Jaehwa Bernardo

Park Min-young and Wi Ha-jun in 'Siren's Kiss.' Photo courtesy of Prime Video Philippines

Article (news)

Why working with Wi Ha-jun felt like ‘destiny’ for Park Min-young

ABS-CBN News

<div><span class="fr-img-caption fr-fic fr-dib" style="width:960px;display:block" width="960"><span class="fr-img-wrap"><img src="https://od2-image-api.abs-cbn.com/prod/editorImage/1772082220745260205 PR STILLS 7.jpg" style="width:960px" class="fr-fic fr-dib" width="960" alt="Park Min-young and Wi Ha-jun in &#x27;Siren&#x27;s Kiss.&#x27; Photos courtesy of Prime Video Philippines"/><span class="fr-inner" style="text-align:left">Park Min-young and Wi Ha-jun in &#x27;Siren&#x27;s Kiss.&#x27; <em>Photos courtesy of Prime Video Philippines</em></span></span></span></div><p>MANILA — Park Min-young has cemented her status as one of today’s most popular K-drama stars, with a string of hit titles such as “City Hunter,” “What’s Wrong with Secretary Kim” and “Marry My Husband.” Widely recognized for her romance roles, the actress continues to spark curiosity among fans, who eagerly anticipate which leading man she will be paired with next. </p><p>Even the 39-year-old actress herself often shares that same curiosity, with close friends in real life offering their own suggestions about who might be the perfect match to share the screen with her.</p><p>That’s why Min-young said it felt almost fated to be teaming up with Wi Ha-jun in the romance mystery thriller “Siren’s Kiss.”</p><p>“Before joining the project, I was curious to know which male actor I would be collaborating with next. And surprisingly enough, Ha-jun was the person that my friends in real life mentioned the most,” Min-young shared in an interview with ABS-CBN News.</p><div><span class="fr-video fr-deletable fr-fvc fr-dvb fr-draggable" contenteditable="false" draggable="true"><iframe width="640" height="360" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/8GsuOj0QlZc?&amp;wmode=opaque&amp;rel=0" frameBorder="0" allowfullscreen="" class="fr-draggable"></iframe></span></div><p>Ha-jun, who was seated beside Min-young during the interview, appeared surprised and asked his co-star, “Really? Before this project?” to which the actress replied, “Yes.”</p><p>“They thought that we would really go well with each other, because he has quite the dinosaur-like face,” she explained, prompting a brief moment of laughter between her and her leading man.</p><p>“So when I heard that we were going to be partners, I thought that maybe it was destiny. It was meant to be,” she added, as Ha-jun nodded in apparent agreement. “So that’s why I decided to join the project.”</p><p>Ha-jun shared that his co-star was also among the key factors that drew him to the project, saying, “I was really excited and intrigued to see the thriller-melodrama that Park Min-young would bring to life.”</p><div><img src="https://od2-image-api.abs-cbn.com/prod/editorImage/1772082279179260116 PR STILLS 5.jpg" style="width:960px" class="fr-fic fr-dib" width="960"/></div><p>More than the opportunity to work together, it was also the story — which Min-young described as “a blend of mystery and melodrama, a beautiful melodrama” — that drew both stars to “Siren’s Kiss.”</p><p>Scheduled to premiere on Prime Video on March 2, “Siren’s Kiss” is based on the 1999 Japanese drama “Ice World.” The series follows Cha Woo-seok (Ha-jun), whose investigation into an insurance fraud scheme entangles him with Han Seol-ah (Min-young), an art auctioneer whose past lovers have all mysteriously died.</p><div><a href="https://www.abs-cbn.com/entertainment/showbiz/movies-series/2026/1/13/park-min-young-wi-ha-jun-s-siren-s-kiss-to-premiere-march-2-1303"><strong>READ: Park Min-young, Wi Ha-jun&#x27;s &#x27;Siren&#x27;s Kiss&#x27; to premiere March 2<br/></strong></a></div><p>“I actually wanted to go for a light-hearted project for my next one, but when I started reading this script, I found myself very much hooked, and I kept on looking forward to the next episode,” said Ha-jun, known for starring in the hit survival drama “Squid Game.”</p><div><span class="fr-img-caption fr-fic fr-dib" style="width:960px;display:block" width="960"><span class="fr-img-wrap"><img src="https://od2-image-api.abs-cbn.com/prod/editorImage/1772082289538260205 PR STILLS 1.jpg" style="width:960px" class="fr-fic fr-dib" width="960" alt="Park Min-young"/><span class="fr-inner" style="text-align:left">Park Min-young</span></span></span></div><div><strong>Intense charisma</strong></div><p>Min-young was confident she would “exude a charisma that is just as intense” as Ha-jun, even if she wouldn’t be taking part in the action scenes the way he would. There is, after all, the challenge of portraying Seol-ah, a character whose existence has been shadowed by a series of tragic deaths.</p><p>“I had to speak in a much lower tone—a lower pitched voice and in an atmospheric tone, as well. I was mindful of the descriptions of Seol-ah in the script,” Min-young said about her preparations for the role.</p><div><a href="https://www.abs-cbn.com/entertainment/2024/4/21/8-k-dramas-to-watch-if-you-love-park-min-young-1337"><strong>READ: 8 K-dramas to watch if you love Park Min-young<br/></strong></a></div><p>“I had a clear picture of her in mind in many aspects. To bring those details to life, I felt myself going to kind of a darker place while slipping into this character, and both physically and mentally, it was quite challenging to enter her headspace,” the actress said.</p><div><span class="fr-img-caption fr-fic fr-dib" style="width:960px;display:block" width="960"><span class="fr-img-wrap"><img src="https://od2-image-api.abs-cbn.com/prod/editorImage/1772082305660260205 PR STILLS 5.jpg" style="width:960px" class="fr-fic fr-dib" width="960" alt="Wi Ha-jun"/><span class="fr-inner" style="text-align:left">Wi Ha-jun</span></span></span></div><p>For his part, Ha-jun has played characters similar to Woo-seok, often drawn to uncovering mysteries. What sets his latest role apart, he explained, is that Woo-seok is far less restrained in expressing his emotions.</p><p>“Even when I wanted to express more [with my past roles], I had to hold back and, you know, restrain myself and kind of hide my emotions,” Ha-jun said.</p><p>“But Woo-seok, in all of the emotions that he carries—rage, anger, love—he is very direct and straightforward, so I had the chance to let out what I had been holding inside.”</p><p>As the story would have it, Woo-seok and Seol-ah start from a place of mistrust, leading to an initially tense dynamic between the two. To effectively bring this dynamic to life, Ha-jun said: “I really tried to stick to the script a lot, and for what was missing in the script, I tried to fill it in on set after discussing with Min-young and the director.”</p><p>The actor also admitted that he and Min-young didn’t have to try too hard to bring such scenes to life, crediting their natural chemistry. “For the desperate, emotional scenes, I found myself being immersed in the moment even more when we were actually on set with the camera rolling,” he said.</p><p>“And since we had great chemistry from the beginning, I don&#x27;t think I really had to make an effort. It just happened naturally.”</p>

<p>K-drama darling Park Min-young says her latest on-screen pairing with Wi Ha-jun feels like 'destiny' as they lead Prime Video's newest series 'Siren's Kiss.'</p>

K-drama darling Park Min-young says her latest on-screen pairing with Wi Ha-jun feels like 'destiny' as they lead Prime Video's newest series 'Siren's Kiss.'