Actress Jeon So-young (24) has officially solidified her spot as a rising star through her first lead role in ‘Kirigo’.
Released last month, the Netflix series ‘Kirigo’ follows high school students struggling to escape a curse from a wish-granting app. The series marks the first main directorial work of Park Yoon-seo, who previously served as B-director for ‘Kingdom’ Season 2 and co-directed ‘Moving’. Jeon So-young stars as Se-ah, a national track and field reserve athlete who is the first to suspect the true nature of Kirigo.
‘Kirigo’ achieved a huge milestone by hitting #1 on the Netflix Global Top 10 Non-English shows list in its second week. Speaking with Sports Chosun, Jeon shared, “The global and domestic results are both great, so many of my acquaintances have reached out. I’m also very grateful to the fans who sent me DMs saying they enjoyed the show.”
When asked about landing her first lead role, Jeon admitted, “It would be a lie to say I wasn’t pressured. However, since I filmed with seniors close to my age, the excitement was greater.” She added, “As time went on during production, I started thinking, ‘Ah, this might actually do well.'”
To play a national track and field reserve athlete, Jeon gained nearly 10kg. “The director wanted my thighs and arms to have lean muscle like a track athlete, so I worked hard to bulk up,” she revealed. “Since I had to maintain the weight for a long time, the staff bought me lots of delicious food. I was eating five or six meals a day to the point where I wanted to stop eating.” She also mentioned co-star Lee Hyo-je, who had to gain weight quickly for his character Hyung-wook. “He’s a very thin friend, but he gained weight surprisingly well. We used to talk on set about which foods were best for gaining weight.”
Jeon also talked about the acting advice she received. “Kim Go-eun starred in ‘Exhuma’ previously. Since the genre seemed similar to ‘Kirigo’, I sought her advice,” she said. “She told me it would be good to discuss everything with the director and other actors, from the attitude a lead actor should have to facial expressions and emotional changes.”
Regarding her chemistry with the cast, Jeon said, “I became very close with Mina, and I had many scenes with Sony. I often visited Mina’s house, where we chatted over coffee and sweet desserts. She gave me a lot of advice on things I was worried about. We make sure to see each other at least once a month, and we’re planning to meet again this month.”
Jeon also boasts close friendships with I.O.I member Kang Mina, as well as BH Entertainment labelmates Jung Chae-yeon and Kim Se-jeong. When asked who her favorite I.O.I member was back then, she struggled to choose, saying, “I loved all the seniors so much when they debuted, so I can’t pick just one. But for today, by a very narrow margin, I’ll choose Mina.”
Jeon has been active since her debut in the 2025 KBS2 drama ‘Kick Kick Kick Kick’. “Not only me, but my parents are also spending very happy days,” she shared. “After watching ‘Kirigo’, they told me they felt bad because it looked like I suffered a lot during filming, but they also said they’re proud of me. They’ve been praising me a lot by sharing articles and photos of me in our family group chat.”
Jeon will meet viewers again in upcoming projects such as ‘Becoming a Culinary Legend’, ‘Retired Agent + Management Team’, and ‘Study Group Season 2’. When asked about her secret to passing auditions, she humbly replied, “I’m grateful they saw me in a positive light, which is why I have so many projects to show. In my personal opinion, simply trying to ‘become’ the character can be a bit cliché. I try to find and show my own unique charm that fits the role.”
It was also revealed that she gained attention as one of the “Top 3 Visuals of Seoul Institute of the Arts” before her debut. Laughing, Jeon explained, “My professor recommended me for ‘Ye-hwa’, the school’s promotional ambassador. I usually only showed my bare face and a sloppy look, but when I hosted the entrance ceremony with makeup and a uniform, I think people found me pretty.”
Finally, she named Kim Go-eun as her role model. “She handles various genres without limitation. Looking at her works, it seems she takes on roles that only she can pull off,” Jeon praised. “I also saw her on the set of ‘Yumi’s Cells’ Season 3, and her lovely charm was overflowing. She smiled a lot on set, always greeted me brightly, and hugged me, for which I’m very grateful.”
