Actor Kim Jae-young feels that his performance in the drama The Judge from Hell may be the turning point of his career after over a decade of working as an actor.

Kim sat down with Newsen at a café in Gangnam on Nov. 5 to talk about the success of the show that has changed his life.

Kim expressed, "I am so glad the show did well," he beamed. "From the first rehearsal, I knew this story was something special, and it felt amazing to be a part of it," he added.

Nielsen Korea's national household data showed the fantasy-action series The Judge from Hell, a work by Jo Yi-soo and Park Jin-pyo, ended on Nov. 2, achieving its highest rating of 13.6 percent.

In the drama, Kim's character, detective Han Da-on, and Park Shin-hye's demon judge, Kang Bit-na, live in a hellish world where they must bring justice while ideas of good and evil are also considered.

This series marks Kim's first venture into the fantasy genre, which he found enticing and intriguing. Kim stated, "I wanted to see what the revenge and courtroom scenes would look like on-screen.

You do find yourself wanting to watch it anyway," he said while crediting the show for its fast-moving plot.

Looking back on the character he never expected audiences to love, Kim said fans relate to him.

He chuckled. "People were like, 'What a cute little puppy. When my character returned after his death in Episode 2, people on social media joked that they wished I stayed away from the main plot," he said.

The actor noted that the mood on set was tense, but this also made it inspiring. He added, "It was also the director's first drama, so there was pressure, especially since it followed his successful previous show, Good Partner.

Our goal was for more than 10 percent, and some scenes took days to film. It felt like a lengthy camp experience."

Kim stated, "I had worked on other projects before this one, but being part of a highly-rated show is a new experience for me. I've always dreamed of being in a double-digit drama, and finally being in one is incredible."

The success of his new drama has drawn many more fans' attentions recently, with people stopping Kim on the street and friends reaching out to tell him they watched it, Kim said.

"The entire drama was watched by even my parents, which is something new," he added.
The success of The Judge from Hell allows Kim Jae-young to dream big and take chartered steps over the course of his career, saying he considers the drama a "turning point. Kim noted, "Maybe I finally made it."

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This article was written by:

Rovelyn Barba