Actress and singer Kim Se Jeong has revealed that she nearly declined her role in MBC’s drama Moon River, before ultimately changing her mind after learning that Kang Tae Oh had been cast as her co-star.
In a recent roundtable interview held at a café in Seoul’s Gangnam district, Kim Se Jeong spoke candidly about the doubts she faced prior to joining the project. She plays the lead role of Park Dal Yi in Moon River, a fantasy historical romance that follows a crown prince who has lost his ability to laugh and a merchant whose soul is swapped after losing her memories.
Reflecting on her initial hesitation, Kim Se Jeong admitted that the script felt intimidating. “There were scenes where I thought, ‘What if I can’t pull this off?’” she shared. “But when I heard that Kang Tae Oh was doing the drama, those scenes suddenly started to feel clear. I could imagine how he would act, and everything began to fall into place like a puzzle. That’s when I felt confident enough to take on Moon River.”
Kim Se Jeong revealed that she had actually turned down the project once before due to the burden of portraying multiple characters. “Because the role required me to play three different personas, I declined it at first,” she said. However, encouragement from people around her including executives at her agency helped her reconsider. Learning about Kang Tae Oh’s casting became the decisive factor that pushed her to accept the challenge.
Moon River aired as MBC’s final Friday–Saturday drama of 2025, at a time when the network had been struggling with ratings in the 1–2 percent range. The pressure was evident even before the premiere, with the director admitting during the production presentation that the burden felt overwhelming. Nevertheless, the drama opened at a solid 3.8 percent and concluded with a peak rating of 6.8 percent, successfully finishing its run on a high note.
Kim Se Jeong, who debuted in 2016 through Produce 101 and has steadily built her acting career since, described the drama as both difficult and transformative. After earning recognition through The Uncanny Counter and expanding her global fanbase with Business Proposal, she faced mixed reviews with her 2024 project. Moon River, her first historical drama and a triple-role performance, marked a major turning point in her 10th year since debut.
“It was an extremely difficult and big challenge,” Kim Se Jeong said. “But at the same time, it became the starting point for new challenges. Looking back, I’m really glad I chose to take it on. This project gave me the courage to keep trying new things.”
With Moon River, Kim Se Jeong not only overcame her concerns but also delivered what many viewers consider one of the most defining performances of her career.
Sources: Naver
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