The Korean remake of 2011 Taiwanese hit movie “You Are the Apple of My Eye” is set for release on Friday and promises to send hearts fluttering, just as actor Jin-young experienced on set while filming with co-star Da-hyun.

“As I got more immersed in the film, I realized [that feeling] at some point. I even said to Da-hyun, 'I'm starting to see you as Seon-ah, not as you anymore.' Since then, I think that feeling of fluttering has stayed with me," Jin-young said during the film's press conference held in Yongsan District, central Seoul.


Directed by Cho Young-myoung, the coming-of-age film follows the puppy love between protagonists Jin-woo and Seon-ah. The film features boy band B1A4's Jin-young as Jin-woo and girl group Twice’s Da-hyun as Seon-ah.

For Da-hyun, who spent the past decade as a K-pop singer, this film marks her acting debut — a long-held dream of hers.

“I've actually had the dream of becoming an actor for quite a while,” she said. “It was always in the back of my mind.”

“I didn’t really know how to get started, but thankfully, opportunities began to come my way last year, and that’s when I was able to begin my acting journey."

The original Taiwanese film was a major hit, setting a record as the fastest to reach 100 million New Taiwan dollars ($3 million) in box office revenue. It also enjoyed a five-month theatrical run — the longest in Taiwanese film history.

With such a successful original, the pressure of remaking it weighed heavily on the Korean cast as they stepped into the iconic roles originally played by Kai Ko and Michelle Chen. Despite this, the actors focused on reinterpreting the characters.

“To be honest, when I first received the casting offer, I felt a bit of pressure because I, too, was a big fan of the original film,” Jin-young said, adding that he hadn’t seen the original since being cast.

“But after thinking about it a lot, I thought that I had my own unique vibe, and if I tried it with my own style, it might bring out something different, and that’s how I moved forward with it.”

It was the same for Da-hyun, who said, “From the moment I received the script, I purposely didn’t revisit the original. Instead, I focused on the script, trying to express Seon-ah in my own way and putting effort into creating my own version of the character.”

At the end of the film, a duet song is played, which was not only sung by the actors but also written and composed by them.

“Just being able to film together as co-leads was already such a meaningful experience,” Jin-young said. “But the fact that we created a song together and it ended up in the credits feels like a memory I could treasure for a long time.”

“I've written lyrics several times, but this is my first time composing a song, so it was a very meaningful project for me,” Da-hyun said. “And while working on it, I realized that I really cared about this film.”

Set in the early 2000s, the director and cast aim to evoke nostalgia in the audience while also offering a sense of courage and comfort.

“I believe our film is very much like a graduation album,” director Cho said. “With so much stimulating content out there these days, this film stands out as something that is genuine and has a quiet charm.”

“The film touches on so many things — first love, dreams, youth and friendships,” Da-hyun said. “I hope the audience can reminisce about those times, reflecting on their own first love and the memories with their friends.

“Also, as life gets so busy, we sometimes forget the dreams and thoughts we had in the past. I hope the audience can recall those dreams and those things they once wanted to do while watching the film."

BY KIM JI-YE [kim.jiye@joongang.co.kr]