Actress Kim Ji-yeon Opens Up About Challenges During 'Gwigung' Filming

Actress Kim Ji-yeon candidly shared her struggles during the filming of the drama.

On the 9th, an interview with Kim Ji-yeon, who delivered a stellar performance in the SBS drama 'Gwigung', took place at the King Kong by Starship office in Gangnam, Seoul.

'Gwigung', which concluded on the 8th, is a fantasy romantic comedy about a shaman named Yeori (played by Kim Ji-yeon) who rejects her fate as a medium and encounters a dragon spirit, Kang Cheol-yi (played by Yook Sung-jae), trapped in the body of her first love, Yoon Gap. Kim Ji-yeon portrayed the character of Yeori, a shaman with a strong inner self, with great nuance.

Having taken on her second historical drama following MBC's 'Joseon Attorney', Kim Ji-yeon remarked, "Historical dramas are inherently challenging to film, and 'Gwigung' was no exception." She added, "There were many scenes involving ghosts, which extended the filming hours. Wearing hanbok was already restrictive, and the cold winter weather made it even more exhausting. However, the hard work was rewarding."

Regarding her possession scenes, Kim Ji-yeon explained, "Initially, acting as if possessed by a ghost was difficult. I tried to pay attention to every detail, focusing on the possession aspect while setting aside the character of Yeori, which led to a successful portrayal."

She also discussed the physical challenges of filming the drama. Kim Ji-yeon revealed, "During the filming of episodes 15 and 16, I cried almost every day. There were many scenes requiring tears, which was emotionally draining. Eventually, I ran out of tears."

She continued, "Filming a 16-episode drama was stressful, but I managed to pull through. Fortunately, the parts I was concerned about during filming were less noticeable in the final product."

Reported by Se-yoon Jung, Ten Asia yoon@tenasia.co.kr