K pop idol and actor Yeri wants to visit India, and especially the Taj Mahal someday. She reveals she is impressed by the vivacity of Indian content, and is even game to explore an opportunity in Bollywood. “I’m always open to new challenges. I find Indian content especially interesting because it often blends music and storytelling in a really unique way. I haven’t had the chance to visit India yet, but I’d love to go someday—especially to see the Taj Mahal in person”.
Member of the globally popular girl group “Red Velvet”, Kim Yerim, known by her stage name Yeri, leads the coming-of-age drama, “Azure Springs”. She reveals the premise of moving on felt relatable.
“The idea of a “second chance” felt very realistic to me. It’s not about completely starting over, but about someone who had once stopped and finding the strength to move again, which made it more relatable. I was especially drawn to the way it explores what you do with the time after failure”, she says in an exclusive conversation with HT City.
The story follows a competitive swimmer (Yeri), who, after a career setback and being unable to pursue her passion, adapts to life as a haenyeo (female diver) on Jeju Island.
“I was able to relate to the idea of having to reset your direction, since I’ve also gone through a process of expanding my goals as an actor. That part felt very personal”.
She makes an interesting revelation, though playing a champion swimmer on screen, she had to learn the water sport, being a non-swimmer in real life. She hopes fans and viewers notice the effort, since it came with its own set of challenges.
“This was a project that made me realize that maintaining balance is just as important as pushing through with sheer strength. My fans already know this, but I actually couldn’t swim—I learned for this role, and learning how to swim as an adult was really difficult”, she says.
27-year-old Yeri, well known for her engaging variety show appearances, starred in the romantic thriller Blue Birthday and was followed by the teen revenge drama Bitch X Rich. “There are still so many genres and roles I haven’t tried yet, so I feel wide open to exploring all kinds of possibilities.”
Making the transition into acting, she divulges the difference in her creative process from stage to screen.
“With music, you have to deliver emotions directly on stage, so that immediate moment really matters. With acting, on the other hand, you need time to understand and fully immerse yourself in the character, and emotions are expressed more indirectly within the context of the scene and relationships. There are many more moments where you have to convey things without words—through your breathing, your gaze, and those subtle in-between beats”.
“I’m famously a homebody” is how she describes herself, someone who needs downtime after every project to recharge and recoup, and confesses Seo An Na in “Azure Springs” bears a close resemblance to her real self.
“Given the nature of the story and the filming location, I appear in a very natural, almost unfiltered way in the show. I’m on screen with minimal makeup most of the time, so in a way, it might be the character that resembles my real self the most. I hope fans will see that side of me and receive it warmly”, she says earnestly as she signs off.
“Azure Springs” is exclusively available on Channel K in India.
