“Luck was on my side. Continuously meeting great works is a miracle.”
With the film Exhuma (2024) elevating her to 10-million ticket sales and sweeping major best actress awards, Kim Go-eun has led hits across both television and film since her debut. Despite her unique acting prowess and the numerous trophies she has collected, she remained humble. When praised with “You act really well” and “You’ve become an actor juniors want to emulate,” she appeared flustered and repeatedly insisted, “It was because the works were good.”
Kim Go-eun once again delivered a commanding performance in Netflix’s acclaimed series The Price of Confession, projecting her presence to viewers around the world.
Recently, I met her at a café in Samcheong-dong, Jongno-gu, Seoul. We discussed various topics beyond episodes of the series. The Price of Confession follows “Yoon-soo” (Jeon Do-yeon), a woman accused of killing her husband, and “Mo-eun” (Kim Go-eun), a woman labeled a witch for committing a horrific crime. Kim Go-eun played Mo-eun, who proposes a confession to the cornered Yoon-soo.
Kim Go-eun said, “Mo-eun was a character with a kind of determination I had never portrayed before. I chose it because I wanted to show a new face.”
She added, “I acted with the intention that if viewers didn’t know what Mo-eun was thinking, that would be ideal. She isn’t someone who talks much, so I tried to speak through my eyes and use facial expressions delicately. When expression felt excessive, I reduced it. I obsessively adjusted everything from vocal tone to the smallest facial gesture.”
Kim Go-eun continued, “I imagined that Mo-eun’s system for feeling emotions was broken. I wondered how she might burst when emotional overload reached a certain point. I acted hoping that such aspects of Mo-eun would be captured.”
In the series, Kim Go-eun appeared with a striking shaved hairstyle. She said, “People on set found it cute,” adding, “I also lost weight. If Mo-eun looked chubby, I thought immersion might break. Since I swell easily, I took extra care to prevent it.”
She then recalled her debut film Eun-gyo. “When I first read a script, I imagine the character’s appearance before anything else. During Eun-gyo, I auditioned with long hair, but before filming I suggested, ‘What if I cut it short?’ It might have been a bold suggestion to the director and staff,” she said.
She laughed as she added, “I showed them a high school photo and explained the vibe. Looking back now, it must’ve been funny for someone who hadn’t even debuted. But they accepted it. The director was truly remarkable.”
The series also drew attention for reuniting Jeon Do-yeon and Kim Go-eun—two actors representing different generations. The last time they worked together was in the 2015 film Memories of the Sword, marking their first collaboration in ten years.
Kim Go-eun said, “It was a pity that there weren’t many scenes where I directly faced senior Jeon Do-yeon,” adding, “The transport vehicle scene remains the most memorable. It felt electrifying—like we truly synced as actors.”
She continued, “Filming doesn’t give you excitement every time. But there are rare moments of thrill—moments when you feel you did well. When that moment hits, you think, ‘I’m glad I became an actor.’”
Reflecting on Jeon Do-yeon’s work ethic, she said, “During Memories of the Sword and again in The Price of Confession, senior Jeon never held back physically. Watching her, I sometimes worried she might get hurt, but she didn’t spare herself. She gave everything in every action scene. Seeing her mindset and attitude made me think, ‘I need to become like that, too.’”
Kim Go-eun added, “When the senior works that hard, how could I take shortcuts? Maybe that synergy helped. Because she showed such commitment, I also approached everything head-on, and I think that’s why our chemistry worked.”
Regarding her back-to-back appearances in hit works over the past two years—Exhuma, Love in the Big City, Eun-jung and Sang-yeon, and The Price of Confession—Kim Go-eun said with a laugh, “I was lucky,” and “It was a miracle.”
She continued, “Even if you work hard and express a character well, there are times when people don’t notice or acknowledge it. Praise comes only when every element aligns. Continuously meeting good works is a miracle. I wonder if such a period will come again in my acting career.”
Kim Go-eun added, “From my debut until now, I’ve truly worked hard. I’m proud of that. I worked more because I lacked something, and I always approached everything with the mindset to do my best. Going forward, I’ll continue working hard. There will definitely be times when things don’t go well. I might misinterpret a work or character. But I will remain steadfast and give my best.”
Since her debut in Eun-gyo in 2012, she has continued widening her acting spectrum across screens and television.
She said, “I want to introduce variations, even small ones. But déjà vu can happen, which makes things difficult for an actor. I can’t clearly say what I want to do in the future. But if a new face can emerge, I think I would act with excitement.”
When asked for advice for juniors who want to resemble her, she waved her hand and said, “Who am I to give advice?” She added, “Acting is a profession built with everyone. Keeping that in mind would be good.”
Thirteen years have passed since her debut. Kim Go-eun said, “I often take time to study characters and works. I don’t do it now because of the iPad, but I used to throw the script in frustration many times,” adding, “In my twenties, I pushed too hard and failed. After trial and error, I think I’ve found a way to let go.”
She ended by saying humbly, “I was lucky,” promising to continue working even harder.
Meanwhile, Kim Go-eun will meet viewers next year with the TVING original Yumi’s Cells Season 3.
Reported by M.J._mj94070777@nc.press
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