Kim Jung-eun recalls backlash over 'Lovers in Paris' ending

Actress Kim Jung-eun has candidly opened up about the aftermath of the controversial ending of the hit drama 'Lovers in Paris' 20 years later. She shared memories ranging from receiving complaints at restaurants due to intense viewer reactions to how she can now laugh it off by simply saying, "I'm sorry."

In the SBS variety program 'My Little Old Boy' broadcast on the 19th, Kim and Lee Dong-gun, the lead actors of the 2004 mega-hit 'Lovers in Paris', reunited approximately 20 years after the drama concluded.

While reminiscing about their filming days, the two naturally began discussing the final episode's conclusion. Kim recalled the viewer response, which was much larger than expected, saying, "So many people were truly angry with me."

In particular, she drew laughter by revealing, "Even the restaurant owner got angry at me, asking, 'Why is that fake?'" This highlights the massive impact of the twist ending, where it was revealed that the entire story was actually a novel written by the protagonist, Kang Tae-young, causing the actors to face protests in their daily lives.

Kim recalled that she tried hard to explain the meaning of the ending back then. She made the studio burst into laughter by saying, "At the time, I would at least make excuses saying, 'It's not a fake story,' but now, if someone brings it up, I just say, 'I was wrong. I'm sorry.'"

Lee also smiled in agreement, and the two realized the lasting influence of a work that is still discussed 20 years later.

The broadcast also drew attention to the warm reunion of the two actors. When Lee greeted her saying, "You look younger than before," Kim wittily responded, "The more people say that, the better," showcasing her unchanging wit.

Kim reminisced about the filming period, noting, "Even though I am the older one, I still mix informal and formal speech. At the time, we were so busy filming that we had almost no time to get close personally."

The conversation naturally led to the explosive popularity of the work. Kim confessed, "Looking back at interviews from that time, rather than enjoying the popularity, I felt a greater sense of anxiety, wondering, 'Is it okay to be this popular?' To be honest, it was almost scary."

Lee also shared the hidden side of the national drama, which recorded a peak viewership rating of 57.6% and an average viewership rating of 41.1%, saying, "All I remember is being constantly sleepy. I only thought about having to memorize the lines for the next scene."

A meaningful moment was also captured in the broadcast as a video call with Park Shin-yang was arranged, bringing the three main leads of 'Lovers in Paris' together for the first time in 20 years.

The place where the three had their conversation was the filming location of the iconic scene where Han Ki-joo sings "Can I Love You" to Kang Tae-young. Park revealed a behind-the-scenes fact, stating, "Originally, there was no scene in the script for singing."

He explained, "I personally suggested it because I thought Han Ki-joo would sing 'My Way,' but the production team opposed it. Eventually, after everyone recommended five songs each, 'Can I Love You' was selected."

Kim added, "At the time, the staff members were lying on the floor hurriedly making a lyric teleprompter," describing how the spontaneously created scene became a representative masterpiece of the drama.

Furthermore, it was revealed that the scene where Han Ki-joo and Yoon Soo-hyuk discuss Kang Tae-young was also an ad-lib not found in the script. Lee stated, "Senior Park Shin-yang came up with the idea himself and even wrote the lines," while Park continued the pleasant atmosphere by recalling, "Dong-gun laughed so much back then that we had many NGs."

'Lovers in Paris' continues to be remembered as one of the most iconic works in Korean drama history, having produced numerous catchphrases such as "Baby, let's go" and "That man is mine."