Reunited After 8 Years: Shin Hye-sun & Lee Jun-hyuk on Netflix's 'The Art of Sarah'

Shin Hye-sun and Lee Jun-hyuk, who are acting together again after eight years, opened up about the trust they have in each other.

The two attended the production press conference for the Netflix series “The Art of Sarah” (written by Chu Song-yeon, directed by Kim Jin-min) on the morning of the 10th at Ambassador Seoul Pullman Hotel in Jung-gu, Seoul, and shared what it was like to reunite onscreen since “Stranger.”

“I’ve always had a basic trust in Hye-sun,” Lee said. “She’s an outstanding worker and a great colleague. I felt at ease. Even when I wasn’t in a scene, she filled everything in.” He added, “When this project wrapped, I found myself wanting to work with her again. It was so comfortable and good,” hinting he’d love to team up again in the future.

Lee likened their growth over the past eight years to “rolling stones.” “Hye-sun and I keep meeting on tough projects. We’re like rolling stones. We’ve kept rolling, and thankfully we met again without any moss,” he said with a laugh. “I could see how hard she works. You feel that, and it puts you at ease.”

Shin looked back on their first project together. “During ‘Stranger,’ both in the drama and in real life, I was really a newbie―fresh out of the gate,” she said. “He was a senior I looked up to, so I didn’t even have time to think about ‘chemistry’ or anything. I was just trying my best to keep up.” About Lee back then, she added, “He listened to my worries, and he was this handsome, cool senior.”

Smiling, Shin continued, “Meeting him again for this project―he’s still handsome.” She added, “Maybe it’s the time we’ve shared, but even after a while apart, there was this unspoken trust, like we just knew. I realized you can’t ignore the time that’s built up.”

“When we acted together, he always focused on me, looking straight into my eyes,” she said. “The scenes we have are hard to rehearse alone―you need your partner there―so we had to rely on each other a lot. I was grateful that he was someone I could lean on comfortably.”

“The Art of Sarah” is a mystery thriller about Sara Kim (played by Shin Hye-sun), a woman who wants to become a luxury icon―even if it’s all a facade―and Mugyeong (played by Lee Jun-hyuk), a detective who chases her desires. Centered on one name, it dives into clashing memories, multiple lives, and the blurry line between truth and lies, drawing buzz even before release.

Shin’s character Sara Kim is shrouded in mystery―her name, age, background, and education are all unknown. One day, she appears out of nowhere and captivates everyone. As the head of the Korea branch of high-end brand, she lives a glittering life while hiding another face and another past. As the story unfolds, curiosity over her real identity intensifies―raising expectations for how Shin will complete Sara Kim on screen.

Lee’s Mugyeong is an inspector with the Seoul Metropolitan Police’s Violent Crime Investigation Unit. He takes on a case where a woman known as “Sara Kim” is found frozen to death with her face brutally disfigured in the middle of Cheongdam’s luxury district. Viewers follow Mugyeong’s perspective as he investigates the people around Sara Kim and unravels the truth.

“The Art of Sarah” drops all episodes at 5 p.m. on the 13th.

(SBS Entertainment News | Kang Sun-ae)