Pyo Ye-jin discusses challenges portraying a firefighter in K-drama Moon in the Day, has 'so much admiration' for the job

From picking up instruments to getting a yacht licence, sometimes actors are required to learn new things or step out of their comfort zone to portray their characters as realistically as possible.

It was no different for South Korean actress Pyo Ye-jin, who took on dual roles as Kang Young-hwa and Han Ri-ta in her new K-drama Moon in the Day. For her role as Kang Young-hwa, Ye-jin portrays a firefighter.

The 31-year-old spoke to AsiaOne in a roundtable interview on Nov 1, where she shared some challenges she faced while filming for the series.

She recalled: "There was a scene where there was this big fire, and I had to put it out as a firefighter, and I was in an actual firefighting [uniform].

"It was so heavy that it was hard to just stay put and stand there, so I have so much admiration for firefighters. I feel quite shy about portraying one when I know so little."

Moon in the Day follows Do Ha (played by Kim Young-dae), a nobleman from ancient Korea who is murdered by his beloved wife Han Ri-ta (Ye-jin).

His vengeful spirit then possesses Han Jun-oh's body (also Young-dae), a popular movie star in modern-day South Korea, to take revenge on the woman (Ye-jin) who killed him 1,500 years ago.

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In the modern-day setting, Kang Young-hwa (also played by Ye-jin) is a firefighter who has no recollection of her past life.

"Having this dual role of Young-hwa and Ri-ta in itself was a special challenge for me, and they were characters that I had never played before. For example, a firefighter and a person in the Silla dynasty, so it was kind of like a period drama at the same time. This show and characters are very special to me," said Ye-jin.

AsiaOne also asked Ye-jin if she believes in reincarnation and who she thinks she would have been in a past life.

"I personally don't believe in reincarnation but if I were to believe that there are past lives, I think I would've been a very good person who did a lot of good deeds because I have such good karma and I get to do what I want in this present day," she answered with a smile.

Moon in the Day is available on Viu, with new episodes out every Wednesday and Thursday.

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syarifahsn@asiaone.com 

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