South Korean star OK Taec-yeon, popular with Indian K-drama fans for shows such as Vincenzo, says he enjoys a lot of Indian content and often wonders what it would be like to appear in an Indian film or show.
The musician-actor is currently seen in Prime Video fantasy drama HeartBeat where he plays a half-human and half-vampire forced to share a house with a cold-hearted person.
Responding to the enormous enthusiasm for Korean shows in India, Taec-yeon told PTI in a virtual interview from Seoul that he would do his best to “reciprocate that love”.
He hasn’t been to India and says he would love to as soon as possible. “I enjoy a lot of Indian films and content and it’s quite loved in Korea too. Sometimes, while watching some of the Indian content, I would think to myself, ‘What would it be if I were to appear in one of those’?” “Not just the content, I know there is so much more that India has to offer…,” the 34-year-old actor added.
HeartBeat, which premiered on Monday on the streamer, also stars Yoon So-Hee of Ghost Doctor fame, Won Ji-An of D.P. and If You Wish Upon Me, and debutant Park Kang-Hyun. Taec-yeon said he was attracted to the series because it gave him a chance to play a vampire. He was particularly loved in India for his negative turn as a corrupt and violent chaebol (a second-generation conglomerate heir) who is pitted against Song Joon-Ki’s titular consigliere in “Vincenzo”.
Taec-yeon, who is familiar with his roles in Secret Royal Inspector & Joy and Bring it on, Ghost, is also famous as the rapper of the Korean boy band 2 PM. The Korean star, who spent his foundation years in the US and is proficient in English, Korean, and Japanese, credited streaming services for popularising K-content all over the world.
“Korean dramas, now we call them K-dramas, have been around for a long time and people have enjoyed them. But obviously, it is quite a recent development that it is being loved so widely all across the world. I think it is all thanks to the many streaming services as well as the efforts they spend in many subs and dubs and, of course, thanks to the global audiences who watch and enjoy our content,” he said. The actor is hoping “HeartBeat” will enjoy similar popularity. Ji-An, 23, who stars opposite Taec-yeon in the show, said she was drawn to it because the series seemed light-hearted and had room for some fun.
On the question of K-drama’s global popularity, she said, “Since my acting career hasn’t been that long, I honestly haven’t been able to feel it personally. But I feel very grateful to hear that. All I can say is that I will be responsible and dutiful going forward.” So-Hee, 30, said she joined “HeartBeat” because she always wanted to do a fantasy drama. “… I would have loved to play a vampire but I play a character who has more money and power than a vampire so I was very happy,” she said. Kang-Hyun, 33, credited Korean content for its popularity globally. “I think Korean people have a particularly strong love of content. And it’s also because of the authenticity and genuineness that we bring through dramas… Anything that comes from the heart is universal. That may be why they are so loved,” he said.
