[INTERVIEW] Chae Seo-jin talks about navigating film industry and big sister Kim Ok-vin

Actress Chae Seo-jin / Courtesy of Special Movie City

By Kwak Yeon-soo

Chae Seo-jin, whose real name is Kim Go-un, said her family is everything to her. On returning to the big screen after five years since "Write or Dance" (2017), the 28-year-old actress said she was incredibly nervous about showing her new film "Cafe Midnight" to her family.

Directed by Chong Yun-su, "Cafe Midnight" is a fantasy romance film that follows Yoon (Chae), who is stood up by her groom Tae-young (Lee Yi-kyung) on their wedding day. She goes out in search of him and arrives at a mysterious place called Cafe Midnight, which opens only from midnight. until sunrise.

There she finds her husband-to-be but something is odd ― Tae-young looks years younger and does not recognize her. It turns out that the cafe is a place where people of different times gather.

Chae said she fell in love with the script as soon as she read it. "Yoon's character was so touching to me. I have met a lot of people like her in my life ― those who are apparently cold-hearted but in fact fundamentally good. It also was interesting to me that the film is set in a fairytale-like town in Busan," she said during a recent interview with The Korea Times.

On starring alongside Lee, who is known for his comedic work, Chae said, "He has such a good energy to be around. He always lightened the mood on set."

Actress Chae Seo-jin in a scene from the film, "Cafe Midnight" / Courtesy of Special Movie City

When asked whom she would travel through time to meet, Chae said she would love to meet her mother in her 20s.

"My relationship with my mom is the most foundational relationship in my life. She supports me, loves me unconditionally and knows everything about me. There must have been a time when my mother was also just a girl feeling unsure as to what her future is going to look like. I want to meet my mom when she was younger than me," she said.

She also opened up about her relationship with Kim Ok-vin, an actor who starred in director Park Chan-wook's "Thirst" and Jung Byung-gil's "The Villainess" (2017). In fact, the pair live together and continue to navigate the craziness of the film industry together.

"We are very, very close. She monitors my work and gives a lot of advice. I think she, the eldest among three, is the reason why I feel so attached to my family. She always emphasized the importance of spending quality time together," she said.

The 28-year-old actress said she feels anxious about turning 30. "It scares me how time flies so fast. I want to keep myself busy and I am hungry for better roles," she said.

Chae said she wants to star in a period drama or a sports film. "Recently I started watching the period drama 'Under the Queen's Umbrella' and instantly fell in love with it. Someday, I would love to star in a period drama. And I generally like sports films, so I would love to portray a sports star inspired by a true story," she said.

"Cafe Midnight" is currently playing in theaters.