Kim Hyun-joo Says Fan Requests Baffle Her, but She Does Them Anyway

"It's strange. I honestly don't even know what they're talking about," actress Kim Hyun-joo said, laughing.

Kim, 49, was referring to the fan service culture surrounding movie promotions today and how trends seem to be emerging faster and in greater numbers than ever before. She recently sat down with reporters at a cafe in Seoul's Samcheong-dong neighborhood to talk about her new film, "Paradise Lost" (Sillagwon), directed by Yeon Sang-ho. The film is set to hit theaters soon.

Kim previously appeared in the Netflix original film "JUNG_E" (2023). However, "Paradise Lost" marks her return to the big screen after a lengthy break from theatrical releases.

"As an actor, it didn't really matter to me whether something was a theatrical release or a streaming project," she said. "I just worked hard on whatever came to me at the time."

She said the return didn't stir up any particularly strong emotions. What stood out was how much promotion has changed.

"Coming back to theaters after a while didn't give me any special new feeling," Kim said, half joking. "What I really noticed was that the promotion side is different now. I used to think an actor just had to act well. These days, there's a lot more to do after filming wraps."

The new promotional landscape still feels unfamiliar to her. Even so, she has been willingly playing along with almost everything fans ask of her at events.

One request left her especially puzzled. In Korean, "ya" is a blunt way to call out to someone, usually used with close friends or people younger than you.

"One fan wrote on a piece of paper, 'Ya! Didn't I tell you not to call me ya?!' and asked me to read it as if I was acting a scene," she said. "Do you know what that is? Is it a trend?"

She turned the question back on the reporters, and the room broke into laughter.

The rapid pace of trends in general has her shaking her head. Younger colleagues at work keep introducing her to the latest thing to try, addressing her as "seonbae-nim," a respectful term for a senior colleague.

"I don't know why there are so many trends these days," she said. "Eating Chinese hot pot is a trend. Eating jelly is a trend. People in their 20s and 30s at work tell me, 'Seonbae-nim, this is trending right now. Try it.' I just can't keep up."

Still, none of that has changed how she feels about her fans.

"Even the things I don't understand are fun in their own way," Kim said. "Fans like it when I do it, don't they? They came all the way to see me, so I should do it. And once I actually start, I end up enjoying it too."