to flip their character dynamics as seen in When the Phone Rings. “It would be fun to see Chae Soo Bin take a dominant role,” said Kim Ji Woon.
Fans have been raving about Yoo Yeon Seok and Chae Soo Bin’s chemistry since Day 1. Seeing the K-drama writer share their sentiments, netizens lost all calm online. Comments like “Please make it happen” instantly flooded a K-drama news update page on X/Twitter. “how do we make it known to the writer that we want another drama of yeonseok and soobin? like how can we reach her? Email???” wrote another user.
Many more joined in for the fan community chant, urging for Yeon Seok and Soo Bin to be paired up for another drama series. Yet, there were some who couldn't forget the problematic finale. Someone commented, “Yeah but don't pull that controversial stunt for such insignificant scene 5 mins before credit rolls and tanked the drama ratings and causing it to receive unnecessary hates.” Yet another person added, “Okay but maybe write a better last episode.”
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