Actor You Need to Know: Chae Soo-bin

Chae Soo-bin’s is a story of serendipity. Her career in acting began with the 2014 film My Dictator after a casting director discovered her on the streets. She was still a teenager at the time. Now 28 years old, Chae has conclusively demonstrated her knack for delivering vivacious performances, exuding a natural sweetness that complements her personality and aesthetic impact. It’s something I noticed while watching her in the classic sci-fi romance K-drama I’m Not a Robot (December 2017–January 2018). She played Jo Ji-ah, a brilliant businesswoman and scientist, as well as Aji 3, the most advanced humanoid robot ever made. By seamlessly reflecting both individuals’ emotions, she beautifully alienated the subtleties of their characteristics.

Chae is a tour de force who has built her name over the course of her eight-year career. Following an appearance in the 2015 drama House of Bluebird, she was cast in the teen love story drama Cheer Up! Set at an elite school in Seoul, it chronicles the lives of five kids battling its harsh environment where academic snobbery reigns supreme. Chae portrayed Kwon Soo-ah in the youth series, a depressed student who turns to exploiting others to live up to her mother’s lofty aspirations. For her part, she took home the Best New Actress awards at both the 4th APAN Star Awards and the 29th KBS Drama Awards.

Chae is a fantastic character actor who is also noteworthy in cameo roles, imprinting each production with her unique style. She rose to fame, for instance, thanks to her role in the well-liked historical rom-com Love in the Moonlight (2016). She was recognized as Jo Ha-yeon, a woman ahead of her time. I liked the character’s conceit, her perceptiveness, and her candor. Chae surpassed the requirements of the role by showcasing her talent in the stint and was nominated for an Excellence Award at the 30th KBS Drama Awards. That same year, she appeared in both the play Blackbird and the Chinese-South Korean web drama My Catman.

In the period television series, The Rebel (2017), which follows Hong Gil-dong (Yoon Kyun-sang), Joseon’s first revolutionary activist, she took on her maiden leading role. Chae played Song Ga-ryung, Gil-dong’s love interest and eventual wife. Her fame increased as a result of The Rebel, despite its limited success. Chae’s successive dramas, I’m Not a Robot and Strongest Deliveryman (2017), led to her mass popularity, as did Where Stars Land (2018). She co-starred in the airport-themed drama with Lee Je-hoon and went on to win the Excellence Award at the SBS Drama Awards, offering her a better shot at stardom.

The actress’s cogent expressive power also makes her a superb romantic lead, as seen in her portrayals alongside Jung Hae-in in A Piece of Your Mind (2020), Jang Ki-yong in Sweet & Sour (2020), Kang Daniel in Rookie Cops (2022), and Choi Min-ho (SHINee) in the most recent The Fabulous (2022). In each of these works, the actress encapsulated a vivid sensitivity that emphasized the essence of the romantic scenes with her co-stars. Perhaps Chae Soo-bin successfully captures the traits of a young, alluring woman who can captivate a man by merely looking into his eyes – or just by passing a smile.