According to Sports Seoul, the image was taken at the 2002 premiere of the film Love Story, capturing Son Ye Jin and Moon Geun Young seated side by side. At the time, Son Ye Jin was just 20 years old, while Moon Geun Young was a 14-year-old middle school student. Despite the passage of more than two decades, their fresh, youthful faces in the unedited photo have left netizens amazed, with many commenting that “time seems to have passed them by.”
Son Ye Jin made her debut in 1999 through the CF “The Man Who Holds a Flower” and began gaining recognition with a 2001 drama. She quickly rose to stardom through films such as Love Story, The Classic, A Moment to Remember, and the drama Summer Scent. In Love Story, she played Soo In, a character that came to symbolize her early-career image—pure, gentle, and emotionally resonant.
Moon Geun Young began her career as a child actress in 1999 and left a strong impression in 2000 after portraying Song Hye Kyo’s younger self in a KBS2 drama. In Love Story, she played Ji Yoon, the younger sister of Ji Hwan, delicately expressing the emotions of first love and quiet longing. She later solidified her popularity through films such as A Tale of Two Sisters, My Little Bride, and Dancer’s Pure Love, earning the national nickname “the nation’s younger sister.”
Love Story starred Cha Tae Hyun, Son Ye Jin, and the late Lee Eun Joo, and is remembered as a classic Korean melodrama. While it appeared to center on a love triangle, the film subtly explored emotions that narrowly missed one another. It is also regarded as one of the few films that captured Lee Eun Joo at the height of her radiance.
The film’s soundtrack played a significant role in shaping its emotional tone. Artists such as Yoon Jong Shin, Yumi, Sung Si Kyung, Rich, and Park Yong Jun participated in the OST. Cha Tae Hyun himself sang two tracks, including the ending song “Don’t You Know.” The instrumental-focused Part 2 album featured “The Child I’m Looking For,” sung by Son Ye Jin, as well as a theme personally performed by Lee Eun Joo.
The premiere photo of Son Ye Jin and Moon Geun Young sitting together is more than a nostalgic snapshot. To many fans, it represents the beginning of an era—a rare glimpse of two future top stars before fame, when their faces were at their most transparent and untouched by time. Even 24 years later, the image continues to astonish.
Sources: Netizenbuzz
You must be logged in to post a comment.