The actress known as the 'nation's younger sister,' who had won the nation's love with her lovely, bubbly charm, put on a chilling mask. And that choice was not wrong. This is the story of actress Kim Yoo-jung, who delivered a shocking acting transformation through the TVING original series Dear X (written by Choi Ja-won and Ban Ji-woon, directed by Lee Eung-bok and Park So-hyun).
On the 25th, when I met Kim Yoo-jung at a café in Jongno-gu, Seoul, she still seemed not completely free from the afterimage of Baek Ah-jin, yet her eyes were firmer, showing she had grown another step as an actress.
▲ "The villain is the protagonist, I was worried but..." breaking a mold after 10 years
For Kim Yoo-jung, Dear X meant more than a simple next project. It was her first villain role in about 10 years since Elegant Lies and a starring role led by a character who thoroughly embraces evil. Kim Yoo-jung said, "When the teaser was released, I couldn't predict how the reaction would be. I was worried and excited, but after the release many positive pieces were written and fans of the original said 'Baek Ah-jin herself,' so I felt reassured."
Baek Ah-jin, whom Kim Yoo-jung played, is a sociopath who put on a mask to survive and Korea's top actress. She hides a cruel nature behind a beautiful face, thoroughly using those around her and leading them to ruin. On why she chose the role, she said, "I was very drawn to a character type I had never encountered. It seemed interesting because I thought I could show the maximum range of emotions a human can express. But when a character with evil becomes the protagonist, I worried about how viewers would receive it, and I consulted a lot with the director to express that precarious line."
▲ Details that completed the villain Baek Ah-jin, whom she hoped would not be cheered for
Kim Yoo-jung confessed that she felt both catharsis and stress while playing Baek Ah-jin. She felt acting pleasure when confronting her father or retaliating against those who tormented her, but experiencing and portraying situations that are hard to understand by common sense was a significant source of stress for Kim Yoo-jung the person.
Nevertheless, she built Baek Ah-jin through thorough analysis. In particular, the fact that she referred to a 'gaslighting' language list shows how intensely she clung to the character. She explained, "I consulted and received a language list commonly used by people with antisocial personality disorder. At first, I read two lines and thought 'this won't do.' I even felt myself being deceived by Baek Ah-jin. But while filming I looked things up like a dictionary to study the psychology of manipulating others and naturally incorporated it into the character."
An interesting point was that Kim Yoo-jung said she "didn't want the character to be cheered for." Kim Yoo-jung said, "The work kept asking whether one could cheer for this child or throw stones at her. I acted in a direction that posed questions about what factors are important when we grow as people rather than supporting Baek Ah-jin unconditionally." This showed that Kim Yoo-jung went beyond merely playing a role and penetrated the message of the work.
▲ Kim Young-dae, Kim Do-hoon, Hwang In-yeop... synergy created with 'Ah-jin's men'
The three men who hover around Baek Ah-jin in the drama—Yoon Joon-seo (Kim Young-dae), Kim Jae-o (Kim Do-hoon) and Heo In-gang (Hwang In-yeop)—also shone in their chemistry. Kim Yoo-jung shared scripts with them before filming to create a family-like atmosphere, and that produced a synergy that contrasted with the tense energy in the work.
Especially mentioning her rapport with Kim Do-hoon, Kim Yoo-jung joked, "It was my first romance rumor since debut," and said, "Among ourselves we joked that we hoped the project would do well because of this. I was grateful that fellow actors respected me as their fan, and because Baek Ah-jin is a character who isolates herself, I deliberately tried to get closer on set."
▲ Beyond 'nation's younger sister' to 'a dependable actor'... Kim Yoo-jung's proof
Veteran Kim Yoo-jung, whose acting career has quietly passed 20 years, once monopolized the public's love as the 'nation's younger sister' through works such as The Moon Embracing the Sun and Love in the Moonlight, and is now a 'dependable actor' whom no one doubts in any genre or role. In particular, Dear X ranked No. 1 in weekly paid subscriber contributions on TVING and placed high on global OTT charts, capturing both commercial success and critical acclaim. This is an indicator that Kim Yoo-jung's bold transformation resonated with the public.
"Looking back on my life as an actor, it's rewarding. Hearing my family and fans say 'you've done well, you're doing well, you'll do well' gives me great strength. I also have times of confusion and anxiety, but I trust the time I've steadily accumulated and gain the strength to move forward again."
Through this work, Kim Yoo-jung proved that there are no limits to her acting spectrum. By perfectly revealing the cold venom hidden beneath a clear, pure face, she now emanates the vast, deep aura of an actor to the degree that the label 'former child actor' feels inappropriate. And her choice was right. Baek Ah-jin in Dear X became another 'career-defining character' that confirmed the infinite possibilities of the actress Kim Yoo-jung.
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