Yoo Yeon Seok Discusses How It Felt Working With Chae Soo Bin + Comments On The Drama’s International Success
Actor Yoo Yeon Seok, who delivered a stellar performance in “When the Phone Rings,” shared his thoughts on the drama, chemistry with his co-star and more in recent interview.
On January 6, Yoo Yeon Seok held an interview at his agency King Kong by Starship’s headquarters in Cheongdam-dong, Gangnam-gu, Seoul with a media outlet. During the session, he discussed the recently concluded MBC drama “When the Phone Rings,” which aired its final episode on January 4. The series, based on a web novel of the same name, unfolds over 12 episodes as a secret romance thriller involving a couple in a marriage of convenience and a menacing phone call. Yoo Yeon Seok starred as Baek Sa Eon, the male lead, opposite Chae Soo Bin as Hong Hee Joo, earning the moniker “Destiny Couple” from fans.
At the 2024 MBC Drama Awards on January 5, Yoo Yeon Seok capped off the series’ success by winning Best Actor in a Miniseries and the Best Couple Award with Chae Soo Bin. Moreover, “When the Phone Rings” received a warm global reception on Netflix, further solidifying Yoo Yeon Seok’s association with his character Baek Sa Eon as the epitome of “obsessive” and “regretful” male leads.
Related: “When The Phone Rings” Ending Explained- Episode 12 Recap And Review
Yoo Yeon Seok expressed surprise at the drama’s international success, he said, “I didn’t expect such an explosive response globally. The series was distributed to OTT platforms, and it ended up being more beloved than some Netflix Originals. Watching my follower count grow rapidly was shocking. Receiving messages in various languages from fans worldwide was both surprising and heartwarming. While I’ve experienced international reactions before, this time felt exceptionally intense.”
He added, “I think the drama tapped into what international fans love and have been waiting for in K-dramas. While we’ve had many romance-heavy stories in the past, the trend shifted to genre dramas with the rise of OTT platforms. Amid this, our drama quenched that thirst. I even saw comments saying, ‘This is the K-drama we’ve been waiting for.’”
On the drama’s appeal, Yoo speculated, “Perhaps it offered a sense of vicarious satisfaction, showing viewers what they long for in real life. It might have made them think, ‘Maybe the reserved person next to me truly loves me, even if they don’t show it.’ While it’s hard to deliver lines like Baek Sa Eon’s in real life, I believe everyone carries that warmth in their hearts. Growing up in Gyeongsang Province, I used to find expressions of affection a bit awkward, too,” he said with a smile.
On working with co-star Chae Soo Bin, Yoo commented, “Our chemistry was fantastic. The enthusiastic reactions to the romance scenes made me so grateful. Initially, even though we were from the same agency, we didn’t have much interaction and were quite awkward. Like the progression in our drama, we gradually became more comfortable and close as we worked together. By the time we shot the later scenes, we exchanged many ideas, shared opinions, and collaborated well, especially on the romance scenes. I think our chemistry was excellent.”
On winning the Best Couple Award with Chae Soo Bin, Yoo confessed, “Honestly, among all the awards, I wanted the Best Couple Award the most. Since it was a romance drama, I thought we deserved it,” he said with a laugh.
Source: (A)
