Ji Chang Wook and Shin Hae Sun Interview: South Korean actors on their chemistry in ‘Welcome To Samdal-ri’

South Korean actors Ji Chang Wook and Shin Hae Sun talk about doing a warm and relaxing romantic comedy, their love for Rajkumar Hirani’s ‘3 Idiots’, and what K-content’s global explosion means for performers

“Do people realise a dream feels the best when it remains a dream,” wonders Cho Yong Pil (Ji Chang Wook), as his childhood sweetheart Cho Sam Dal (Shin Hae Sun) leaves their small town of Samdal-ri for Seoul, in the hopes of never returning. “I cannot be a big dragon in a small stream,”, she says. This marks a poignant scene in Welcome To Samdal-ri, a slice-of-life drama revolving around these two characters, one who wants to soar and escape her life, the other who is content and makes the most of where he is.

Years later, Sam Dal is back home. Her career as a fashion photographer is in shambles and she is caught in a scandal as well. Yong Pil, who is infamously called the “knucklehead” at the meteorological department for being a bright but overly hyper and inflexible forecaster, is happy with his life in Jeju. He has avoided a transfer to Seoul, and has not dated anyone since his break up with Sam Dal. As these two come face to face once again, can they put aside their differences and start all over again?

Produced by SLL, the visually striking romantic comedy Welcome To Samdal-ri is is directed by Cha Young Hoon, known for hits such as When The Camellias Bloom, Forecasting Love & Weather, and Are You Human. Addressing the first-time screen pairing of Ji Chang Wook and Shin Hae Sun that has received a great response, Ji Chang Wook says,“I can see why she is such a beloved actor. She gets into the skin of her characters.” 

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Last seen as the undercover cop caught in the murky world of drug cartels and bloody gang wars in the action noir mystery The Worst Evil, Ji Chang Wook describes Welcome to Samdal-ri as a relaxing and warm show after the harsh and tense vibe of his last drama. “Both these dramas are divergently different. I enjoyed the play of opposites. Yong Pil has his standards but is a warm-hearted person, he was not a difficult character to play, and I got a hang of the meteorological stuff.”

Shin Hae Sun, who was last seen in the romantic drama See You In My 19th Life, says when playing the conflicted Sam Dal she found similarities in her own life. “There are moments in your life when your self-esteem is low and you need comfort. I encountered this work at a moment when I was fatigued without noticing it, and I think that led me to relate to ‘Sam-dal’ easily,” says the actor.

Having spent over 15 years in the business, Ji Chang Wook continues to be one of the most sought-after K-drama stars. He reveals that there are times he gets overwhelmed at the onset of a new project, but the overriding concern is whether his work resonates with viewers. Be it Bachelor’s Vegetable Store and Five Fingers, or Healer and Suspicious Partner, these titles showcased his ability to switch genres and characters. The actor says the only change in his process is that he “used to put much time on the script, but now I spend more time on sharing ideas and contemplating on understanding and relating to characters who are unfathomable. I also seek to explore myself through my craft.”