"I Trusted Shin Hye-sun" & "Lee Jun-hyuk's Needle-Sharp Questions Cut Mistakes" 'The Art of Sarah' Director Shares His Faith

Director Kim Jin-min of ‘The Art of Sarah’ shared his unwavering faith in stars Shin Hye-sun and Lee Jun-hyuk.

At the Netflix series ‘The Art of Sarah’ press conference held the morning of the 10th at Ambassador Seoul - A Pullman Hotel in Jung-gu, Seoul (written by Choo Song-yeon, directed by Kim Jin-min), Kim said he “finished this project with one thought―‘I trust her’―about Shin Hye-sun.”

‘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 Mu-gyeong (played by Lee Jun-hyuk), the detective tracking her desires. Shin’s Sara Kim is the head of the luxury brand, targeting the top 0.1 percent, living a dazzling life while hiding another face and past. Her name, age, origins, and education are all shrouded in mystery―the fun is in chasing her true identity. That makes Shin Hye-sun’s performance absolutely pivotal.

Kim said, “Having one person act in many shades is tough work for any actor. Even if a director asks for multiple layers, it won’t show without the actor’s ability,” adding, “The moment I cast Hye-sun, my job was done. All I had was ‘I trust her.’”

He continued, “Hye-sun stayed locked in―focused on her scene partners and confident in herself. On set, there were several times I thought, ‘She can go that far?’ It’s all on screen,” and added, “If viewers end up loving this show, that’s why. I trusted Hye-sun and Jun-hyuk, and they trusted me back. That’s how this project came to life.”

Lee Jun-hyuk’s Mu-gyeong is an inspector with the Seoul Metropolitan Police Agency’s Violent Crime Investigation Unit. He takes on the case of “Sara Kim,” found frozen to death in the middle of Cheongdam’s luxury district with her face brutally disfigured. Viewers are drawn into the story through Mu-gyeong’s perspective as he questions those around Sara Kim and digs into the truth.

Kim recalled, “Jun-hyuk and I exchanged a lot of thoughts. Hye-sun, who leads the show, was crucial. But the man chasing her―the detective’s gaze―is the viewers’ gaze. Depending on who plays him, the entire tone shifts. So I told Jun-hyuk, ‘Don’t take this lightly. It only gets harder. Your role will be tough to direct, and if it isn’t the best it can be, the drama’s balance could tilt. Let’s do this right―together.’”

He added, “From the moment we met, Jun-hyuk asked great questions on set. He zeroed in on points a director might gloss over. Those needle-sharp questions helped me cut down on directing mistakes. I’m grateful to him for that.”

Kim repeatedly expressed gratitude to both leads. “Working with these two actors deeply influenced my directing. I want to thank them,” he said. “They’re actors viewers trust on sight. You’ll see power you haven’t seen from them before―change, and a hint of their future―all in this project.”

Then he joked, “I feel like I owe them. I hope the show does well so they can book a few more commercials,” drawing laughs.

‘The Art of Sarah’ drops all episodes at 5 p.m. on Friday, the 13th.

[Photo = Baik Seung-Chul] 

(SBS Entertainment News | Kang Sun-ae)