Love, interrupted

IF YOU are a fan of South Korean actor Yeo Jin-Goo, catch him in his latest television series, Reunited Worlds, on ONE HD (Astro channel 393) every Thursday and Friday at 8.15pm.
This fantasy-romance drama is about a man and a woman of the same age whose budding romance is tragically cut short. They meet again 12 years later but with one big difference, he has not aged since they last parted.
Sung Hae-Sung (Yeo) and Jung Jeong-Won (Jung Chae-Yeon), both 19, are very close. However, Hae-Sung dies in a horrible accident.
Twelve years later, Hae-Sung suddenly reappears, but he remains the same 19-year-old he was back then and has no idea what happened to him.
He reconnects with his childhood friend Jeong-Won (now played by Lee Yeon-Hee), who is now a 31-year-old kitchen assistant at a restaurant, and the two begin to resume their romantic relationship.
In an email interview, Yeo, 20, shares the inside story of his role in the drama and his views on love.
What attracted you to this role?
"I often said that I want to do some youth-oriented drama, in my previous interviews. This drama has 'fresh' energy, and I can wear school uniforms again.
"And most of all, I was curious about the role – [about a man] who came back after 12 years. I really wondered how I could express his feelings and his character.
"And the mood of the series fit really well with the summer season. So I really wanted to take this role because of the happy and calm energy that the [story] has."
Your character romances his best friend who has aged 12 years, while he remains the same. What is the biggest obstacle they have to face?
"Hae-Sung is [still] a high school student, while Jeong-Won has already experienced adult life.
"I think the conflict that arises from the difference in their life experiences would be the biggest obstacle for the couple."
What is the message that this series is trying to make about ageing and love?
"I think it is about how love never changes, depite the passing of time. Hae-Sung likes Jeong-Won just as she is, even after 12 years of 'separation' when he did not exist physically, and Jeong-Won still likes him, though he is 'younger' than her.
"I think the drama conveys the message that love is special, because it is the only emotion that can go beyond time."
In the first episode, there is a very romantic scene where Jung (who plays the young Jeong-Won) gels your hair. How did you feel filming that scene?
"[I felt] exactly the same as how the viewers might have felt. I also felt a 'pitter-patter' [in my heart] when I was shooting the scene.
"I feel really great, because it's one of our viewers' favourite scenes."
You share many scenes with Jung and Lee. Jung is the same age as you, while Lee is nine years older. How different is it working with them?
"When I was working with Jung, I remembered receiving many questions from her during the shoot. I think it's because she felt comfortable asking me, since we're around the same age.
"I felt little bit nervous, but it encouraged me to work harder since [I realised] she believes in me.
"With Lee, I thought it was more important to share opinions, so we look at the same scenes with different points of view and share our thoughts through conversation."
In Reunited Worlds, your character has four siblings. You also have a younger brother in real life. What's your relationship like?
"Our relationship is really great. He's five years younger than me, so to me, he's my 'cute little brother'.

"He's also a very good boy, so he listens to me most of the time."