TV series "Naughty Kiss" press conference - Part 2

Q: All the characters have unrealistic sides to them. What's your interpretation of yours?
Kim Hyun-joong: As much as they're unrealistic, I think I'll be able to show more unique sides to them than I would be able to in conventional dramas. And Baek Seung-jo is a genius so he sometimes uses words that I don't usually use so I have a hard time with those. For scenes related to studying, I need to be natural with it so I actually study those parts and make sure I understand them. I'm doing the studying that I hadn't done in high school for "Naughty Kiss." (laugh)

Q: Which parts are you paying a lot of attention to in order to establish your character? What's the difference between your character now and Yoon Ji-hoo from "Boys Over Flowers"?
Kim: When I acted the role of Yoon Ji-hoo, I tried to become a tender person so I kept myself from even letting out sounds of my breath. But I think I could do a bit more yelling this time. (laugh) I think there'll be scenes where I'll ruin my image and I'm trying to show more of an aggressive disposition because I have to speak in a more rudely than Yoon Ji-hoo did. And I saw the clip that was shown earlier on -- it seems like they've done a good job with the corrections. (laugh)

Q: Have you ever cringed playing the role of a genius who is good at everything? (laugh)
Kim: During yesterday's shoot, there was a scene where Oh Hani says to me, "You're good at everything, running as well..." to which I'll say, "Yes, I'm good at basketball and swimming as well." But I felt a bit embarrassed doing this because I'm not a genius. (laugh)

Q: Singers and actors work in different environments. Have you adjusted well to the set of the drama?
Kim: I'm been trying hard to. Singing is about showing a perfect three minutes and 30 seconds on stage but dramas are about waiting and preparing for long hours and then filming for long hours with the results out on the day of its showing. I think that's why there's more of an excitement about that wait. But I feel more natural as a singer since it's what I've been doing for a long time.

Q: How is it playing the role of a high school student? You've kept on playing that role including in "Boys Over Flowers."
Kim: I had actually thought for a bit before the interview whether this will be my last high school student role. There are certain types of roles that I want to try playing but I want to put that aside for now.

Q: You're being called the next generation Hallyu star. What are your plans regarding your activities in Japan?
Kim: I honestly think there's a bubble to being called that. When I go to Japan, I don't go outside much so I don't know if I'm popular and I don't think I've been able to go to Asia much so far. I heard there are a few fans out there waiting for me (laugh) so no matter how small the number, I would like to go on tour in Asia after the drama ends.

Q: Do you feel that your popularity or life has changed?
Kim: I did back then and I do till now -- I live my life fiercely. I think I should work even harder because an increasing number of talented people are debuting.

Q: What did your agency's chief Bae Yong-jun say about "Naughty Kiss"?
Kim: He said he'd visit the set sometime.

Q: Do you meet him often? What do you talk about when you meet him?
Kim: I think we meet two to three times a week. He said I should work hard at the drama (laugh) and when we meet, I drink green tea and he'll drink coffee. We don't talk too much about work. We talk about stuff that other guys usually do. (laugh)

Q: How far are you into the shoot? I hear there is going to be a scene where you show some skin when Baek Seung-jo and Oh Hani go to the beach. (laugh)
Kim: We've only shot up till the fourth episode now so we haven't done that scene yet. We're leaving to the beach soon and I'll do it if the director asks me too but Baek Seung-jo probably doesn't need to show any skin, does he? (laugh)

Senior Reporter : Kang Myoung-Seok two@
Editor : Jessica Kim jesskim@, Lee Ji-Hye seven@