Yook Sung Jae and Kim Ji Yeon got candid about the behind-the-scenes story of their kiss scene.
The two stars of SBS’s new drama The Haunted Palace guested on the April 9th episode of Park Na Rae’s YouTube channel Na-rae Sik and opened up about their long-standing friendship.
They revealed that they’ve been close friends for 16 years, ever since they first met at age 15. “We auditioned for our first singer tryout together. We did the JYP audition, became trainees at CUBE together, and now we’ve been friends for 16 years,” they shared.
Kim Ji Yeon, also known as WJSN’s Bona, looked back on that time, recalling, “It was an audition where we traveled around the country preparing a two-week showcase. On the girls’ dance team was TWICE’s Jeongyeon, and on the boys’ team were BTS’s J-Hope and actor Na In Woo.”
Yook Sung Jae added, “I got eliminated in the final round of the JYP open audition, and we both joined CUBE after that. There were lots of friends our age at CUBE and other companies, but somehow, Ji Yeon and I stayed in touch and built a strong bond.”
Host Park Na Rae asked if working together on the same project as close friends had been helpful. Kim Ji Yeon replied, “We never thought we’d end up acting in the same project. We even joked, ‘I never imagined I’d end up kissing you.’”
When asked how they felt during the kiss scene, Yook Sung Jae said, “If one of us had felt awkward, it wouldn’t have worked. We approached it professionally.”
Kim Ji Yeon admitted, “I wasn’t sure if I could act with him as my co-star at first. It’s actually more cringey acting in front of close friends, so I was worried. But it turned out to be really great. We didn’t need time to get closer.”
Yook Sung Jae added, “We didn’t rehearse much beforehand because I already knew how she’d act, and that actually worked in our favor during the shoot.”
>> ‘I Want to Devour Her’: Yook Sung Jae and Bona’s Fiery Chemistry Shines in ‘The Haunted Palace’
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