Kim Hye-soo Plays a Star Influencer in New Coupang Play Black Comedy

Actress Kim Hye-soo, 55, is stepping into a new kind of role. In Coupang Play's upcoming series "The Affair Was Just the Beginning," she plays a popular social media influencer, a character she says is unlike anything she has taken on before.

The production held its press conference on July 28 at the Ambassador Seoul Pullman Hotel in Jung district, Seoul. Kim Hye-soo appeared alongside co-stars Jo Yeo-jeong, Kim Ji-hoon, and Kim Jae-chul, along with director Lee Chang-hee.

"The Affair Was Just the Beginning" is a black comedy about two couples whose lives collide. One is a famous influencer couple who has built a brand around a picture-perfect family. The other is a doctor couple in the middle of an ugly divorce. When the four become tangled in a secret so big that even an affair feels small, their carefully managed lives start to fall apart.

Kim Hye-soo plays Kyung-hee, an interior design company CEO who is also a top influencer. "To play Kyung-hee, I watched a lot of influencers and celebrities," she said at the press event. "I even had her clothes custom-made. The staff worked so hard and had fun with it, and I think that's why Kyung-hee's outer look came together so well."

She went on to describe the character in more depth. "She's someone who wants even bigger success," Kim Hye-soo said. "On the outside she wears this flashy influencer image, but underneath there's the weight of having to protect her family. Through Kyung-hee, I think viewers will see the real human face hidden behind success."

When asked whether she would ever try being an influencer herself, Kim Hye-soo laughed and said, "I don't have the confidence for it." She added, "Playing an influencer made me realize I have absolutely no talent for it. This is a character no one has seen before, so I hope people give it a lot of love."

"The Affair Was Just the Beginning" premieres on July 31 at 8 p.m. KST.