[Interview] Kim Seon-ho, "I'm a 'Chicken' When It Comes to Real-Life Dating..."

Kim Seon-ho and Go Youn-jung have fully awakened global viewers' the 'flutters' with a communication romance in which the two struggle to read each other's true feelings. Netflix's "Can This Love Be Translated?" follows the story of a multilingual interpreter who becomes responsible for translating for a global top star, unfolding into a romantic comedy. Upon its release on the 17th, the series quickly climbed to the top of global charts, once again proving the power of K-romance.

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Kim Seon-ho plays Joo Ho-jin, an interpreter fluent in multiple languages but clumsy when it comes to the language of love, while Go Youn-jung portrays Moo-hee, a top star who hides her purity behind a glamorous life. Together, they create a chemistry driven not by words, but by intense emotions. Off camera as well, the two actors matched each other's rhythm as if 'interpreting' one another's ideas, which they cited as the secret behind their on-screen chemistry.

"Go Youn-jung Is a Monster of an Actress"

To portray Joo Ho-jin, a six-language interpreter, Kim Seon-ho said he fought a 'four-month battle with languages'. Laughing, he admitted, "Italian was especially difficult, it was my first time encountering it". He recalled feeling genuinely proud when Italian TV personality Alberto Mondi, who made a special appearance in the drama, complimented his pronunciation.

"I worked really hard, but when my stamina ran out, all the words I'd memorized would suddenly disappear from my head, it was tough. After the drama was released, viewers from different countries sent messages on social media saying, 'You're really good', and that made me feel like all the effort was worth it".

When asked about his chemistry with co-star Go Youn-jung, Kim surprised many by describing her as a monster. Praising her natural acting instincts, he said, "It's amazing how someone so young can absorb her partner's performance so quickly. Sometimes she even reads the intention behind my improvised acting and takes the lead, when that happens, I tell her, 'You're seriously a monster'."

Outside of acting, Kim Seon-ho said he learned a lot from Go Youn-jung, a representative 'Gen Z actor', especially when it came to online memes and trends. He made an effort to keep up with the meme-based social media promotional content she suggested.

"I'm already slow when it comes to trends, but she knows everything. I've been influenced by her to the point where I now look up memes myself and enjoy them. Still, when I post anything on social media, I make sure to get her approval first", he added with a laugh.

"I can't believe Ariana Grande copied my challenge"

In the drama, Joo Ho-jin is a stoic, emotionally guarded 'iron-wall man', but Kim Seon-ho described himself very differently in real life.

"The older I get, the more I feel that good communication is the most important thing in a romantic relationship. You know those people you naturally have great back-and-forth with without even trying. As for me, I'm kind of a coward when it comes to dating, it takes me quite a long time to develop feelings for someone".

Following the back-to-back success of "When Life Gives You Tangerines" last year and "Can This Love Be Translated?", Kim Seon-ho said his personal social media following increased by over one million, leaving him somewhat stunned. Clips of his scenes from "When Life Gives You Tangerines" went viral globally as part of a challenge trend.

"When I saw that pop star Ariana Grande had even participated in the challenge, I literally screamed. I hadn't really felt the growth of my global fanbase, but when foreigners recognized me during overseas shoots, that's when it finally felt real".

Despite the surge in popularity, Kim Seon-ho remained humble. "Rather than a star, I'm just an actor who's fortunate enough to have many different experiences", he said. He also shared that the night before the interview, he had been practicing for a stage play until dawn.

"I stayed up all night rehearsing, worrying about how I could do better, I honestly felt like all my hair was going to fall out", he said with a smile.