Actress Kim Jiyeon (Cosmic Girls Bona) expressed her respect for Kim Taeri, with whom she worked in 'Twenty-Five Twenty-One'.

Kim Jiyeon conducted an ending interview for SBS's Friday-Saturday drama 'The Haunted Palace' (written by Yoon Soo-jung, directed by Yoon Seong-sik) on the 9th at the Starship Entertainment building in Cheongdam-dong, Gangnam-gu, Seoul.

'The Haunted Palace' is a fantasy romance about a shaman, Yeori (Kim Jiyeon), who refuses her fate as a medium, and a dragon spirit trapped in the body of Yeori's first love, Yoon Gap (Yook Sungjae), as they confront a powerful spirit seeking revenge against the royal family, resulting in a tangled battle for the body and soul. The drama, which premiered on April 18, recorded a peak viewership of 11.0% for its 16th episode and concluded on the 7th.

Kim Jiyeon took on the role of 'Yeori', a shaman who refuses her fate as a medium. Yeori is the only granddaughter of a famous shaman and possesses exceptional abilities but becomes entangled in the life of a dragon spirit who could not ascend. After an incident where her first love, Yoon Gap, becomes possessed by the dragon spirit, she finds herself drawn into unexpected events within a palace swarming with vengeful spirits.

Kim Jiyeon, who debuted in the group Cosmic Girls, solidified her position as an actress through dramas such as 'Oh! My Golden!' 'Twenty-Five Twenty-One', 'Korean Lawyer', and 'Pyramid Game', showcasing her versatile expressions and stable acting skills, proving herself once again through 'The Haunted Palace'. She vividly portrayed the experience of possession and the transformation of her feelings toward Kang Cheol from disgust to love, flawlessly handling the three genres of fantasy, romance, and historical drama.

After completing 'The Haunted Palace', Kim Jiyeon shared her reflections, stating, "It was a time of growth for me. Since it's a complex genre, it felt like I was doing multiple dramas at once. Now that it’s over, I feel encouraged to take on any genre. Even though I haven't had much experience with comedy, I felt a growing desire to do comedy after being inspired by watching 'The Haunted Palace', even if I didn't get to perform many comedic scenes."

Kim Jiyeon noted that the feedback stating, "I have improved a lot in acting" is the best. He said, "I would like viewers to see me as that character rather than 'Bona' or 'Kim Jiyeon' when they watch the work. Even if it is an actor they recognize, I hope to be seen only as the character living in that world. Since 'Twenty-Five Twenty-One', I have developed a strong desire for acting. I like all the works I have appeared in, but the character I have a strong attachment to is Go Yu-rim. Thus, I feel regret about 'Twenty-Five Twenty-One'. If I were told to go back and do it again, I feel like I could do even better. I think that's when my desire to succeed really began to grow," he said.

Next year, Kim Jiyeon’s group Cosmic Girls will also celebrate their 10th debut anniversary. Spending a decade in the entertainment industry, including the training period, Kim Jiyeon stated, "In the past, I was always the youngest on set, but since last year, I have been called 'noona', 'unni', and 'senpai' when I go to the set. It's still a bit awkward that there are many juniors and younger siblings, but I am trying to be a cool senior. I met Shin Seung-ki, who I worked with during 'Pyramid Game', again in 'The Haunted Palace', and seeing those connections feels amazing and adds a lot of responsibility."

Kim Jiyeon referred to Kim Taeri, whom she met through 'Twenty-Five Twenty-One', as a ‘wonderful senior.’ When asked who that wonderful senior was, Kim Jiyeon immediately mentioned Kim Taeri, saying, "The wonderful senior I think of is Kim Taeri unni. I have had the opportunity to learn a lot from great seniors on set, and Kim Taeri unni takes care of people well. Until then, I was busy with my own things, but I realized that the main character should act like that when I saw Kim Taeri unni. I appreciated her care, even though she was surely busy with her own things; that is what makes a good and wonderful senior."

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