Red Velvet's Park Soo-young, Kim Hyun-jin Talk New Drama 'One-of-a-Kind Romance'

"What resonated with me most was watching two very different people meet, understand each other's pain and what they lack, and embrace each other," Park Soo-young said. "I thought of it as a show that feels like warm comfort."

Park, a member of K-POP girl group Red Velvet who also goes by the stage name JOY, was explaining the reason why she signed on to her new drama. She stars opposite actor Kim Hyun-jin, and the two shared their thoughts on working together as romantic leads.

The series, "One-of-a-Kind Romance" (Yuilmui Romaenseu), is based on a Naver Webtoon series of the same name. It follows Gong Yu-il (Park), an ordinary job seeker who suddenly finds herself working as a top star's manager, and Tak Mu-i (Kim), the star who hides his own pain.

The drama premieres on Nov. 9 at 6 p.m. KST on TVING, a major Korean streaming service. It will also stream as an early exclusive on Viu in Asia, the Middle East, and Africa, and on ABEMA in Japan.

Park said she was drawn to her character's personality.

"Even when life isn't easy, Gong Yu-il lives her life brightly and bravely," she said. "I found that lovable, and at the same time, really impressive."

For Kim, the starting point was the original webtoon. He said he paid close attention to how well he could match the character fans already knew.

"I think I looked at how close the script was to the original," he said. "I felt excited imagining all the different sides I could show as Tak Mu-i, and how closely I could match the original character."

Both actors also talked about what they focused on while playing their roles. Park pointed to one quality that defines Gong Yu-i is that she never loses her own brightness, no matter what happens.

"I don't think it simply comes from a positive personality," Park said. "I thought it comes from a kind of inner strength. She gets through each day in her own way, even in a tough reality."

She added that she tried to keep the performance natural. "I wanted to show Gong Yu-il's easygoing, lovable side as naturally as I could," she said. "But I also tried not to miss the softer, more fragile side of her that shows through now and then."

Kim focused on the different sides of his character.

"Tak Mu-i is different at work, in his everyday life, and with the person he likes," he said.

That last side comes out in scenes where Tak openly shows his feelings for Gong. Kim said those moments were shaped together on set.

"I talked a lot with the director and the other actors," he said. "Together, we built more heart-fluttering moments and better scenes."