"Kim Bu-jang" Seo Su-min "A viral SNS video with 2 million views sparks attention → I’m getting contact from actor/idol agencies → I debuted as an actor" [Interview ①]

Actress Seo Su-min (19) spoke directly about the 'Kim Bu-jang' story.

Seo Su-min met with Star News on the 27th for an interview about the SBS Friday-Saturday drama 'Kim Bu-jang' (written by Nam Dae-jung, directed by Lee Seung-young and Lee So-eun) at a cafe on Hakdong-ro, Gangnam-gu, Seoul.

'Kim Bu-jang' is a revenge action drama in the father universe about an 'ordinary in the world' dad who becomes the 'most dangerous in the world' man and fights to reclaim his one and only daughter. It started with a viewership rating of 9.5% for episode 1, reached 21.6% by episode 4, and recorded a peak rating of 23.1% in episode 10, the final episode aired on the 25th. Based on nationwide Nielsen Korea figures, it surpassed the all-time SBS Friday-Saturday drama records set by titles such as 'Stove League,' 'Taxi Driver 2,' and 'The Fiery Priest,' rising to No. 2 among all SBS Friday-Saturday dramas in viewership ratings.

The global success was also dazzling. 'Kim Bu-jang' ranked No. 1 globally in Netflix's non-English TV show category for three consecutive weeks, and it also ranked No. 1 in TV-OTT drama buzz for three consecutive weeks.

In the drama, Seo Su-min played Kim Min-ji, the daughter of Kim Bu-jang (played by So Ji-sub), and took on her first drama. She delicately portrayed everything from the realistic 모습 of a teenage daughter to fear and anxiety in a crisis, and the desperation of holding on to survive.

Thoughts on the end of 'Kim Bu-jang'

Seo Su-min said she thought the project would turn out well because she was working with great seniors, but she never expected it to become such a huge success. She added that she always filmed in a good atmosphere thanks to the staff and senior actors on set.

Pressure of a first drama

She admitted that she felt a lot of pressure over how fans of the original webtoon would receive it and whether she might cause concern as an actress. However, she said the director and staff helped her a lot so she could act comfortably on set.

Feeling the popularity

Even after 'Kim Bu-jang' aired, she still went around without a hat or mask, and people recognized her on the subway and elsewhere. Friends and teachers also did not know she was the actress until she appeared on TV, after which they contacted her a lot.

Part-time job and YouTube activities

Seo Su-min said she is still working part-time at a takoyaki shop, and because the shop is closing, she will work until the end of July. She explained that she started the part-time job thinking she should try doing something besides dramas too.

She also revealed that before becoming known through her YouTube daily-life videos, she had been active on Instagram, and there were times when she uploaded videos without telling her agency. In particular, she said the 'bus video' was left public because it contained memories made with a friend from high school.

She said she later entered her current agency, Y One Entertainment, by visiting them in person around winter break. Her makeup video surpassed 2 million views, and several agencies contacted her, but she chose acting over becoming an idol, she added.

How she entered acting and the casting story

She said she started learning acting after joining the company, and had never studied acting professionally. After several auditions, she passed for 'Kim Bu-jang,' and the director became convinced about casting her after watching her two-minute free-form video, she said.

When she heard the casting news, the only thought she had was, 'Whoa, amazing,' and she immediately immersed herself in practice. She said it was unbelievable that a newcomer with no filmography was given such an important role, and that she was cast as So Ji-sub's daughter.

Preparation process for the role of Kim Min-ji

Seo Su-min explained that Kim Min-ji is not simply a student, but a character placed in the middle of a kidnapping and a shootout, so she prepared by reading the script repeatedly and recreating the scenes over and over. Although she does not usually like reading, she said that because it was such an important role, she focused on repetition and reenactment as an actress.

By Hae-seon