Chae Jong-hyeop, melodious eyes

Actor Chae Jong-hyeop has started a romance that summons memories of his first love.

Chae Jong-hyeop first appeared as Kang Hoo-young, a financial planner with a handsome appearance and a brilliant mind, in the tvN Monday-Tuesday drama 'Is it a Coincidence?' (directed by Song Hyun-wook and Jeong Gwang-sik, written by Park Gro), which first aired on the 22nd, showing off his superior physique and warm visuals. It left a strong impression.

On this day's broadcast, Hooyoung dominated the screen and captured everyone's attention as soon as she reunited with Lee Hong-joo (Kim So-hyun) on a blind date for the first time in 10 years. Then, when Hong-ju met by chance again and looked unhappy, she asked indifferently, “Aren’t you happy with me?” There was a subtle affection in the words. This further doubled the charm of Kang Hoo-young’s character.

Additionally, in the scene where Hu-young walks with Hong-ju and reminisces about memories from 10 years ago, Hu-young's serious and affectionate side is revealed, instantly capturing women's hearts. In particular, when Hong-joo said that the expiration date ends the moment the first love is frozen, Hoo-young's eyes and smile honestly confessed, "I guess mine has already started to thaw," raising expectations for future developments.

In this way, Chae Jong-hyeop portrayed his cool-headedness and the only honest emotions expressed in front of Hong-joo in a three-dimensional way, making viewers immerse themselves in the character of Kang Hoo-young, who is not good at expressing emotions, within the first episode.

Chae Jong-hyeop was recognized for his acting skills early on in various works such as SBS' 'Stove League', TVING's 'Come to the Witch's Restaurant', KBS 2TV's '493km to You', and tvN's 'Diva of the Desert Island'. In particular, Chae Jong-hyeop, who quickly emerged as a Hallyu star through the drama 'Eye Love You', which aired on TBS in Japan early this year, is drawing attention to what kind of activities he will perform in the future through 'Is It a Coincidence?'

Meanwhile, tvN's 'Is it a Coincidence?' starring Chae Jong-hyeop, who has caused excitement from his first appearance, airs every Monday and Tuesday at 8:40 PM.

Ryu Ye-ji, Ten Asia Reporter ryuperstar@tenasia.co.kr