Kim You-jung transforms into ruthless Baek Ah-jin in Tving series Dear X

Kim You-jung delivers a stark transformation as Baek Ah-jin in Tving’s new 12-episode drama Dear X, portraying a beautiful yet ruthless woman who hides her intentions behind an unreadable mask. Adapted from a popular webtoon, the series has driven strong viewer engagement and ranked No. 1 in new subscriber contribution for three consecutive weeks. Kim says the role challenged her to suppress visible emotion and refine a chilling stare, and she reports surprising audience sympathy for the morally ambiguous character. Dear X concludes its run with a final episode on Dec. 4, and Kim frames the project as a pivotal step in her ongoing career evolution.
Key Points
- 1Performance and craft: Kim You-jung adapted a webtoon antihero by minimizing visible expression and cultivating a cold, tension-inducing gaze to capture Baek Ah-jin’s unreadable psychology.
- 2Business implication: Dear X has been the top driver of new subscribers to Tving for three straight weeks, signaling strong conversion and retention potential for serialized webtoon adaptations.
- 3Future impact: The role marks a notable adult-lead milestone in Kim’s 22-year career and could broaden her casting range while reinforcing the commercial viability of webtoon-to-streaming IP.
Sources
Public references used for this report.
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