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Following the broadcast of Dear Xactor Kim Young-dae has spoken out about an anticipated personal turning point: his upcoming departure for military service. In an interview with Samcheong-dong on November 25, the actor opened up about this "chapter on pause" and what he hopes to write when he returns.
A dark role that marked a new stage
In Dear X, Kim Young-dae plays Yoon Jun-seo, a man for whom love becomes both faith and damnation. His relationship with Baek Ah-jin (played by Kim Yoo-jung) leads to an obsession with irreversible consequences. In this film, the actor adopts a more interior, fragile register, far removed from the smooth roles that have made him so popular, a shift that has been hailed by international audiences.
The series topped the charts in several Asian territories and found worldwide resonance via HBO Max, accelerating the actor's international recognition.
"A break, not an end": military service approaches
Born in 1996, Kim Young-dae knows that the time is drawing near. He confides that he is planning to leave "at the very beginning of next year, or at the very end of this year", but puts the break into perspective: "I see it as a break in a long journey. I've learned the most by living experiences, more than by studying, and this will simply be one more experience."
Far from fearing the break, he even anticipates it as a creative springboard: "After my release, I want to choose roles that I really want. If there's a project I like, I want to audition for it myself. I want to expand my world as an actor."
He also looks back on his formative years, with the lucidity of someone who has accepted his mistakes: "I did a lot of trial and error in my twenties. I think that helped me mature. When I come back, I want to show the energy and passion of my early days."
Before concluding on a light note, much commented on by fans: "I hope Kim Yoo-jung and Kim Do-hoon will come and visit me."
A simple wink, but one that revealed a complicity that marked the shoot... and touched the audience.
