Loved Yoo Yeon-seok in When The Phone Rings? Know how the actor landed his Paik Sa-eon role

Yoo Yeon-seok and Chae Soo-bin-starrer romantic thriller Netflix K-drama, When The Phone Rings received immense love from fans.

Yoo Yeon-seok and Chae Soo-bin in When The Phone Rings

When The Phone Rings ended in the first week of January 2025 after an emotional rollercoaster of 12 episodes. The story of Chae Soo-bin's Hong Hee-joo and Yoo Yeon-seok's Paik Sa-eon is literally the talk of K-drama town and fans are rooting for the on-screen couple. The K-drama received immense love and the lead stars picked up the Best Couple award for their contributions to the series at the 2024 MBC Drama Awards. Now, in a new interview, series writer Kim Ji-woon revealed how Yeon-seok landed the role of Paik Sa-eon and also showered praise on Soo-bin.

How did Yoo Yeon-seok land Paik Sa-eon role in When The Phone Rings?

In an interview with iMBC, When The Phone Rings writer, Kim Ji-woon opened up about the casting deets and recalled how she was profoundly impressed by Yoo Yeon-seok’s melodramatic performance in the 2023 JTBC drama The Interest of Love, which helped him take the lead opposite Mun Ka Young (or Moon Ga Young) as Ahn Soo Young.

Appreciating his efforts to play the role of Han Sang Soo in the workplace romance series, she said that she “had expectations to see Yoo Yeon-seok’s melodrama again.” His When The Phone Rings role is also someone whose “melodrama explodes as the story progresses.”

Also Read: When The Phone Rings review: Not every happy ending makes a show good, Yoo Yeon-seok and Chae Soo-bin's K-Drama is proof

Ji-woon further added that Yeon-seok is also “incredibly good at controlling intensity.” Maintaining flexibility while handling his portrayal of the headstrong character, Yeon-seok balanced it out by being gentle where necessary, thereby sharpening his control over intensity like an art form.

Kim Ji-woon praises Chae Soo-bin

The writer also showered praise on Chae Soo-bin, who played the role of Hong Hee-joo in When The Phone Rings. She said that she was impressed by the actress’ lovable and sly qualities.

“I thought that the loveliness and sadness that Chae Soo-bin possesses fit Hee-joo well,” she explained.

When The Phone Rings reception

Even though the last episode received a slight backlash, the series, as a whole received love from fans on social media.

One fan penned on X, "#WhenThePhoneRings is a series that really nails the lesson that we need to communicate if we love someone. don't hold back, learn to show your feelings, learn to say "I love you", call. maybe the other end of the line is just waiting for you."

Another said, "When the phone rings in a nutshell: 85% kidnapped 99.9% angst 5% imagination 69% romance recommended #WhenThePhoneRingsEp12."

Have you watched When The Phone Rings? Share your thoughts on X by tagging us @ottplayapp!

Also Read: When The Phone Rings Finale Episode 12 Preview: Hong Hee-joo cries as her husband Paik Sa-eon disappears; will it be a sad ending?

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