Edited by Hwang Hong Sun
Translated by Kim Hoyeun
Shin Se Kyung made a debut at the age of nine as a child model for the album cover of Seo Tae Ji’s fifth album and later became a child actor. Because of her precocious appearance compared to her peers, she played many childhood years of the characters with sad storied in the drama, including Seo Hee from Land and Princess Chun Myung of Queen Seon Duk.
Director Kim Byung Wook, who directed Soonpoong Clinic and Unstoppable High Kick, saw Shin Se Kyung, who played the childhood days of Princess Chun Myung in Queen Seon Duk, and cast her for his next work, High Kick Through the Roof!. Since Shin Se Kyung only worked on traditional dramas, there were many concerns over her appearance in a sitcom, but in conclusion it became the best choice for the work and also for her career.
The role she played in High Kick Through the Roof! is not so different from the roles she played earlier. Se Kyung, played by Shin Se Kyug, is a character with a painful story as she got separated from her father, who was being chased by moneylenders, and ended up living in Seoul with her baby sister. Although the character showed tragic stories, which does not really go well with the laughter-filled sitcom, what the country girl goes through when she arrives in Seoul gave an unexpected laugh. Also the comical scenes that take place as she cannot tell a lie are often seen in High Kick Through the Roof!.
In the second half, she was shown having a crush on Ji Hoon, who lives in the house she works as a housekeeper. The ending scene where she and Ji Hoon got involved in a car accident and died is still controversial, but in director Kim Byung Wook’s sitcom, in which sadness intersects behind laughter, Shin Se Kyung left a deep impression with a character that perfectly fits her.
After presenting an impressive performance in High Kick Through the Roof!, Shin Se Kyung successfully broke away from her images as a child actor and rose to stardom. At some point, I was worried that because of her character from High Kick Through the Roof!, she might end up only playing the dark and sad characters. However, she also presented strong presence in Tazza-The Hidden Card and Six Flying Dragons, expanding her territory as an actor. She recently set up her YouTube account to communicate with her fans more closely and is preparing for her next work.
