Kim Seon-ho on Six Languages, Vocal Training and an Aurora in Canada

Actor Kim Seon-ho is back in the romance genre for the first time in four years and three months, since his massive hit "Hometown Cha-Cha-Cha." In Netflix's new romantic comedy "Can This Love Be Translated?," he plays Joo Ho-jin, a cool yet warm-hearted interpreter, marking his highly anticipated return to the romance genre.

Kim sat down for an interview at a cafe in the Samcheong-dong area of central Seoul. He brought a thoughtful gift for the reporters: dried squid from a local shop he had frequented during his "Hometown Cha-Cha-Cha" filming days.

The Netflix series "Can This Love Be Translated?" follows Joo Ho-jin, a multilingual interpreter played by Kim, who is hired as the personal handler for global top star Cha Mu-hee, played by Go Youn-jung. Kim's character is required to speak six languages fluidly on the job.

Asked which audience reaction stood out most after the series premiered, Kim pointed to comments regarding his diction and vocal performance. "There were more positive reviews about my pronunciation than I expected," he said. "I was incredibly careful with the Japanese and Italian dialogue, and overseas fans actually complimented my diction." Prior to filming, he underwent intensive language lessons for about four months to prepare for the role.

The vocal work has been a long-term commitment for the actor. "From my extensive years in theater, I developed vocal nodules, which often left my voice sounding scratchy," he revealed. "To counteract this, I do vocal exercises almost every single day."

The very first scene he shot proved to be the most challenging. "In the opening sequence, an Italian child collapses. I had to speak in Japanese to one person and in Korean to Mu-hee simultaneously," he recalled. "When delivering the Italian lines, I had to ensure I didn't slip into Japanese or Korean. When I switched to Japanese, I couldn't fall back on the others. I got so temporarily confused that for the next two hours, I kept flubbing my regular Korean lines."

The role also sent him across the globe. The production leans heavily into its overseas locations, and Kim noted that the international shoots left the deepest impression on him. Canada, in particular, produced one of his favorite memories. "The time difference completely wiped me out, so I'd go straight to sleep right after we wrapped," he said. "One day I was sleeping after a daytime shoot, and around 5 or 6 p.m. Go Youn-jung called to tell me the aurora was visible. I thought she was joking, but it was entirely real. Witnessing the aurora during the day was unforgettable. She actually called every single staff member so they wouldn't miss it."

For Kim, this project is not just a return to romance, but a return to a specific artistic wavelength fans have been waiting on for years. "Can This Love Be Translated?" presents him with a character who navigates the delicate spaces between languages for a living, resulting in a performance built on subtle technical details—such as pronunciation, breath control, and timing—that most leading-man roles rarely have the opportunity to showcase.

Yaeji Ryu, [email protected]