Hwang In Youp Reveals a Similarity He Shares with His "Family by Choice" Character

Actor Hwang In Youp comments about his role as Kim San Ha in Family by Choice.

Family by Choice is a story of three people who, despite being unrelated by blood, consider each other family and spend their teenage years together. They reunite after 10 years. The K-drama is a remake of the C-drama Go Ahead. 

In the drama, Hwang In Youp plays Kim San Ha, a model student with a neat appearance and good grades, but who carries a hidden emotional wound from his childhood. 

Although not related by blood, Kim San Ha acts as a guardian to Yun Ju Won (Jung Chae Yeon) and Kang Hae Jun (Bae Hyeon Seong). The trio are as close as siblings to one another. 

Hwang In Youp first explained why he chose the project, saying, "I was drawn to the story of this Family by Choice coming together to support, comfort, and heal one another." Regarding his character Kim San Ha, he shared, "Rather than using words, he shows things through his actions. He may seem a bit rough on the outside, but he's warm and delicate on the inside. I found Kim San Ha's attitude toward his family and his efforts to protect his loved ones very cool and charming." 

He described Kim San Ha as "cold on the outside, warm on the inside"  and emphasized, "Since San Ha is someone for whom actions speak louder than words, I tried to convey more through my eyes than through dialogue." Revealing that he sees a similarity between himself and San Ha in the character's awkwardness in expressing himself, Hwang In Youp said, "I worked really hard to reach 100% sync with the character, and I hope that at least 90% of it came through on screen. It's because I truly like the character of Kim San Ha."

Hwang In Youp also shared some behind-the-scenes stories from filming alongside Jung Chae Yeon and Bae Hyeon Seong, saying, "The three of us have similar personalities, so it was comfortable to act together. We respected and cared for each other, which made filming truly enjoyable."

Hwang In Youp also urged viewers to tune in, saying, "I hope viewers will watch how the Family by Choice members grow as they heal each other's wounds and overcome their struggles. Please give Family by Choice lots of love, which combines humanism, youth, melodrama, and comedy."

Starting October 9, viewers can catch two episodes of Family by Choice every Wednesday. It will be available globally on OTT platforms such as Viu in Asia, the Middle East, and Africa; U-Next in Japan; and Rakuten Viki in the Americas, Europe, the Middle East, Oceania, and India. 

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