Hottest TV drama's villain paralyzes Gangnam

Passers-by surround Kim Seo-hyung in the Gangnam Station area, Sunday.

By Ko Dong-hwan

The Korean hippy hotspot around Gangnam Station suddenly simmered in excitement on Sunday and then erupted in a frenzy as the crowd realized a top star from the nation's hottest TV drama was right there with them.

Kim Seo-hyung plays a charismatic villain ― an academic coordinator hired by rich parents desperate to send their children to prestigious universities ― in JTBC's “SKY Castle.”

The star, 46, dressed in smart style but not too flamboyantly, and sporting short-cut hair, sparkling earrings and an ivory trench coat, strolled along one of Seoul's busiest thoroughfares with an entertainment show reporter from KBS2.

They were in the middle of a guerrilla date, the weekly show's popular segment where stars and a reporter hit random streets in trendy sectors across the country to surprise passers-by and give fans a chance to meet the celebrities literally at arm's length.

Kim Seo-hyung plays in “SKY Castle” Kim Joo-young, an academic consultant for parents eager to send their children to prestigious universities.

“SKY Castle” has become a cultural phenomenon, with a remarkable 24 percent TV viewer rating in Seoul and surrounding areas ― a record for a cable network show. The 20th and final episode will screen on Feb. 1.

Kim's cold-blooded role has stood out, as she controls children's psyches and destroys their family ties, while harboring her own painful past that involves a mentally ill daughter locked in an asylum.

Alongside the show's smash hit popularity, the actress ― who made her debut in 2004 ― found fame in 2009, when she also played a villain in the TV hit “Temptation of Wife” on SBS.

A person at the scene said on her blog Sunday that she had not watched the drama but would now watch all episodes.