Actor Song Joong-ki returns to the small screen with a melodrama that many fans have been hoping to see from him for nearly a decade. Joining JTBC’s new romance series “My Youth,” Song says he felt his heart flutter with excitement.

“I never meant to avoid doing romance projects,” said Song during the series press conference held in Guro District, western Seoul, on Thursday. “But since it’s been a while since I last worked on one, I felt really excited. Honestly, I think melodrama is always the most desired genre that actors want to be part of. I’m not sure about others, but that’s definitely how I feel.”

The actor also expressed enthusiasm for portraying a more grounded, everyday character after having played many roles that felt somewhat distant from reality.

“Looking back at the characters I’ve played, many of them felt like they weren’t really grounded in reality,” he said. “That made me want to take on a more everyday, relatable character, one that could actually exist in real life. That’s why ‘My Youth’ was such a thrill for me.”

Produced by Lee Sang-yeop, who also helmed TV series “Yumi’s Cells” (2021-22), the series follows the story between Sunwoo Hae, portrayed by Song, a former child star turned florist, and his first love, an actor’s manager, Sung Je-yeon, played by Chun Woo-hee. As they reunite after years apart, the two, each carrying their own wounds, find healing and comfort together. The series also features actor Lee Ju-myoung and Seo Ji-hoon, alongside Song and Chun.

"My Youth" is also Chun’s first classic melodrama project, despite being in the industry for over two decades since her debut with 2004 film “Love, So Divine.” She has, however, participated in several romantic comedies, including JTBC’s “Be Melodramatic" (2019).

The 38-year-old actor revealed that she thought participating in the series was a “now or never” opportunity to take part in a classic melodrama.

“While working on this project, I found myself wondering why I hadn’t done more melodramas until now,” Chun said. “As I focused on acting in melodrama, I realized that although I used to think I was better suited for genre pieces, melodrama actually feels like the one that fits me best.”

She added, “Also, the story doesn’t unfold through events or plots, but rather through the emotional flow between the characters. And for me, I enjoyed expressing those subtle nuances in their emotions and relationships.”

The story begins with the characters reuniting with their first love after years apart — a theme that the actors say makes “My Youth” stand out from other romance projects.

“I personally think, and this might just be my personal taste, that the word ‘reunion’ sparks a fluttering feeling,” Song said.

“I believe viewers will feel that fluttering and sense of comfort when Hae and Je-yeon reunite, which makes our series stand out from others.”

Chun added that the show allows viewers to recall past memories, such as their first love, highlighting this as its strength.

“When I first read the script, I felt it was the kind of story that would allow viewers to look back on their past loves or even their first love,” Chun said. “I believe the drama will allow people to take a moment and revisit those meaningful feelings.”

Set to premiere on Friday, producer Lee said viewers will feel emotionally fulfilled when watching the drama, describing it as “heartwarming and exciting, at times moving to tears, and full of love.”

The series will release two episodes back-to-back every Friday. It will also be available to stream on Coupang Play in Korea; Viu in Asia, the Middle East and Africa; and Rakuten Viki in North and South America, Europe, Oceania, the Middle East and India.

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