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| Actress Kim You-jung / Courtesy of Netflix |
Actress portrays story of first love in new film '20th Century Girl'
By Kwak Yeon-soo
Kim You-jung is one of those few actors who found fame at a young age and has continued to find success in TV and cinema well into her adult years. However, the star said the process of persevering in the entertainment industry wasn't easy.
The 23-year-old actress began her career at the age of four, working as a child model for a confectionery brand. She was thrust into limelight at the age of six, appearing as a child in "Sympathy for Lady Vengeance" (2005) alongside actors Choi Min-sik and Lee Young-ae. She then went on to appear in a slew of mainstream hits as a child including "Road No. 1" (2010), "Dong Yi" (2010) and "Moon Embracing the Sun" (2012).
As she moved toward her young adult years, Kim starred in various romance TV series, including JTBC's "Clean with Passion For Now" (2018-2019), SBS' "Backstreet Rookie" (2020) and "Lovers of the Red Sky" (2021), which affirmed her status as an A-lister.
"Until now, I've never had another career path in mind. But when I turned 20, I was confused and emotionally unstable. I endure that period of time by doing a lot of hobbies and going on solo trips. I think I've grown stronger. I am now happy and at peace," she said during an interview with The Korea Times at a cafe in Seoul, Tuesday.
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| A scene from the film, "20th Century Girl" / Courtesy of Netflix |
In Netflix's film, "20th Century Girl," Kim plays the role of Bo-ra, a 17-year-old girl who decides to play cupid for her best friend, but then gets swept up in a love story of her own. Although the film is mostly set in 1999, the year Kim was born, the actress had no difficulty understanding set pieces of the 1990s and early 2000s, with their retro charm.
"I collect vintage vinyl records and listen to'80s and '90s music. My favorite singers are ballad singers Park Hey-kyoung, Park Ki-young and Yangpa (who were famous in the late 1990s to early 2000s). Although some of the set pieces, like a floppy disk and a beeper, were unfamiliar to me, I was aware of the existence of many of the retro items," she said.
Although the central theme of the film is about a teenage girl's first love and its lasting impact, it also deals with navigating friendship and adolescence.
"If I were in Bo-ra's position, I, too, would choose friendship over love," she said. Kim revealed that although she started pursuing acting at a young age, she didn't miss out on school activities, including field trips and excursions.
"I loved going to schools. In fact, I was very active in school activities, performing talent shows with my friends and hanging out with them after work. Luckily, I have all good memories from school," she said.
Actress Han Hyo-joo portrays the adult version of the protagonist. "We didn't have any scenes together, but she visited the set to cheer for me. She gave a lot of advice, telling me to call her if I have any worries about acting or whatsoever," she said.
"20th Century Girl" is currently the most-watched movie on Netflix Korea and ranked fifth on its global streaming chart. Kim said she is surprised to see such a positive feedback from viewers home and abroad. "I'm in awe, really. I didn't expect that our film would be so successful on global chart," she said.
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