Actress and singer Kim Se Jeong has revealed that she almost turned down her role in the MBC drama The River of the Moonbefore changing her mind after learning that Kang Tae Oh had been cast as her co-star.
In a recent roundtable interview held at a bar in Seoul’s Gangnam district, Kim Se Jeong spoke openly about the doubts he faced before joining the project. He plays the lead role of Park Dal Yi in The River of the Moona historical fantasy novel that follows a crown prince who has lost the ability to laugh and a merchant whose soul is swapped after losing his memory.
Reflecting on her initial hesitation, Kim Se Jeong admitted that the script seemed intimidating. “There were scenes where I thought, ‘What if I can’t do this?’” he shared. “But when I heard that Kang Tae Oh was filming the drama, those scenes suddenly started to seem clear to me. I could imagine how he would behave and everything started to fall into place like a puzzle. That’s when I felt confident enough to face The River of the Moon.”
Kim Se Jeong revealed that he actually turned down the project once due to the burden of playing multiple characters. “Since the role required me to play three different characters, I initially rejected it,” he said. However, encouragement from people around her, including leaders at her agency, helped her reconsider. Learning about Kang Tae Oh’s casting became the deciding factor that pushed her to accept the challenge.
The River of the Moon aired as MBC’s last Friday-Saturday drama of 2025, at a time when the network was struggling with ratings in the 1-2% range. The pressure was evident even before the premiere, with the director admitting during the production presentation that the weight felt overwhelming. Nonetheless, the drama opened with a solid 3.8% and ended with a peak of 6.8%, successfully ending its run on a high note.
Kim Se Jeong, who debuted in 2016 with Produce 101 and has steadily built her acting career since then, described the drama as difficult and transformative. After obtaining recognition The mysterious counter and expand its global fan base with Commercial proposalfaced mixed reviews with his 2024 draft. The River of the Moonhis first historical drama and a three-role performance, it marked a major turning point in its tenth year since debut.
“It was an extremely difficult and big challenge,” Kim Se Jeong said. “But at the same time, it became the starting point for new challenges. Looking back, I’m really happy that I chose to undertake this venture. This project gave me the courage to keep trying new things.”
With The River of the MoonKim Se Jeong not only overcame her worries, but also delivered what many viewers consider one of the most significant performances of her career.
Sources: Naver
