“I act like the cute Princess Suk-hwi!”
We met up with actress Kim So-eun, the lovely Princess Suk-hwi in MBC’s recent series “Horse Doctor.” After spending eight months with tightly pulled back hair for her role in the historical drama, she appeared with long, brightly dyed hair. Now as a 20-something actress in the 21st century, she looked back at Princess Suk-hwi whom she played as for months. In the drama, Kim So-eun appeared as a daring, warm-hearted princess who expresses her love for Baek Gwang-hyeon, but who also helps him and her childhood friend Kang Ji-yeong fulfill their love.  

Suk-hwi was an unconventional character for a historical drama. Instead of submitting to the king, the princess made decisions for herself and demanded what she wanted. But above all, she delighted the viewers with her positive energy whenever she appeared. Kim So-eun explained that she learned a lot from Suk-hwi.

“When I first got the script, I thought that Suk-hwi was a very bright character, but I am not as bright as her. Suk-hwi is adorable. So I prepared a lot before we started filming. I wanted to portray her honestly and innocently without diminishing her dignity as a princess. At first, I couldn’t get used to the role, but I got better through practice. I think I also got brighter and more like Suk-hwi.”

Kim So-eun debuted in 2005 with MBC drama “Sad Love Story,” but became famous in her role in KBS 2TV’s “Boys over Flowers” as the friend of Geum Jan-di (Gu Hye-seon). Her role in the drama got her the nickname “Ga-eul yang,” which is how F4 member So Yi-jeong (Kim Beom) called her. However, in “Horse Doctor,” she shook off her image as Miss Ga-eul and made herself known as Princess Suk-hwi.

“This drama was a turning point in my life. Ga-eul got promoted to Princess Suk-hwi. The two are similar to me in some ways. In terms of personality, Suk-hwi and I share similarities, but I am more like Ga-eul when it comes to guys. Before I did this drama, my fans were mainly the young people in their teens and twenties, but now many older people recognize me as well. I felt good when they told me they were enjoying the drama.”

“Horse Doctor” was under the spotlight even before it aired because of the director Lee Byeong-hoon, who also directed MBC “Jewel in the Palace” and MBC “Dong Yi.”

“Director Lee is really passionate about his work. He is not young, but he has a surprising amount of passion and energy. I learned a lot while working with him. He gives very detailed instructions and checks our reactions meticulously. So I learned how to emphasize even little points and pay attention to pronunciation.” 

“I am rather laid back and optimistic. I try to choose my projects with care. Above all, I love to try out new characters that are different from each other.”