[Photo&] “I Watched Seo Jisub’s Gift and Cried…” The ‘Mr. Kim’ Interview With Seo Soomin, the 3.8-Million-View Girl’s Twist

The SBS drama 'Mr. Kim'—which wrapped up with the top viewership rating of '23.1%' for actress 'Seo Soomin'—was her debut work that opened the door to a career in acting in a big, forceful way. The process of a teenage girl who had racked up '3.8 million' views with YouTube daily-life videos just 10 months earlier, now taking direction from a senior actor 'Seo Jisub' and perfectly bringing to life the role of Kim Min-ji, the daughter in the drama, is nothing short of a twist and a miracle-like narrative.

From the '3.8 Million-View' frenzy to becoming a core pillar of 'Mr. Kim'

Born in 2007, 'Seo Soomin' landed a heavy character right from her very first work: the protagonist’s daughter. In the drama, the key figure in the story that moves Kim Bu-jang—('Seo Jisub' plays him), a North Korean spy who lives while hiding his identity—is none other than the daughter, Kim Min-ji. After hearing the news that she passed the audition, she said she couldn’t fully take it in for a month, and expressed deep gratitude to the production team for entrusting a major role to a newcomer with no filmography.

In fact, before her debut, she was the owner of an unusual background who first introduced her face to the public through YouTube. A video titled 'Take off your glasses and get friendly with the camera' surpassed '3.8 million' views and placed her at the center of the buzz. The video she posted to leave memories with her friends sparked an explosive response. After that, she chose a path in acting, captivated by the power of performance, despite the flood of influencer offers that followed.

During the audition for 'Mr. Kim'—based on a popular webtoon of the same name—she was said to have anticipated rejection because she wasn’t even a theater and acting major and had no experience. However, Director Lee Seung-young reportedly gained confidence in casting from her two-minute free-performance video, and left a glowing remark that she was 'love at first sight.'

The leadership of a 'strawberry candy' from the senior, Seo Jisub, and hot tears

The scene in such a massive project was an immense burden for a newcomer. There was pressure to meet the expectations of fans of the original work, but the advice from veteran seniors she met on set served as a strong support. In particular, 'Seo Jisub' looked after her like a real daughter even when the cameras weren’t rolling.

A story that shows the warm atmosphere on set is how, when she froze from the tension of her first shoot, he quietly handed her strawberry candy to loosen the mood. She said he didn’t hold back on careful guidance even for a newcomer who struggled with handling the camera angles and sight lines. As time passed, she naturally started calling him 'Dad' and came to rely on him. On her birthday, she also received a handwritten signed gift from Day6—the band she usually enjoys listening to—and burst into tears of emotion. Even supporting actors of the caliber of Choi Dae-hoon and Yoon Kyung-ho also passed along their mindset-control methods and acting know-how without holding back.

When naming the most memorable scenes etched into her mind, she pointed to the final meal scene right before the arrest in episode 7, and the reunion scene in the finale. She recalled that during filming, she was overwhelmed by real sadness that went beyond acting, and experienced an astonishing immersion in which she became completely absorbed into the character.

The weight of a '23.1%' rating and a new leap toward a genre drama

'Mr. Kim' was a fateful work that planted a clear goal of becoming an actor during a period when her 고민 about her career ran deep. With a mega hit that recorded the highest viewership rating of '23.1%' nationwide according to Nielsen Korea, public attention shifted as well. More and more people began recognizing her in everyday life, but she said that she is still adjusting to the weight of the title 'actor' herself.

She said she kept a close, cold-blooded eye on her acting and swallowed the disappointment, and then revealed an ambitious desire to take on a strong genre role that calls to mind the film 'The Witch' in the future. She said she wants to grow into an actor who moves forward diligently without being swept up by success, leaving a deep afterglow in the memories of the public.