Kim Ji-yeon (30), a member of the girl group WJSN and an actress, has made her first foray into the fantasy genre with 'Gwigung'. Now in her ninth year, she expressed that she still sees areas for improvement but is committed to continuously working hard to overcome her limits.
On the 9th, Kim Ji-yeon conducted an interview with Maeil Business Newspaper's Star Today at the King Kong by Starship headquarters located in Cheongdam-dong, Gangnam-gu, Seoul, following the conclusion of the SBS Friday-Saturday drama 'Gwigung' (written by Yoon Soo-jung, directed by Yoon Sung-sik and Kim Ji-yeon).
'Gwigung', which concluded on the 7th, tells the story of a shaman, Yeori (played by Kim Ji-yeon), who rejects the fate of a medium, and the Imugi, Kang-cheol (played by Yook Sung-jae), trapped in the body of Yeori's first love, as they confront the Palcheokwi, who harbors a grudge against the royal family.
Kim Ji-yeon shared, "The cast and crew gathered to watch the final episode together. At the wrap party, we said we hope to meet again, and we all watched it together and had a great time," adding, "I started off feeling really good, and I'm glad it ended on a positive note."
Starting with a viewership rating of 9.2% (according to Nielsen Korea, nationwide) for its first episode, 'Gwigung' captivated viewers with its fresh storyline of the love between an Imugi and a shaman, a mysterious and spectacular narrative beginning with the Palcheokwi, who harbors deep grudges against the royal family, and the presence of traditional Korean ghosts that played a significant role, ultimately concluding with a peak viewership rating of 11% for its final episode.
Kim Ji-yeon expressed, "I was so nervous before the broadcast that I couldn't sleep, and I was surprised to see the first episode's ratings," adding, "Throughout the broadcast, people around me said things like, 'I didn't know you had this side,' 'You must have worked hard,' and 'Weren't you scared while acting?' I received a lot of comments about 'Gwigung.' My SNS followers also increased by about 100,000," she said with a proud smile.
In the drama, Kim Ji-yeon portrayed the delicate and strong-willed shaman Yeori, who helps release the spirits of the departed. She dedicated herself to preparing for the role by learning traditional rituals and practicing by sticking chants around her refrigerator.
“For the ritual scenes, I had a teacher who provided guidance, and I went to the set to observe and learn. The director suggested that the ritual should be expressed with a Korean aesthetic, so I also learned Korean dance. Since the chants are in a language that isn't commonly used, I remember it was difficult to memorize, so I stuck them all over my house,” she recalled.
Having acted in a role involving ghosts, she also shared a unique experience.
“To practice acting, I borrowed a bell, which was a prop for filming, and kept it at home,” she began. “The director suggested watching the movie 'Manshin' as it might help with my acting, and it featured shamans finding ghosts through sound. After watching it, I felt like I could hear the bell ringing for no reason. I asked my teacher about it, and they said it was a 'sacred sound that drives away ghosts.' After that, I stopped hearing the bell sound,” she shared a memorable episode.
She also shared her experience working with Yook Sung-jae, who played the Imugi in a romantic storyline. Kim Ji-yeon said, “Since we were friends during our trainee days, it was definitely comfortable. It was my first time in the fantasy genre, so it was challenging to act while imagining, but Yook Sung-jae and the director helped a lot. I think it was a bit awkward to act in a romance with a friend of 16 years, but it matched well with the emotions of Yeori and Kang-cheol.”
When asked if she thinks it's possible to become lovers with an old friend, Kim Ji-yeon replied, “People around me keep asking, 'Aren't you two dating?' and I respond, 'If nothing happened in 16 years, wouldn't it have happened by now?' The WJSN members said, 'You're filming a romance with Yook Sung-jae? You guys are real pros,'” she laughed.
At the same time, Kim Ji-yeon revealed her ambition for the 'Best Couple Award' with Yook Sung-jae. She said, “I went to the SBS year-end awards for the first time last year. I was the MC and thought, 'I want to be sitting there next year,' so it would be great if I get invited this year. I've never won a Best Couple Award, so I want to aim for it this time.”
Kim Ji-yeon began her acting career in 2017 with the drama 'The Best Hit.' Now in her ninth year as an actress, she reflected, “Looking back, I feel like I've worked hard. When I monitor my performances, I can't help but notice the areas I wish I had done better, but I think it's part of the process of creating something step by step. I have a desire to create a representative work in each genre, like school dramas and historical dramas. I think 'Gwigung' might become a representative work in historical dramas.”
She continued, “Until now, I have chosen characters that I can express best within my tendencies, but now I want to try something a little different. I used to have a strong tendency to think, 'I should do what I can do well,' but the more I act, the more I think, 'Isn't there a new side of me that I don't know?' My goal is to become an actress who doesn't think of previous works when starting a new project.”
[Lee Da-gyeom, Star Today Reporter]
