Actor Kim Hye-soo expressed her deep sorrow and paid tribute to the late director Ahn Pan-seok.

During a press interview for the Coupang Play series "The Affair Was Just the Beginning" held at a cafe in Jongno-gu, Seoul on the afternoon of the 13th, Kim Hye-soo shared her feelings about the sudden news of Director Ahn Pan-seok's passing, which was delivered the previous day.

Kim Hye-soo said, "I heard the news last evening and it was such a shock. Director Ahn and I are an actor and a director who shared our youth together. He is someone who spent my early-to-mid twenties with me." She recalled, "We worked on the project 'One of a Pair' for a full three years, and there were three directors. Director Ahn was the second director, and he made what was then a Sunday morning drama very trendy."

Kim Hye-soo continued, "He was a very sensory director with no prejudices or stereotypes, which was very rare at the time, and someone I cared for deeply. I was grateful that he continued to make many good works afterwards. The fact that he did not let go of his calling as a director until the very end carries great significance for people in our industry," expressing her deep respect and regret for the deceased.

Director Ahn Pan-seok passed away on the 12th after his health deteriorated while battling a cerebral hemorrhage. Joining MBC in 1987 to begin directing dramas, he subsequently left a massive mark on the history of Korean dramas by leaving behind numerous masterpieces such as "One of a Pair," "Behind the White Tower," "Secret Love Affair," "Something in the Rain," and "One Spring Night."

Meanwhile, Kim Hye-soo is showing a bold acting transformation in the currently streaming "The Affair Was Just the Beginning," where she plays the successful influencer "Kyung-hee." She completed the flashy influencer look with intense outfits and hairstyles while bringing out the character's traits by sometimes using rough speech. She expressed the character's energy with her unique charm as she tries to firmly maintain her center to protect her family while caught up in a chaotic series of unending incidents.

"The Affair Was Just the Beginning," planned as an 8-episode series, has currently released up to episode 4, and is released sequentially every Friday at 8 p.m. on Coupang Play.

[Photo=Hodu&U Entertainment]

(SBS Entertainment News | Kang Sun-ae)