A mega-viral tvN K-Drama, Lovely Runner, aired its final episode on May 28, 2024, with its viewer ratings reaching an all-time high at 5.7%.
Following the grand finale, dubbed one of the best “feel good” endings in K-Dramas, the production director, Yoon Jong Ho, spoke with the Korean news outlet OSEN about the show’s success and its characters.
The interview, however, has backfired with Director Yoon receiving immense backlash for how he treated the female lead, Kim Hye Yoon.
Director Yoon commented that he “said a lot of harsh things” to Kim to get her to “look her best.” Then, he added that, after a while, “she went from feeling like a daughter to more of a woman to [him].”
Kim Hye Yoon is, of course, a great actress, but I wanted to make sure there was a turning point moment when Ryu Sun Jae couldn’t help but fall for her. So, I thought Kim Hye Yoon should depict Sol more beautifully than she had done up to that episode. I focused on best capturing her beauty.
I also said a lot of harsh things [about her appearance], but Kim Hye Yoon accepted the feedback and gradually became prettier. For non-celebrities, appearances can change depending on how much care and effort go in. But for actors, I think the glow-up comes from having to be in front of the cameras and acting out their characters all the time. At first, I saw Kim Hye Yoon as more like a daughter-figure. But she became so beautiful as the drama progressed that she started to feel like a woman to me.
It must have been difficult to portray the emotions of a 34-year-old in a 19-year-old body, but with the scriptwriter’s help, Kim Hye Yoon understood the directions and did well.
— Yoon Jong Ho
The comments, deemed misogynistic in countless ways—including minimizing Kim’s impact on the show to her appearance, had online communities expressing rage.
- “So he thinks him making harsh comments made her prettier…? I bet he said some gross f*cking things. It does seem like he isn’t all too good with his words in general, though.”
- “Ugh, I want to beat him up. Is he out of his mind? Are we living in the Joseon era right now? Who does he think he is, speaking to his cast like that?”
- “Barf.”
- “WTF?”
- “What the f*ck…”
- “In 2024…? I cannot believe I’m STILL reading nonsense interviews like these. For f*ck’s sake, man.”
- “Just… keep that mouth closed.”
- “I don’t understand how some men’s logic lead them to come up with sentences that use ‘daughter’ and ‘woman’ as one. Like, it’s f*cking disgusting.”
- “BARF.”
- “What’s wrong with him?”
- “But Kim Hye Yoon carried the whole show on her back, no? Yoon should’ve paid more attention to directing the male lead’s acting. Also… If we’re going to talk about appearances, it’s not like the male lead is all that breathtaking either.”
- “Kim Hye Yoon worked so hard for this show, and yet, here is the production director sh*tting all over it.”
- “I’ve read his whole interview and… he must’ve made life hell for the female cast on his set. I feel for the actresses who had to deal with him. I can’t believe people who still think and speak like him all the while working in the trendiest industry.”
- “I thoroughly enjoyed the female lead’s acting, though. What’s gotten into this director?”
- “WTF…? Is he on crack? I’ve been meaning to bring this up, because whenever I watched behind-the-scenes videos, I thought he was being borderline rude and disrespectful toward Kim Hye Yoon while directing. I didn’t, because I didn’t want to be attacked for being ‘too sensitive,’ or whatever. But it turns out he is, indeed, a POS. You should hear the way he speaks to Kim. It’s… disgusting. And he’s failing to show her any respect in this interview as well. Kim worked hard on this show for over a year, yet all he can talk about is how he criticized her appearance?”
- “So… He’s admitting that he criticized Kim Hye Yoon’s appearance to her face and ‘said harsh things’ about her face to make her work on herself? And he thinks it’s all thanks to him that Kim Hye Yoon looked better on camera as the episodes progressed? What the f*ck…? This is wrong.”
- “Wowza…”
- “You mean, as a director, he wasn’t directing her on how to act but instead, he was criticizing her for her looks? AND he’s talking about it himself during an interview, as if he was right to do so? LOL. Without Kim Hye Yoon, the show would not have done half as well. Get a grip, ahjussi.“
This is not the first time Kim found herself in the middle of controversial talk surrounding Lovely Runner. Read more about how Kim’s lack of appearances on entertainment programs also sparked debate on misogyny.
“Lovely Runner” Kim Hye Yoon’s Lack Of Variety Show Appearances Ignites A Heated Debate On Misogyny
Source: OSEN and theqoo (1) and (2)
