When it was published in 2019, “Love in the Big City” gained popularity for its refreshingly frank portrayal of Seoul’s queer scene, gaining international recognition when it made the International Booker Prize longlist in 2022.

Now Park Sang-young’s bestseller has been adapted as a movie following the friendship of two young Seoulites: Jae-hee and Heung-soo, who know and understand each other better than anyone else -- even themselves.

Kim Go-eun, who impressed critics as a shaman in the hit film “Exhuma” earlier this year, returns as the bright and charming Jae-hee.

“I waited for about 2 1/2 years after receiving the scenario (before the production began). I was more than happy to have shot the film because, as you will notice, the lines were written to be read easily. All the stories were told in a very nice and down-to-earth way,” Kim told reporters during a press conference held at Megabox Seongsu in Seoul on Monday.

Jae-hee, a college student who hopes to find the love of her life, is open to meeting different kinds of people. She is someone who can easily fall in love and is used to receiving other’s love. But the fact that she keeps telling others “I’m a free soul,” works to protect herself against loneliness.

Actor Noh Sang-hyun (“Pachinko,” “Soundtrack #2”) stars as Jae-hee’s friend, Heung-soo.

“Heung-soo is a person who wants to keep a distance from the world. He is a cynical person who doesn’t express his feelings too much, but inside him, he hides a warm-hearted personality. Once you get to know him, you’ll see his caring, pure and playful aspects,” Noh told reporters. This is Noh’s big-screen debut.

The movie spans 13 years of the two people’s evolving love and friendship, starting from 2010 during their college days, to when they become office workers.

Director Lee Eon-hee said she focused on the relationship between the two protagonists.

“Because the original novel was so popular and fun to read, I did feel a certain pressure. (But from the novel,) I especially wanted to extract the story of Jae-hee and Heung-soo and looking at snippets of our own lives and ask questions to oneself, who am I really?” director Lee told reporters.

Regarding the release of a Tving series of the same title based on the same novel in October, the director simply said she did her best.

“I had no doubt that this novel would be developed into either a movie or a drama because the storyline is great. I think I did my part to extract the most enjoyable and fun part (from the book) and I hope the audience finds the movie version more interesting to watch,” she added.

The movie has been invited to the 49th Toronto International Film Festival which kicks off Thursday and runs through Sept. 15. The movie will be screened in the Special Presentations section.

“Love in the Big City” slated for release on Oct. 2