From School Uniforms to Diving Suits! Red Velvet’s Yeri Transforms for New Drama ‘Azure Spring’

From top stars to rising talents, the best don’t stick to just one thing. Let’s look at stars who break away from their previous roles to challenge new charms or show “a thousand faces” in a single work.

It’s already been a year since Kim Ye-rim, the youngest member of Red Velvet, transitioned into acting, and she’s back with a brand new look!

Kim Ye-rim is meeting viewers through MBN Plus’s ‘Azure Spring,’ which premiered on the 11th. This marks her first TV series since her early one-act plays.

‘Azure Spring’ is a healing youth drama based on a webtoon of the same name. It follows the growth of Seo Anna (played by Kim Ye-rim), who has stopped in her tracks due to fear of the future, and Yoon Deok-hyeon (played by Kang Sang-jun), who is stuck in the past, as they live as a haenyeo (female diver) and haenam (male diver).

Seo Anna, who gave up her dream of being a swimmer due to a shoulder injury, returns home and encounters her tenant, Yoon Deok-hyeon. While Anna suggests they live quietly and ignore each other, conflict arises when she secretly starts eating the fresh seafood Yoon Deok-hyeon catches.

Driven by a desire to pay him back and a lingering longing for the water, Seo Anna challenges herself to become a diver, while Yoon Deok-hyeon opens his heart and begins hard training.

Curiosity is building over Yoon Deok-hyeon’s hidden past and the growing pains the two will face. Meanwhile, the beautiful nature and delicious food provide a healing experience for viewers.

Notably, Kim Ye-rim, who mostly wore school uniforms in her previous major roles, catches the eye by swapping them for a haenyeo diving suit in ‘Azure Spring.’ She not only rocked a bold short haircut from her athlete days but also challenged herself with sea swimming as a diver.

Kim Ye-rim debuted in the music industry in 2015 as the youngest member of the girl group Red Velvet.

Performing under the stage name ‘Yeri’ instead of her real name, she earned love from global fans with numerous hits, starting from the debut song ‘Ice Cream Cake’ to ‘Russian Roulette,’ ‘Red Flavor,’ ‘Bad Boy,’ ‘Psycho,’ and ‘Feel My Rhythm.’

Last year, marking her 10th anniversary, she left SM Entertainment and signed an exclusive contract with Blitzway Entertainment, home to stars like Ju Ji-hoon, Chun Woo-hee, and Jung Ryeo-won, to fully focus on her acting career.

Previously, Kim Ye-rim began acting in 2021 with the tvN one-act series ‘Drama Stage – Mint Condition,’ balancing it with her group activities.

In the same year, she played Oh Ha-rin in the 16-episode web drama ‘Blue Birthday,’ a character who loses her first love at 18 and travels between the past and present. ‘Blue Birthday’ was later re-edited into a movie and hit theaters in January 2022.

In 2023, she wore school uniforms once again in the KBS 1TV special drama ‘Applause’ for the Day of Persons with Disabilities and the web drama ‘Cheongdam International High School.’

Although both are school-based, ‘Cheongdam International High School’ is the complete opposite of the warm atmosphere of ‘Applause,’ unfolding as a murder mystery at a high school for the wealthy.

‘Cheongdam International High School,’ where Kim Ye-rim played the “queen” Baek Je-na, was a huge hit not only in Korea but also ranked high on global OTT platforms, leading to a second season that reunited her with global viewers from July to August last year.

In an interview at the time, Kim Ye-rim shared, “Actually, the fact that there was a Season 2 felt like a huge burden. However, I finished filming well and saw many positive reviews, so I’m now enjoying a sense of personal pride.”

She also celebrated a double win when her movie debut in ‘Gangryeong: Ghost Play’ premiered on August 6, just five days after the full release of ‘Cheongdam International High School 2.’

Regarding this, Kim Ye-rim jokingly said, “I want to do school-based roles as long as I can,” adding, “The fact that it’s still possible makes me feel like my looks are still holding up.”

At the same time, she expressed her passion for diverse challenges, stating, “Next time, I want to take off the school uniform and show a new side of myself,” mentioning genres like fantasy or SF.

Kim Ye-rim added, “I want to keep hearing people ask, ‘Did she have this side to her?’ There are so many characters I can portray, and it feels so good when people say I look different in a project. I want to hear those evaluations as much as possible.”

During a fan meeting held in Seoul on March 14, Kim Ye-rim looked back at her past works and performed her own compositions, unreleased new songs, and Red Velvet hits.

Global fans are highly anticipating the news that Red Velvet will make a group comeback for the first time in two years in the third quarter.

Previously, Kim Ye-rim mentioned she is reviewing a series that expands the world of the movie ‘Inside Men.’ With her steady acting, group activities, and a surprise spoiler about her first solo album next year, her ambitious moves are highly anticipated.

Meanwhile, ‘Azure Spring’ airs every Monday and Tuesday at 11 PM, and can be streamed on OTT platforms like Wavve and TVING at 11:30 PM on the same day.