[Dispatch=Reporter Gu Min-ji] "Although T is over 90%, I completed F with 100% empathy." (Kim Myung-soo)

Actor Kim Myung-soo returns with a unique romance story. Surreal fantasy has been added. Through a special situation called "emotion transfer," a man and woman fully share each other's emotions.

He appears as a psychological counselor who must empathize well with the other person's emotions. However, there were challenges from the start. Empathetic lines and situations differed from his actual thoughts and actions.

"I couldn't actually empathize with the emotional (F) aspects. Since I didn't understand, I did an unprecedented number of script readings."

He built the character through exchanges with fellow actors. Director Kim Chil-bong praised him, saying "His acting and appearance were both excellent." Kang Min-a also laughed, saying "It felt so natural, as if emotions were actually transferred."

The production presentation for new Saturday-Sunday drama 'Empathy Cell' was held on the 30th at The Saint in Sindorim-dong, Guro-gu, Seoul. Actor Kim Myung-soo, as well as Kang Min-a, Kwon So-hyun, and Director Kim Chil-bong attended.

'Empathy Cell' is a romantic comedy. The main characters are a woman who rejects empathy and a man who bears empathy. It depicts the process of relearning emotions through the surreal event of "emotion transfer."

Director Kim Chil-bong said, "The development differs from typical romance dramas. The appeal and distinction lie in showing emotions being conveyed first and the process of mutual understanding." He added, "We filled it with fantasy elements. The characters think realistically. If effects or CGI were too flashy, it wouldn't work. We expressed it subtly to match the actors."

He worked with Kim Myung-soo again. "I thought the appearance I saw in the previous work could express the emotions of the character he's taking on now. He expressed it differently in terms of acting," he pointed out.

He continued, "Kim Myung-soo seems to get more handsome with each passing day. There are times I'm surprised every time I put a camera on him. Subtle emotional acting was needed. He was excellent both in acting and appearance," he laughed.

He expressed satisfaction with the casting. "Kang Min-a was an actress I had been watching for potential," he said. "I judged that Kwon So-hyun's experience in 4MINUTE would create high synergy," he added.

Kim Myung-soo plays Cha Eun-hwan, a popular psychological counseling expert with 100% empathy ability. A character who gained great popularity through a unique counseling method. He gets caught up in an unexpected incident and falls into crisis.

Kim Myung-soo revealed his reason for appearing: "I thought Cha Eun-hwan can show both bright aspects and personal darkness. I decided to participate thinking I could express this well at present."

He was drawn to a character opposite to himself. "I have over 90% T (rational) tendency. (As a counselor) I couldn't initially empathize with the F (emotional) aspects of empathizing with others," he recalled.

He read the script again and again. "When I read the script, there were parts I didn't understand," he said. "I did the most script readings of any work I've appeared in so far. It helped me a lot."

He completed the compassionate character. "There were many 'F' elements involving a lot of empathy. As the drama progresses, there are times when (the tendency) changes. I think this could be one of the fun elements," he emphasized.

He hinted at a different side. "So far, (my works) have focused on genre films and historical dramas. With a romantic comedy, I think I can show aspects I haven't shown you before," he said.

Kang Min-a transforms into top actress 'Yoo Ji-an,' from the national girl group 'I Want.' She is a character with zero empathy ability, lacking social skills due to growing up under the control of many people since childhood.

She pointed out, "Yoo Ji-an is a cute and charming person." "Emotion transfer means feeling the other person's emotions identically. I had to act my own emotions while also acting the character receiving the transfer," she revealed.

The aspect of acting two different emotions was interesting. "When I first read the script, I felt there would be a lot to act. I chose the work because I thought the more there is, the more fun it would be," she said.

What was it like to play an actress who plays an actress? "Handling the schedule was similar to me. But Yoo Ji-an is unique and quirky, so there were many differences in parts like making bitter remarks," she recalled.

There was also a setting where she "can't act." "It took a long time to find the right tone. I hoped it wouldn't be ridiculous while subtly not acting well. I tried to make it look natural," she said.

She continued, "For the girl group member setting, I asked Kwon So-hyun for advice." Kim Myung-soo laughed, "Boy groups and girl groups are really different. I couldn't teach her anything. The two of them did well."

The essence of 'Empathy Cell' is the exchange of emotions. Kim Myung-soo and Kang Min-a's emotions are also transferred. They gradually change while sharing each other's deficiencies. The two expressed satisfaction with their acting chemistry.

Kim Myung-soo said, "Even 99%% synergy rate is fine. For emotional empathy, I had to communicate my feelings to the other person. In the latter half, I didn't need to talk." He added, "In the latter half, I didn't need to speak. We naturally conversed, and it became increasingly natural. The synergy and chemistry were so good."

Kang Min-a also explained, "In the early stages of filming, I talked a lot with Kim Myung-soo about emotions. As time went on, I came to understand each other's thoughts without explanation."

They assimilated into the characters to that degree. "Later, we even joked, 'Isn't it as if our emotions were transferred?'" she smiled. "I'm confident our chemistry was 99%."

Finally, she said confidently, "Emotion transfer made me think, 'What if I were in that situation?' 'Empathy Cell' is a romantic comedy with many thrilling scenes. It will be fun to watch."

Meanwhile, 'Empathy Cell' will be released simultaneously on July 4 at 10:50 p.m. on Lifetime, LG U+tv mobile, and Disney+.

<Photo=Photographer Jung Young-woo>