Jeon Do-yeon Reflects on Her Career and Friendship with Kim Go-eun in 'The Price of Confession'

The Queen of Cannes, Jeon Do-yeon, remains humble even after 36 years in the industry. Despite being a leading actress representing South Korea, she appeared more modest than ever when we met her in 2023 for 'Crash Course in Romance'.

Recently, we interviewed Jeon Do-yeon, who plays Yoon Soo in Netflix's 'The Price of Confession', at a café in Samcheong-dong, Seoul. She appeared with a medium-length layered cut, shedding the long permed hair of her character Yoon Soo, and greeted the press in a lively pink cardigan.

'The Price of Confession' is a mystery thriller about Jeon Do-yeon's character, Yoon Soo, who is accused of murdering her husband, and Kim Go-eun's mysterious character, Mo-eun, known as a witch. The story unfolds between these two enigmatic figures.

Jeon Do-yeon and Kim Go-eun reunite after 10 years since their film 'Memories of the Sword'. The collaboration between the 30s representative Kim Go-eun and the 50s representative Jeon Do-yeon made 'The Price of Confession' a hot topic even before its release.

Jeon Do-yeon shared, "When we met during 'Memories of the Sword', we already formed a personal bond. We had common ground. I filmed 'Happy End' and Go-eun filmed 'A Muse'. Both were young, and although we were acting, the public's perception could be hurtful." Both actresses have previously starred in films with explicit scenes.

Jeon continued, "Having gone through it, I hoped Go-eun would also take on bright roles that only someone in their 20s could. I wanted her to experience those roles." As Jeon wished, Kim Go-eun has become one of the most successful actresses in her 30s, taking on diverse roles.

Their personal relationship continued beyond 'Memories of the Sword', meeting privately and sharing deep conversations, which translated into excellent chemistry in their latest project.

In a prior interview, Kim Go-eun expressed her admiration, "I felt it during 'Memories of the Sword' and again now; senior Jeon Do-yeon doesn't hold back. Watching her, I felt anxious she might get hurt. She doesn't take shortcuts. Seeing her dedication, I thought, 'I should be like that too.' When both of us think alike, that's when synergy happens."

Jeon Do-yeon humorously responded, "I don't hold back because I don't know how to." She added, "I consider myself clumsy. In the prison van scene, I didn't know any tricks. Go-eun led, and I followed her guidance."

In the series, Jeon had to balance 50% action and 50% emotional scenes, with a substantial amount of screen time across 12 episodes. The filming locations varied from prisons to homes, studios, universities, law offices, courtrooms, and interrogation rooms. When asked about the challenges, Jeon said, "Being in a visible profession, I can't avoid public scrutiny. I strive to satisfy myself."

She confidently added, "If I weren't an actress, would I be conscious of my age? People seem to care about the age of actresses. Articles often mention age. While I don't only take roles that match my age, I don't want to focus on it."

By Yeji Ryu, TenAsia Reporter ryuperstar@tenasia.co.kr