{"id":9875,"date":"2026-10-19T15:34:57","date_gmt":"2026-10-19T15:34:57","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/sotnews.agency\/?p=9875"},"modified":"2026-10-19T15:34:57","modified_gmt":"2026-10-19T15:34:57","slug":"after-string-of-dark-roles-kim-young-kwang-revels-at-transition-to-rom-com-hero","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/sotnews.agency\/?p=9875","title":{"rendered":"After string of dark roles, Kim Young-kwang revels at transition to rom-com hero"},"content":{"rendered":"
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Kim Young-kwang \/ Courtesy of Netflix<\/p>\n<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Actor Kim Young-kwang has returned to romantic comedy \u2014 and this time, it is a classic rom-com that makes viewers fall helplessly for its male lead. Kim\u2019s presence has breathed new life into a familiar genre, fueling an enthusiastic response from viewers around the world to \u201cTake Charge of My Heart.\u201d<\/p>\n

Netflix\u2019s original series “Take Charge of My Heart\u201d is a romantic comedy about a man whose artificial heart battery has run out of power and a woman with electrical powers, whose relationship unfolds under the pretext of charging it. Released on Oct. 9, the series recorded 3 million views \u2014 calculated by dividing total viewing hours by the title\u2019s runtime \u2014 in just three days, ranking third on Netflix\u2019s Global Top 10 list of non-English shows. It has also made the Top 10 list in 44 countries, including Korea, Brazil, Singapore, India, Turkey, Chile and the Philippines, indicating a strong reception globally.<\/p>\n

In an interview following the release, Kim said, \u201cIt hasn\u2019t been long since the series came out, but it seems a lot of people are enjoying it. I\u2019ve also been seeing fans edit the heart-fluttering scenes and post them online. It makes me proud.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cTake Charge of My Heart” has drawn viewers\u2019 attention with its chemistry, intriguing relationships and upbeat storytelling. The series showcases the highly addictive appeal of Korean rom-coms.<\/p>\n

\u201cThe charm of this series lies in its clich\u00e9s,\u201d Kim said. \u201cWhen I discussed the project with the production company and the director before filming, we agreed that we would embrace the clich\u00e9s and that I needed to deliver them convincingly as an actor.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cIt\u2019s also a genre I\u2019ve always liked. The series has a bright tone, so I felt good throughout the filming process, and I felt myself becoming brighter, too,\u201d he added.<\/p>\n

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From left, Chae Soo-bin and Kim Young-kwang of “Take Charge of My Heart” \/ Courtesy of Netflix<\/p>\n<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Kim plays Baek Ho-rang, a third-generation conglomerate heir who has it all \u2014 but also has an artificial heart that needs recharging.<\/p>\n

\u201cI received the casting offer while I was working on a string of genre dramas,\u201d he said. \u201cAs I read the script, I could picture the visual style. I imagined the two leads as characters from a beautiful, classic romance manga.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cPersonally, it was a time when I needed some brightness in my life. After playing dark roles for a while, I found myself feeling down and talking less,\u201d he continued. \u201cI needed time to meet people and recharge my energy, but I had started closing myself off. That was when I came across \u2018Take Charge of My Heart.’\u201d<\/p>\n

Explaining how he developed the character, Kim said, \u201cI built the character by believing in what Baek Ho-rang possesses within the world of the series. A third-generation conglomerate heir might come across as over the top, but I tried to believe in that premise as truth while acting.\u201d<\/p>\n

With his understated acting style, Kim brings out the appeal of the romance while adding depth to his character. He skillfully weaves human warmth into a chaebol heir who might otherwise appear cold and arrogant.<\/p>\n

\u201cI personally had about 70 percent of the costumes made. I\u2019ve been doing that since \u2018Trigger,\u2019\u201d he said. \u201cI enjoyed the entire process, from preparing design proposals to discussing them with the costume director. Having a hand in creating the character also makes me more attached to it. For this series, I personally selected the fabrics as well.\u201d <\/p>\n

Kim credited his co-star for their natural on-screen chemistry. \u201cIt\u2019s thanks to Chae Soo-bin. She\u2019s an actor with wonderful reactions,\u201d he said. \u201cIt doesn\u2019t even feel like we have to work at finding our rhythm. Everything seemed to fall into place very naturally.\u201d<\/p>\n

For Kim, \u201cTake Charge of My Heart’\u201d was an opportunity to refresh his mood and gain a new perspective. \u201cEvery genre has something different that I like about it, but I feel this project made me healthier. I had a lot of positive thoughts while filming,\u201d he said, expressing his affection for the series.<\/p>\n

Kim entered the entertainment industry as a model in 2006, and has built an extensive filmography, appearing in dramas including \u201cMore Charming by the Day,\u201d \u201cBachelor\u2019s Vegetable Store,\u201d \u201cGood Doctor,\u201d \u201cRoom No. 9,\u201d \u201cEvilive\u201d and \u201cTrigger,\u201d as well as films such as “On Your Wedding Day,\u201d \u201cA Year-End Medley\u201d and \u201cThe First Ride.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cI don\u2019t know how 20 years have passed. Time has gone by that quickly,\u201d Kim said. \u201cLooking back, there are many things I wish I had done differently. When I was doing a lot of romance dramas, I felt I needed to transform myself. That led me to \u2018Somebody,\u2019 which became a turning point in my career. I\u2019m still thinking about what comes next. I have a strong desire to take on roles that I haven\u2019t shown audiences before.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cOver time, you naturally come to understand many things. When I hit a wall, rather than trying to smash through it all at once, I think I approach it gradually and look for another way to solve the problem,\u201d he said. \u201cFor the next 20 years, I want to challenge myself with completely different kinds of acting. My mindset is to try everything I can.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cTake Charge of My Heart\u201d is available to stream on Netflix.<\/p>\n

This article from the Hankook Ilbo, the sister publication of The Korea Times, is translated by a generative AI system and edited by The Korea Times.<\/span><\/em><\/p>\n

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Kim Young-kwang \/ Courtesy of Netflix Actor Kim Young-kwang has returned to romantic comedy \u2014 and this time, it is a classic rom-com that makes viewers fall helplessly for its male lead. Kim\u2019s presence has breathed new life into a familiar genre, fueling an enthusiastic response from viewers around the world to \u201cTake Charge of…<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"rop_custom_images_group":[],"rop_custom_messages_group":[],"rop_publish_now":"initial","rop_publish_now_accounts":{"facebook_2277560469115098_106292521332774":"","twitter_aToxNzczMzI3Njk4OTg4ODUxMjAxOw==_1773327698988851200":""},"rop_publish_now_history":[],"rop_publish_now_status":"pending","_monsterinsights_skip_tracking":false,"_templately_pack_id":"","_templately_imported_at":"","_templately_source":"","_templately_import_session_id":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[16,14],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-9875","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","category-korea","category-trending-news"],"aioseo_notices":[],"aioseo_head":"\n\t\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t