Jung Hae-in, Jung So-min revisit young love in ‘Love Next Door’

Jung Hae-in and Jung So-min. Image: Courtesy of Netflix Korea

Jung Hae-in and Jung So-min are no strangers to love stories. But portraying the romance of childhood friends who cross paths as adults in the K-drama “Love Next Door” is a matter of the actors developing a positive chemistry behind the scenes.

“Love Next Door” tells the story of Bae Seok-ryu (Jung So-min) who returns to her hometown in hopes of getting herself back on track. She crosses paths with her childhood friend Choi Seung-hyo (Jung Hae-in), with both of them being long aware of their former lives.

The childhood friends-to-lovers trope usually starts with the leads already being friends, eventually bringing the tension between them. But the K-drama shows Hae-in and So-min’s characters harboring initial resentment, which would eventually allow them to revisit their memories as adults to pick up where they left off.

But for Hae-in, he felt his heart flutter whenever he would hear So-min’s “hearty laughter” when filming their scenes.

“This was something that I felt whenever we were acting. I think it would be [So-min’s] hearty laughter. The vigorous laughter,” he recalled in a press conference. “It makes other people feel comfortable and makes others let their guards down. Your heart flutters when you hear it and you end up laughing together with her.”

The actor admitted that he’s usually reserved in interacting with new people, but it was So-min’s laughter that allowed him to open up.

“I am actually shy around new people, but I think my heart fluttered from [her] laughter. It’s very hearty, bright, vigorous, and energetic,” he said.

For her part, So-min said Hae-in is a leading man who usually checks up on her during filming.

“Hae-in oppa always delicately checks my condition on the set. I was always thankful and I felt warm. He would say, ‘How do you feel? Did you sleep well? How is your condition?’ He was always so kind to ask. He would do that,” she said.

Positive atmosphere

Despite their initial bickering, Hae-in clarified that his character Seung-hyo liked Seok-ryu (So-min) for a long time. He shared that he was able to pull off his character’s nonchalant attitude with the help of the K-drama’s director, Yoo Je-won.

“When I am nervous, I tend to robotically list out words, but I don’t want to do that now, so, let me think deeply about it. I don’t think we need words to express the chemistry between the cast members for our piece. We all felt the atmosphere together on the set,” he recalled.

“I was so grateful and happy as I was filming this piece to the extent that I wondered if there was any other time when I laughed as much on the site both when the camera was rolling as well as when the camera was not rolling,” added Hae-in.

Jung Hae-in and Jung So-min in a promotional photo for “Love Next Door.” Image: Courtesy of Netflix Korea

The actor reiterated that the “chemistry of the crew members” also deserves credit since they do their best to “create the environment and the atmosphere” during filming.

“They are always creating the environment and the atmosphere so that the cast members can act and get along freely on the set. That is all being done by our director, the cinematographers, and the crew. I think we could be more comfortable in acting thanks to their efforts,” he said.

The act of “giving credit” to the production team was shown by Hae-in. In an interview with the South Korean talk show “Salon Drip,” it was revealed that the actor bought a “huge bag of bread” for his castmates and staff while filming a scene near a bakery.

In a separate get-together, the actor paid for the dinner of 200 cast members and staff, which consisted of beef and pork. “I love working with him. When I’m on set, every time I ask about random food [given to the cast and crew], it’s always from Hae-in,” his co-star Kim Ji-eun said of Hae-in’s generosity in the talk show.

Realistic portrayal

The positive atmosphere on set also allowed So-min to give justice to her character’s hardships as the eldest daughter and her relationship with her mother, which she could personally relate to.

“Seok-ryu has a younger brother, and I, too, have a younger brother. Of course, my relationship with my brother is not exactly the same as the relationship between Seok-ryu and her brother, but that family structure was something that I was so familiar with,” she said. “I think I could resonate the most with the relationship Seok-ryu had with her mother as the eldest daughter.”

Jung Hae-in and Jung So-min in a promotional photo for “Love Next Door.” Image: Courtesy of Netflix Korea

The actress also shared that “nobody forced” her to take full responsibility as the eldest daughter off-set. But seeing her character’s struggles allowed her to revisit this particular stage in her life.

“Nobody forced it upon me, but strangely enough, I feel a sort of responsibility as the eldest daughter, and sometimes, it got so heavy that it felt like a burden. I think I could resonate with Seok-ryu at this point,” she said.

Before pairing up in “Love Next Door,” Hae-in and So-min are known for their true-to-life portrayal in their respective projects.

Hae-in is best known for his lead roles in “Snowdrop,” “D.P.,” and “Something in the Rain,” while So-min gained popularity for starring in “Because This is My First Life” and “Alchemy of Souls.”