Red Velvet’s Yeri and Lee Eun-saem: high school foes in Cheongdam International High School but great pals off-set

Red Velvet’s Yeri and Lee Eun-saem play foes in K-drama Cheongdam International High School. But the two female leads in the series are great pals off-set.

“Since we are of the same age, we got close really quickly and we relied on each other a lot while shooting the drama”. Yeri said fluently in English.

The 24-year-old idol actress later said she prepared the English response beforehand – probably a thoughtful gesture to ease the language barrier between herself and local press.

The duo were in town on a star tour to promote the series. And they met up with the local press to answer questions and chat a bit more about the drama on Friday (23 Jun).

Read more: Hallyu Spotlight: 4 things to know about K-drama Cheongdam International High School

There’s probably a more scientific reason behind why the duo are close.

“I’m a textbook example of an ISTP,” Lee spontaneously revealed her MBTI in a quick roundtable chat. 

And Yeri’s an INTP, so it’s safe to say that both have pretty similar personalities off-screen.

It’s a whole different story, though, in Cheongdam International High School. Yeri plays Baek Je-na, a high school student born with a silver spoon, with a family backed by wealth. 

Lee, on the other hand, plays Kim Hye-in – also a high schooler but she’s unlike any of her peers in the school. She’s not well-to-do, nor does she come from an influential family.

But the K-drama does not run on the typical rich bullies poor narrative. “I think the main difference between Cheongdam International High School and other dramas is that it revolves around a murder case,” Yeri told HallyuSG exclusively.

And it touches on the “concept of the underprivileged and how she (Kim Hye-in) fights for power”. She continued with an affectionate squeal: “Please stay tuned for it”.

Another appeal of the drama lies in the various layers that the characters have. While Baek might come off as your typical antagonist, viewers will realise that she has got an emotive side to her too.

Yeri said: “It’s important to see Baek Je-na as a princess, rather than just a bully in the school”. That’s the true crux of her character.

“I practised the way I spoke to make Baek Je-na a princess. Every scene was pretty challenging for me since it’s not easy to change [one’s] tone and mannerisms after all”.

One would then think that Kim Hye-in is the victim. But she’s not quite the pushover too.

“For a lot of female characters in Korean dramas, they are either really strong or weak. But Kim Hye-in is not someone pitiful, instead, she’s more of an evil character”, said Lee.

She added: “Kim Hye-in is strong-minded, and she has the willpower to get through her struggles”.