Rising Star Lee Chae-min Reflects on Success and Future Aspirations

Actor Lee Chae-min recently shared his thoughts on his rising popularity.

In a recent interview at a café in Gangnam, Seoul, Lee Chae-min discussed his role in the tvN drama 'Bon Appétit, Your Majesty.'

'Bon Appétit, Your Majesty' is a new weekend drama on tvN that follows a chef who time-slips to the past and meets a tyrannical king with an impeccable palate. Lee Chae-min plays the role of Prince Lee Heon, a character with the potential to be a good king but is known as a tyrant due to his fiery and prickly nature.

The final episode of 'Bon Appétit, Your Majesty' achieved impressive ratings, with 17.4% in the Seoul metropolitan area and a peak of 20%, and 17.1% nationwide with a peak of 19.4%, according to Nielsen Korea. Additionally, the drama topped the TV-OTT drama buzz rankings for five consecutive weeks, and Lee Chae-min ranked first in the September actor brand reputation survey by the Korea Corporate Reputation Research Institute, proving his high popularity.

Following the show's conclusion, it was reported that Lee received over 30 scripts for potential future projects. When asked if he feels the surge in popularity, Lee expressed, "I'm happier every day because I'm receiving more love and attention than I expected. More people recognize me now, and I'm getting offers to work together. While it's not overwhelming, there are definitely more people wanting to collaborate, and I'm grateful for that. It makes me want to work even harder."

Lee also humbly acknowledged, "It's hard to see this as solely my achievement. I'm just grateful for the help of many people. I'm happy to share in this success. I feel a sense of responsibility and passion to show an even better side of myself in my next project."

Speaking about his co-star Lim Yoon-a, he said, "What I realized while working with her is that she has so much to teach. She possesses admirable values both as an actor and as a person. On set, I just followed her lead. I believe the positive reception from viewers is largely thanks to her. Personally, I'm very grateful for how well she adapted to me."

"My biggest goal is not to lose myself. While I may adapt to situations, I don't want to change my essence. I believe being a good person is essential to being a good actor and having a positive influence. My parents always tell me to 'stay humble and never lose your initial mindset,' and I want to keep that in mind as I move forward."

Reported by Kim Se-ah, TenAsia haesmik@tenasia.co.kr