Lee Seo Jin mesmerized by Son Ye Jin, leaving Ji Chang Wook sidelined

Actor Lee Seo Jin could not stop expressing admiration and could not take his eyes off Son Ye Jin after meeting her in person. As the nickname 'Pretty Noona,' created through variety shows, led to an actual meeting, laughter naturally erupted, while Ji Chang Wook, who was designated as the 'my star,' once again found himself pushed to the sidelines in a peculiar scene.

In the SBS variety program 'My Genie Secretary' broadcast on the 18th, Lee Seo Jin and Kim Kwang Kyu visited a press conference where 'my star' Ji Chang Wook reappeared. Although the venue was an official event for the actors, it transformed into an unexpected variety stage due to Lee's characteristically nonchalant yet blunt way of speaking.

Lee's gaze first turned toward Son Ye Jin as she appeared at the scene. Looking at a strand of her hair, he showed unusual interest, asking, "Is that one strand of hair a concept?" He then caused laughter throughout the venue by saying of Ji Chang Wook, "Chang Wook will probably handle it himself."

After facing Son Ye Jin directly, his attitude became even more overt. Lee greeted Son, saying, "Hello, Pretty Noona." While it may seem like a simple greeting, this title carried a sort of 'variety show narrative' already established by the program.

Previously, in 'Jinny's Kitchen,' Lee learned that the protagonist of the expression 'Something in the Rain' was Son Ye Jin. Even then, reacting to her by saying, "She's pretty," he once again could not hide his admiration for her appearance upon meeting her in person this time.

Lee stared at Son for a while and said, "You are the prettiest." Although it was a scene infused with the exaggerated reactions typical of broadcasts, the natural buzz created by the two actors, who have both worked as top stars for a long time, appearing on the same screen caught the viewers' attention.

Son is an actress who has mastered a wide range of genres, from melodrama to thriller, historical drama, and family drama, moving between films and dramas since her debut in 1999. In particular, due to the representative image she built through works such as 'The Classic,' 'A Moment to Remember,' 'Alone in Love,' 'Something in the Rain,' and 'Crash Landing on You,' she has long been perceived by the public as an actress who simultaneously embodies 'first love' and 'symbolism of melodrama.'

Lee has also built a character through his dry and seemingly cynical way of speaking while moving between variety shows and dramas. The nonchalant reactions and blunt speech he showed in 'Three Meals a Day,' 'Youn's Kitchen,' and 'Jinny's Kitchen' have functioned as devices that generate laughter even when he mentions the appearance or actions of others without hesitation.

It was the same this time. Lee brought up the topic of golf, mentioning he had seen a video of Son playing, and naturally asked about her husband Hyun Bin's golf skills. Son laughed, replying, "My husband is also good at golf."

Son and Hyun Bin first worked together in the film 'The Negotiation,' met again through the tvN drama 'Crash Landing on You,' and developed a romantic relationship through that work, eventually marrying in 2022. Even after marriage, the two continue to draw public attention by balancing their acting careers and family life. Son's short answer that day was at a level that naturally mentioned a common interest of the couple rather than excessively exposing the star's private life.

The person who was most wronged that day was Ji Chang Wook. Despite the program's title being 'My Genie Secretary' and Ji reappearing as 'my star,' the interest of Lee and Kim Kwang Kyu was focused on Son and Nana.

Watching the two ignore him to look at Son and Nana, Ji lamented, "I expect a difficult time today as well." His reappearance actually resulted in highlighting the presence of the other actors.

The fun of this scene does not lie in simple compliments about appearance. It lies in the fact that the relationships between characters and the variety characters built by the 'My Genie Secretary' series were spontaneously reconstructed through the actual meeting of the actors. Lee's nonchalant admiration, Son's relaxed response, Kim's agreement, and Ji's self-deprecating reaction meshed together to complete a short situational comedy without any separate setup.

Particularly in the recent broadcasting environment where the actual meetings of celebrities are consumed as major variety content, the element of 'real-life appearance' still holds powerful topicality. However, since evaluations of appearance delivered through a screen are influenced by various conditions such as lighting, camera angles, and styling, it is appropriate to view Lee's immediate admiration as a spontaneous reaction rather than an objective ranking of beauty.

Nevertheless, the scene where Lee called Son "Pretty Noona" and exclaimed, "You are the prettiest" provided viewers with an unexpected variety combination. Just as much as the attention focused on Son, Ji Chang Wook's 'sidelined' status became the final comedic point that completed the scene.