In the romantic comedy "Emergency Couple," Choi Jin Hyuk's character Oh Chang Min is reunited with his ex-wife Oh Jin Hee, played by Song Ji Hyo. Their drama reunion was convincing, but in real life neither of the stars saw it as being possible or even advisable.
When Song Ji Hyo was asked about her character's romantic choices in a recent Grazia interview, she said she never would have given Oh Chang Min a second chance.
Song Ji Hyo thought that Oh Jin Hee would not waste her time rekindling a romance that had gone so wrong. When the actress was being photographed for Grazia, she said that she would not choose to resume her relationship with her ex. Nor would she choose his rival, Chief Kook, played by Lee Pil Mo.
"If I were here I wouldn't choose Oh Chang Min or Chief Kook, but go on to a new path," she said.
At a press conference for "Emergency Couple," earlier this year, she explained her cautious views about marriage. The 32-year-old actress was most recerntly said to be dating a CEO named Baek Chang Ju, but she is in no rush to tie the knot.
"Whether I get married or not, that's that," she said. "If possible I want to postpone marriage for as long as possible. I want to enjoy the freedom I have while I'm still young. If I'm going to have regrets, isn't it better to regret it later?"
Choi Jin Hyuk agreed that the reunion of their characters was improbable. When he was preparing for his "Emergency Couple" role, he had a plan for convincingly playing Oh Chang Min in love. He reminded himself of how pretty Song Ji Hyo was as a way to reinforce the notion and like her even more.
"I conditioned myself into loving her more by saying Song Ji Hyo is pretty, Song Ji Hyo is pretty, every single day," said the actor, who later this year will appear in the film "The Divine Move."
And that worked. But it would not have been enough in real life to overcome their history. While he does not think it would be impossible for a couple to reunite after a divorce, for their two drama characters, it was not very likely. No amount of programming or conditioning would have done the trick.
"I don't discount the possibility of it happening somewhere else, but in Oh Chang Min and Oh Jin Hee's case, it only became possible because it's a drama," he said.
The characters' break-up was too bitter and they hated each other too much to ever bury the hatchet. At least it was fun to watch them pretend they could.