Kim Hye Yoon delivered an impressive performance in “Lovely Runner.” However, her previous look shocked many viewers.
Recently, a post about actress Kim Hye Yoon’s appearance in the Korean drama “Lovely Runner” has garnered public attention on the online community theqoo, with over 50,000 views and hundreds of comments.
The post revealed images of the two main characters, Ryu Seon Jae (Byeon Woo Seok) and Im Sol (Kim Hye Yoon), before and after the directorial change in “Lovely Runner.”
Initially, the drama was announced to be directed by Boo Sung Chul, known for works like “My Girlfriend is a Gumiho,” “The Heirs,” and “Ghost Doctor.”
However, the production team of “Lovely Runner” underwent a major change, with two new directors, Yoon Jong Ho and Kim Tae Yeop, replacing him. Yoon Jong Ho previously directed the famous drama “Flower of Evil.”
It can be seen that Ryu Seon Jae’s appearance remained unchanged, but Im Sol underwent a noticeable transformation. In the old look, she had thick bangs, giving her a childish look. After the directorial change, Im Sol sported thinner bangs, and her style became more feminine.
In a recent interview, director Yoon Jong Ho said that when the project began, Kim Hye Yoon looked very childish, but upon receiving advice to improve her appearance to suit a character that the male lead Seon Jae would fall in love with at first sight, Kim Hye Yoon made a positive transformation.
As the drama progressed, the female lead Im Sol was portrayed in a more feminine and mature manner.
Screenwriter Lee Shi Eun also emphasized that she thought of Kim Hye Yoon while creating the character Im Sol.
“Sol is an important character. Although her circumstances include a leg disability, her spirit is fundamentally very bright. I wondered who could simultaneously portray this brightness and underlying sadness.
I knew Kim Hye Yoon was good at playing bright roles from the drama ‘Extraordinary You,’ but after watching ‘The Girl on the Bulldozer,’ I saw that she could also convey deep emotions.
I realized Hye Yoon was an actress who could portray all these diverse emotions and thought of her while writing the script,” shared the screenwriter.
She added, “I was very touched when Hye Yoon accepted the role. It was fortunate that the actress who inspired me to create the character accepted the role. Hye Yoon and Sol came to me as if by destiny. I believe the starting point and popularity of ‘Lovely Runner’ began with Im Sol.”
TIME magazine of the United States rated “Lovely Runner” as the best Korean drama of 2024 so far.
TIME stated that the success of the drama’s ending was due to the emphasis on emotions and the consistency of the time travel story. In this, the convincing performances of Kim Hye Yoon and Byeon Woo Seok were undeniable.
