Why Korean rom-com queen Park Min-young didn't think Song Kang was hot enough in new drama

Not sure about you, but we are finding the girl-meets-chaebol plotline getting a bit old. What we like now, though, are noona romances.

After Song Hye-kyo, 40, and Jang Ki-yong, 29, paired up in last year's Now We Are Breaking Up, a new older woman-younger-man romantic drama just debuted on Feb 12.

In Forecasting Love And Weather, Park Min-young plays diligent weather forecaster Jin Ha-kyung, who works at the Korea Meteorological Administration and vows never to fall in love with a colleague again after a nasty break-up with Han Ki-joon (Yoon Park).

However, love is just as unpredictable as the weather, especially when the young and free-spirted Lee Si-woo (Song Kang) joins the team.

Min-young, who turns 36 on March 4, is known as the queen of K-drama rom-coms, while Song Kang, 27, is one of the hottest young stars in the industry.

Still, in a press conference held last week to promote the drama, Min-young laughingly told regional press how she didn't think her co-star was handsome enough the first day she met him on set.

The topic began when Song Kang told reporters he cut his hair really short for the role and looked "a bit dorky". He explained he wanted to appear like someone who doesn't care about his looks and isn't trying to look handsome.

Next to him, Min-young laughed and shook her head.

[embed]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=B--OvWV3HFw[/embed]

She said: "I had an impression of Song Kang as a handsome and cute guy, everyone just loves him. But when I saw him, he was not the person I had thought. I was asking, where is Song Kang? I saw someone with really short and weird hair and I could only see half of his eyes.

"I talked to the director, 'What happened to Song Kang's hair? Because there are so many people waiting to see his face.' And then we tried to do something with his hair so that he looks less dorky and more handsome."

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Min-young explained: "[My character] has to fall in love with him. I want him to be handsome."

Forecasting Love And Weather is her third office drama after What's Wrong With Secretary Kim and Her Private Life.

AsiaOne asked her during a separate interview what she thinks is essential to surviving life in the office.

She replied: "The most important thing is to do your best and try to do your part. Having social skills to hang around with people are also really important but I don't think my character in this drama has those skills, though Secretary Kim did. Ha-kyung shows us what not to do in the office."

Song Kang also shared what a rookie should and shouldn't do at work.

"Si-woo is someone who really stands up for himself and he does things on his own; he would give a special report without informing his office. I don't think that's something a newbie should do. So you have to know how to obey orders, have social skills and be a good listener. I think you should not act like Si-woo," he said.

Forecasting Love And Weather is now available on Netflix.

ALSO READ: What are the new K-dramas for 2022?

kwokkarpeng@asiaone.com