Grateful to Indian fans for showing love and support: Korean star Kim Seon-ho on new Netflix drama

New Delhi, Jan 15 (PTI) Indian fans will not be disappointed with "Can This Love Be Translated?", promises popular South Korean star Kim Seon-ho who hopes that his new show creates viral moments just like 'the smile challenge' from his last drama "When Life Gives You Tangerines".

One of the top stars in South Korean entertainment industry with globally popular K-dramas such as "Good Manager", "Start Up" and "Hometown Cha-Cha-Cha", Seon-ho says he, co-star Go Youn-jung, and the drama team have tried their best to create a show that meets the expectation of fans.

"I just feel so grateful for all the Indian fans showing us so much love and support. I think as an actor, it is the most rewarding and exciting thing to know that people are waiting for your next work and they're curious about what you're doing. I just feel very proud, excited and happy because of that," the actor told PTI in an interview from Seoul.

"We did our very best in creating this drama series in order to respond to that love. And now it's just days away and you will be able to watch it. We poured everything into it to make sure we didn't let you down. I think I can dare say you will not be disappointed," he added.

The new show is written by Hong Jung-eun and Hong Mi-ran, famous as the Hong sisters and known for writing popular romantic and fantasy K-dramas such as "You're Beautiful", "My Girlfriend Is a Gumiho", "Hotel del Luna" and "Alchemy of Souls". It is directed by Yoo Young-eun.

Slated to premiere on Netflix on Friday, "Can This Love Be Translated?" follows an unexpected blossoming relationship between a multilingual interpreter, Joo Ho-jin (Kim Seon-ho) and a global celebrity, Cha Mu-hee (Go Youn-jung) as they travel the world filming a dating show with the Japanese actor Hiro (Sota Fukushi).

As Ho-jin is tasked to translate between Mu-hee and Hiro, he unexpectedly finds his own heart hanging in the balance, as per the official logline of the show. Seon-ho became an internet sensation when his dimpled smile from IU and Park Bo-gum-starrer slice-of-life drama "When Life Gives You Tangerines" became viral on social media with fans across the globe recreating the moment.

The actor said it was a strange feeling to see fans reenacting his reaction from the drama. In the scene, his character sees his girlfriend (IU) in a wedding dress moments before their marriage and comes up with a heartwarming reaction.

"I did not expect that particular scene with my smile in 'When Life Gives You Tangerines' to go viral at all. When I realised how much love people were showing for that scene, and also the many challenges that people were doing, it was a very strange feeling. To think that something that you did in character for a drama series that is so widely loved, to be that much loved, become viral, and have my face attached to all of those challenges, was a new feeling that I hadn't really experienced before," he said.

Asked if there are any scenes in "Can This Love Be Translated?" that he wants to become popular with fans, Seon-ho said there are two scenes and they both feature co-star Youn-jung.

"For this drama series, it's not really a scene that I'm in. It's the scene where Youn-jung says 'aurora' and the other one, which is also in the trailer, where she makes this little gesture, imitating the cat (a bobble head cat toy). I hope those two scenes go viral," he said.

The 39-year-old actor, who has also worked extensively in theatre and essayed supporting roles in K-dramas such as "Two Cops", "Good Manager" and "The Strongest Deliveryman", before rising to global fame with K-drama "Start-Up" in 2020, is happy that he gets to live vicariously through the many characters he gets to play in dramas and movies.

Seon-ho played "do-it-all" handyman in "Hometown Cha-Cha-Cha" and now he has to play a polyglot, both characters requiring him to master certain skills, which the actor says were challenges that he enjoyed thoroughly. "As an actor, when I'm working on a new character and a new project, I also like to take on new challenges. That is something I find joy in because as an actor, when we are in character, we get to live a different life vicariously through them and that is something that really makes my heart beat.

"I love to watch my fans enjoy my work. I also really love the character that I turn into. That's something that brings me great happiness and it feels very rewarding to me," he said. PTI BK RB RB BK BK