After Queen Of Tears, K-drama star Kim Soo-hyun says his new series will only have ‘15% romance’

K-dramas reigned supreme on the second day of the Disney Content Showcase APAC 2024 which took place on Thursday (Nov 21) at Marina Bay Sands. A-list stars from South Korea shared about their upcoming Disney+ projects and gave attendees a sneak peek at their shows.

One of the day’s highlights came from Queen Of Tears’ Kim Soo-hyun and Tale Of The Nine Tailed star Cho Bo-ah who spoke about their new series Knock-Off.

Knock-Off is a dark comedy that tells the story of Kim Sung-joon (Kim Soo-hyun) who enters the world of counterfeit goods to rebuild his life after the 1997 Asian financial crisis. He is then hunted by his ex-girlfriend Song Hye-jung (Cho Bo-ah) – a police officer who cracks down on counterfeit goods.

Dressed in a dapper navy suit, Kim Soo-hyun – who is known for his melodramatic and romantic roles – was asked how much romance would be involved in Knock-Off. He appeared to do some mental calculations and consulted the series' director Park Hyun-sok on stage, before replying: "15 per cent."

Kim also spoke about the differences between Kim Sung-joon and Baek Hyun-woo – his character from the global hit drama Queen Of Tears.

“[Baek Hyun-woo] was a sweet and caring guy. However, [Kim Sung-joon] is a realistic guy who climbs his way up the ladder,” said Kim.

“The material was so new and fresh. My character has his own tactics for survival.”

Kim later added that his character tries to capture customers with his gaze, akin to a hunter finding his prey.

Cho Bo-ah, who was clad in an all-white ensemble, found that her character was “30 per cent similar” to herself.

“When I approach a character, I try to find that person in myself and add pieces of myself to her. [Song Hye-jung] is 30 per cent similar to myself,” she said.

The two stars also took the time to praise each other for being supportive on set.

“Bo-ah’s personality is amazing. She goes with the flow and is easy to talk to. I’m working in a friendly setting,” beamed Kim.

“Soo-hyun’s gaze and tone were comforting,” said Cho.

Knock-Off director Park Hyun-sok said that he tried to capture the feelings of a post-financial crisis South Korea through props and character design. 

“I wanted to capture Korean citizens’ emotions during that era. You will feel a bit nostalgic when you watch the series,” said Park.

Given their busy schedules for the past few day, Kim and Cho also revealed how they’ve been relaxing and maintaining their energy while in Singapore.

“I care about food,” said Kim. “It’s been about 10 years since I visited Singapore and I’ve been eating chilli crab, kaya toast, satay and cereal prawn.”

Cho, who did not get a lot of opportunities to leave her hotel room, said that she had been taking more naps and enjoying the sights from her window.

Knock-Off will air on Disney+ in 2025.