Lead Trio of 'Shang Jian Ni' Visit Korea
Express Gratitude for 'Sangchinza' Craze
Special Korean Love for Hanwoo and Daechang Gui
"Happy New Year. Please give me some pocket money (New Year's money)."
Actor Xu Guanghan (Heo Gwanghan, 32) cleverly greeted in Korean that he had practiced. They are 'Sangchinjas' (people crazy about Sanggyeonni) who were not stopped by the cold.
The main actors of 'Sanggyeonni', Ku Jia Yan (Ga Ga Yeon), Xu Guanghan (Heo Gwanghan), and Si Baiyu (Si Baekwoo), collectively expressed their joy at meeting Korean fans during a press conference held on the afternoon of the 26th at CGV Yongsan in Ichon-dong, Yongsan-gu, Seoul. They also happily said, "The snow that fell today is our first snow."
"We don't really feel the popularity in Korea"
'Sanggyeonni' (想見?) is a drama that aired on Taiwan's CTV in 2019, and later was released through online video services (OTT), garnering over 1 billion views and attracting attention. Due to the drama's popularity, it was also made into a movie. The film, released in 2009, depicts a multiverse fantasy romance that begins when Li Ziwei and Huang Yixuan accidentally meet and strangely feel a heart-fluttering sense of d?j? vu.
The movie, which premiered first in China on the 24th of last month, surpassed 400 million yuan (72.8 billion KRW) at the box office in just 27 days, revitalizing the weakened theater industry. In Taiwan, where it was released a week later on the 30th of last month, it broke the 100 million TWD barrier in 23 days, marking a hit. On the 16th, it surpassed 88.88 million TWD (3.62363 billion KRW) at the box office. In Korea, it opened on the 25th ranked second in advance ticket sales.
The three lead actors collectively expressed their gratitude to Korean fans. Ga Ga Yeon said, "I know we are loved a lot in Korea. Thank you for the support and love. When we were filming the movie, I never imagined I would be sitting here now, so it feels unbelievable." Heo Gwanghan added, "If given the chance, I wanted to meet you all in person in Korea," emphasizing, "The movie is a gift for you."
Si Baekwoo shared his thoughts on visiting Korea: "Many Korean fans came despite the snowy and cold weather. I met many fans on the way to the theater. I arrived in Korea yesterday and thought it might be a dream, but this morning it felt real. It's amazing."
They also shared their impressions of Korea. Heo Gwanghan said, "I ate delicious Korean beef here, and it was very tasty," while Si Baekwoo said, "I arrived a day earlier and ate daechang gui (grilled large intestines) in Sinsa-dong yesterday." Ga Ga Yeon reminisced, "I went to Busan before, and it was romantic because it was snowing."
The secret to 'Sanggyeonni's popularity is empathy
The three leads attributed the popularity to the narrative. Ga Ga Yeon said, "I liked the script when I received it. After filming the drama, I felt the story had a captivating charm, which might be why people liked it." Heo Gwanghan viewed it as "empathizing with the pure emotions of school days through the work."
The actors played dual roles in a time-slip romance that travels through time. Ga Ga Yeon said, "While preparing for the movie, it was difficult to find the feeling and state I had when filming the drama. I created a new character through the drama, and after meeting the audience, the character was clearly established. It was the first time I tried to find my old self and went back to the past. It was special."
Heo Gwanghan added, "The scenario features many dual roles. Through special effects (CG), two characters appear in one scene. I acted imagining that I was in a different place, which was challenging."
The three lead actors promised to visit Korea again if 'Sanggyeonni' surpasses 1 million cumulative viewers in Korea.
© The Asia Business Daily(www.asiae.co.kr). All rights reserved.
