Character in Saimdang better than him, says Song Seung Heon

SINGAPORE — Korean actor Song Seung Heon might have acted in more than 25 dramas and films, but the 40-year-old still manages to hit a first in a career that spanned two decades: He will be starring in his first period drama role in Saimdang.

Starring in such dramas comes with its own set of challenges; for Song, who shot to fame in the 2003 hit Korean drama Autumn in My Heart, it was having to don a beard for his role.

“The thing about having to wear a beard is you have to be standing for one to two hours (while the beard is being put on), so that takes a lot of time,” said Song through a translator. That is why sometimes, he eats his meals while his beard is still on, he quipped.

Song was in town over the weekend to promote Saimdang, a drama based on the life of female artist and poet Shim Saimdang. It will air on Jan 26 on Korean entertainment channel Oh!K. Leading Korean actress Lee Young-Ae who is making a comeback after an 11-year hiatus, will play the titular role, while Song plays the role of Lee Gyeom, a painter and artist who also serves as Shim Saimdang’s love interest.

To Song, Lee Gyeom is everything that he is not.

While his character is skilled in the arts, Song himself, unfortunately, is not, given a “traumatic experience” he had many years ago. “When I was young, I was in this art club and then we had to participate in certain events,” Song shared. During a particular event, his teacher made him draw one art piece a day, and this went on “for about one to two months” — a process was so tiring it turned him off art and drawing entirely. “That actually became (a form of) trauma to me,” he added.

Proficiency in art aside, his character is also good in archery and plays a traditional Korean stringed instrument, Geomungo. “It’s really unrealistic you know. In the drama, he can do anything and everything,” Song said wryly.

He even pales in comparison when it comes to the love arena, he added.

“(Lee Gyeom) is somebody that...is a bit better than me in terms of how much he loves Saimdang. So when you look at the drama, even though Saimdang gets married and she has a kid, I still love her and I still care for her, which is a bit out of reality right?”

Song continued: “I mean, I don’t know how I can do it (in real life).”

Still, no matter how “out of reality” his character may be, Song could at least find something he could relate to in Lee Gyeom, which we think Chinese actress Liu Yi Fei — whom he is said to be dating — would appreciate.

“If I really like a person, if I love a person, I think I would only have eyes for the person like Lee Gyeom. I would love and care for that one person.”

Everybody say, “Aww”.

Saimdang will air on Oh!K (Singtel TV Ch 525/611 and Singtel Cast (Hallyu Pack) starting Jan 26 at 9pm.