In a recent interview held at Starship Entertainment headquarters in Gangnam-gu, Seoul, Chae Soo-bin reflected on his role in MBC’s “When the Phone Rings,” which concluded its run on Jan. 4 after 12 episodes, reaching a rating peak nationwide. 8.6% (according to Nielsen Korea).
“When the Phone Rings” begins with an ominous phone call and follows the secret romance of a married couple in a three-year arranged marriage. Chae Soo-bin played Hong Hee-joo, the wife of Baek Sa-eon, a presidential spokesperson beloved by the nation. He lost his voice due to an accident.
The series was not only broadcast on TV, but was also made available on Netflix, where it reached second place in the global non-English TV series category. Regarding this success, Chae Soo-bin noted: “Even among the cast we discussed why the drama did so well. The married women around me seemed to fall in love with Baek Sa-eon. I think the tender and pure love story hit the mark, despite the slightly awkward jokes. Seeing the comments from international fans on social media also made me realize that the show was well received.“
He recalled one specific fan reaction that stood out, “I saw a fan-edited video where the reunion scene between Baek Sa-eon and Hong Hee-joo in episode 12 was set against a cheering background. Watching it, I felt like so many viewers had become Hee-joo, falling in love with Sa-eon. It made me proud and I thought it was cute too.”
Chae Soo-bin’s character used sign language frequently in the series, which was a challenging yet rewarding experience. He shared: “Learning sign language wasn’t overly difficult, but understanding the reasoning behind the gestures made it a profound process. I have always thought it is a beautiful language and felt proud when I saw children imitating the signs after watching the show. It warms my heart to think that often overlooked sign language has become more accessible.”
He further explained his preparation: “I didn’t want to forget the signs while filming, so I practiced them rigorously, almost like choreography. However, halfway through, I had to adjust to the differences between news-style sign language and international sign language, which was overwhelming but ultimately rewarding.“
As for the script’s cheesy lines, he admitted: “When I first read them, I screamed. But during the filming they did not feel uncomfortable. Yeon-seok said them so naturally that, also like Hee-joo, I didn’t find them awkward. It was a fascinating experience.”
As for his next steps, Chae Soo-bin expressed his desire to explore different genres, “Even though I love romance, I would like to challenge myself with new genres. “When the Phone Rings” was a romantic thriller, but I would like to try a pure thriller or a story based on real life. I want to become a solid actress who can convincingly play any role.“
