Warning: This article may contain spoilers.

Actor Choo Young-woo, one of Korea’s rising stars, admitted he was concerned that his physical appearance would hinder him from convincingly portraying an essential aspect of his character in his big screen debut “Even If This Love Disappears from the World Tonight.”

In the film, Choo plays Jae-won, a high school boy with a heart condition. Despite the character's fragile health, Jae-won appears healthy due to Choo's physique, even after the actor shed 10 kilograms (22 pounds) for the role.


“I thought that [my weight loss] was successful,” he said during an interview at a cafe in central Seoul on Wednesday, the film's release date.

“But when I saw myself on screen, I felt like [all of my hard work] had barely made a difference. I’m not naturally slim to begin with; I have a larger-than-average frame. And since we were filming in the middle of summer, I kept tanning, no matter how much sunscreen I put on.”

In several scenes, the cameras focus closely on Jae-won’s hands, highlighting his bulging veins — a visual that contrasts with the character’s supposedly frail condition, which Choo acknowledged, saying, “I wasn’t tensing my hands. That’s just how they naturally look.”

He added, “I was born that way, so there wasn’t much I could do about it.”

Directed by Kim Hye-young, the film follows the romance between high school students Jae-won and Seo-yoon, portrayed by Shin Si-a. Their relationship begins when Jae-won pretends to have feelings for Seo-yoon and asks her out, only to be left panicked when she — someone who is notorious for rejecting anyone who confesses to her — accepts his proposal. Jae-won, unaware that Seo-yoon suffers from a condition that prevents her from remembering the previous day, develops genuine feelings for her as they grow closer, which she had warned him not to do.

The film is an adaptation of the 2020 Japanese romance novel of the same name by author Misaki Ichijo, which was previously adapted as a Japanese movie in 2022.

Though Choo put a lot of effort into portraying Jae-won's physical weakness, he understood that he could not completely change his own physique, so he focused most on making his character appear as ordinary as possible — a choice that proved to be challenging for the actor.

“I didn’t really concentrate on the fact that he was sick or in pain because that wasn’t the main point of the story,” he explained. “Seo-yoon and her memory loss are the focus [of the film], and what really matters is Jae-won’s feelings for her.”

“That made Jae-won even harder to portray,” he continued. “Of all the characters I’ve played so far, this one has the least defining traits. There wasn’t much I could build on. I remember [...] that I often felt constrained because I couldn’t bring much of my own input into the performance.”

To better portray a high school student, the 26-year-old actor even spoke with actual high school boys who happened to be at filming locations.

“I asked them if any of them had a girlfriend, and one did,” he recalled.

“Practically speaking, hearing about his relationship wasn’t too helpful,” he said. “But while I talked to them, I studied their attitude and the way they speak [about romance], and that ended up helping me.”

For Choo, the past year was a turning point, as he gained widespread public attention through a series of television projects, including “The Tale of Lady Ok” (2024-25) and “The Trauma Code: Heroes on Call,” both of which found success domestically and overseas.

While such a rapid rise to fame can be overwhelming, Choo said the pressure only pushes him to be a better person and actor.

“I’ve come to enjoy the pressure,” he said. “Because of that, I actually feel more energized at work these days than I used to. Even on set — whether it’s cold, hot or a bit boring — I’ve gone from simply enduring [the experience] to trying to enjoy it as much as possible.”

The actor also shared his views on his new responsibilities, now that he is a public figure.

“Even if I truly didn't do something, or [my actions] have been misunderstood, rather than feeling resentful, I just tell myself that this means I have to do better,” he said. “I have to live my life the right way. There really isn’t any other option.”

“If I can’t accept that, then I probably shouldn’t be a celebrity,” he added.

To avoid unnecessary controversy in the first place, Choo said that he has adopted a work-and-stay-at-home lifestyle recently: “I don’t want to cause any trouble, so I just stay at home.”

Finally, looking back on the year, the actor said he has no regrets.

“I’ve received far more love than I ever imagined I would, and I’ve been honored with so many awards,” he said. “When I first started acting, I honestly never imagined things would go this well for me.”

As for what's in store in his future, he says, “I want to aim higher and earn more than the praise I received this year.”

The film “Even If This Love Disappears from the World Tonight” is now in theaters.

BY KIM JI-YE [kim.jiye@joongang.co.kr]