Marriage, plans for the future and expectations of family are issues that put many youngsters in a pickle, and were the inspiration behind upcoming romantic comedy “Trade Your Love,” starring Ko Sung-hee and Kim Dong-wook.

“I decided to star in the film not long after I got the script for it because I was happy to work with such a fun scenario,” Kim said in a press conference for the film held in Seoul on Wednesday.

Kim, who has been blazing trails with back-to-back appearances in the blockbuster “Along With the Gods” series, said starring in smaller films like this in the past left him with good memories and helped him grow as an actor. “Being offered the role helped me to go back to my earlier days (as an actor) when I was most passionate,” he said.

Ko said she felt she could connect with what the movie was saying.

“I could relate to it because many of my close friends are about to get married. I loved that (the film) used wit to deal with such a situation,” she said.

In the film, Kim plays Seong-seok, the son of a business mogul who has to get married in order to inherit his father’s fortunes. Ko plays Hae-ju, who is constantly pressured by her family to get married.

After meeting each other on a blind date, the pair agree to pretend to get married for three years to get their families off their backs.

In spite of a general change in perception about marriage, there are still many Korean parents who believe a young person “truly becomes an adult” when they marry. The pressure from these expectations, coupled with the difficulties in preparing for marriage due to the slumping economy, trouble many young Koreans today.

A recent survey by a matchmaking company Duo showed that nearly 30 percent of respondents who were unmarried had no plans to wed.

Park Ho-chan and Park Su-jin, the rookie directors of the film, said they each built the characters of Sang-seok and Hae-ju.

“I didn’t want the character of Sang-seok to look like a generic rich person, but one with a human side to him. I wanted the audience to relate to him,” Park Ho-chan said.

Veteran actors like Kim Eui-sung, Yum Jung-ah and Jo Woo-jin will play supporting roles in the film.

“Trade Your Love” opens in local theaters on Feb. 13.


By Yoon Min-sik

(minsikyoon@heraldcorp.com)