[New Film] Kim Hyang-gi’s ‘I Like Just Breathing Beside You,’ a Youth Romance About Rental Fraud, Opens on the 18th

The opening chapter of a “youth survival romance”: love in the face of harsh reality

“The house doesn’t have to be that nice.” The confession shared by lovers Hwaran (Kim Hyang-gi) and Iwan (Ahn Dong-goo), as they promise each other a sweet future, is romantic—but the reality awaiting them is nothing but brutal. The home the two young people chose after weighing its “value for money” soon leads to the devastating outcome of rental fraud, swallowing their entire deposit. To make matters worse, they lose their jobs, too. Their crisis lays bare the cliff edge of survival facing people in their 20s and 30s today.

At a press conference held on the 3rd at CGV Yongsan I’Park Mall in Seoul, actor Kim Hyang-gi, star of ‘I Like Just Breathing Beside You,’ described the film as a “youth survival romance.” “Because they’re young, I wanted to express gratitude for having someone they can rely on emotionally, even when they’re on the brink,” she said, speaking about the sincerity she brought to the film. Ko Hyeong-ju, who drew attention with ‘The Interview’ in 2021, wrote and directed the film, crafting the story of a cohabiting couple who lose their deposit to fraud into a meticulously told yet tender romance.

Rental fraud and the “bathroom series”: a painful self-portrait of people in their 20s and 30s

Through the weighty subject of rental fraud, now emerging as a social disaster, the film directly confronts the housing problems young people face today. The alternative homes Hwaran and Iwan encounter after losing their entire savings—their deposit—are the very picture of poor conditions. In one, the toilet is visible as soon as the front door opens; in others, the kitchen and bathroom are awkwardly crammed together. In the film, a real estate agent groups these places together under the self-deprecating label “the bathroom series.”

Based on thorough research, director Ko recreated on screen such distorted housing arrangements found in real life as a single-room basement apartment on the second sublevel. “When I compare the housing conditions I experienced while living on my own in college with the housing problems being reported in the media day after day, I feel that nothing has fundamentally improved,” Ko said. The director explained the intention behind the film: “I put housing problems at the forefront of the story to resonate with audiences living in the same era.”

Optimism blooms amid despair, as cold reality meets warmth

Despite becoming housing refugees in brutal circumstances, Hwaran and Iwan do not lose their characteristic optimism. Rather than blaming each other in the face of crisis, they encourage each other’s dreams and build an even stronger bond. Actor Ahn Dong-goo described the appeal of the characters: “Rather than give in when faced with the enormous housing crisis, they’re characters who feel it would be a waste to spend precious years of their youth in despair. Even amid the devastating crisis of rental fraud, they become a dependable source of support for each other.”

Thanks to the characters’ outlook, the film deftly alternates between the tragedy of a cold, heavy reality and moments of warm, tender romance. “I hoped to create a layered kind of entertainment from the collision between the realistic, sharp-edged issue of housing and the idealized romance genre,” director Ko added. Kim Hyang-gi also said, “Even with a limited budget, we devoted great care to the visual quality,” adding, “I hope audiences enjoy the images that linger in the mind like a dark fairy tale for adults.”

Jung Yi-rang and Hong Si-young bring chemistry to a relatable story hitting theaters on the 18th

The addition of actor Jung Yi-rang, whose unmistakable presence has graced a range of media, and actor Hong Si-young, familiar to the public as rapper “Giriboy,” brings a distinctive, fresh energy to the film. Jung, in particular, said she deeply related to the script’s realism. “It naturally brought back memories of my 20s, when I didn’t have much money but was full of dreams and love,” she said, noting how closely the story resonated with her.

Jung continued: “My husband and I persevered through that uncertain period, loving each other steadfastly. As a result, I now have a part of myself who is so strong, and I’ve built a happy family. I hope the young men and women living in this era will love each other and stand together like the protagonists in the film, and overcome hardships.” The film ‘I Like Just Breathing Beside You,’ which follows young people holding on to their spark as they struggle to survive harsh realities, arrives in theaters on the 18th.