Love in the Moonlight Cast Reunites a Decade Later

Park Bo Gum, Kim You Jung, Jin Young, Chae Soo Bin, and Kwak Dong Yeon reunited for ELLE Korea’s September issue to commemorate a decade since “Love in the Moonlight” aired in 2016. The five actors gathered in traditional Korean hanbok for a photoshoot at a historical house, marking their first appearance together in years as they reflected on how the drama shaped their careers and their ability to maintain genuine friendship through an industry that often fragments such bonds.

The period drama became a beloved fixture in Korean television for its visual storytelling: flowing hanbok costumes, meticulously rendered landscapes, and a tender portrayal of young people discovering love and themselves. A decade later, the cast dressed in the same traditional garments and returned to a setting evocative of the world they once inhabited together, creating what they described as a bridge between their past selves and their present identities.

Individual Reflections on Character and Growth

Park Bo Gum: Lee Yeong’s Lasting Strength

Park Bo Gum, who headlined the cast as Crown Prince Hyomyeong/Lee Yeong, spoke to how the character has remained embedded in his consciousness over ten years. When recounting what the role meant to him personally, he quoted a line delivered by his co-star: “There’s a line You Jung says in the drama: ‘Who knows if the memory of being loved can become the strength that carries you through your whole life?’ Because so many people loved Lee Yeong, I’ve been able to keep walking forward with that strength.”

This observation reveals how the fictional character’s arc—being cherished by those around him—translated into tangible personal sustenance for the actor. Park Bo Gum reflected on the reunion itself with evident warmth, noting that despite a decade’s passage, the cast appeared unchanged. “Everyone looks exactly the same as when we first met. I’m really happy that we could put on hanbok again and capture who we are today. Even the weather is similar to when we were filming back then. Back then too, whenever we all got together, there was always so much laughter.” His farewell message to the group encapsulated this shared history: “Thanks to you, my youth—and our youth—was able to shine so beautifully. I hope we can all continue to shine brightly, like moonlight.”

Kim You Jung: The Spirited Ra On

Kim You Jung assumed the role of Hong Ra On at just seventeen years old, an age at which most actors are still navigating their first professional experiences. A decade of growth separates that version of herself from the performer who returned for the reunion shoot. When discussing her character, You Jung highlighted the deeper dimensions beneath Ra On’s joyful exterior: “The name ‘Ra On’ itself is a pure Korean word meaning ‘joyful.’ Like her name, she was a character who shared warm affection with the people around her, and the feelings I experienced through Ra On were also a deep, heartfelt warmth.”

The actress traced the transformation she has undergone across ten years of continued work, identifying a shift in her internal resources. “I’ve gained a strength that feels truly my own. I’ve found the courage to face difficult situations more proactively and to willingly keep moving forward.” Rather than offer advice rooted in hindsight alone, You Jung recounted wisdom her mother had imparted: “If you endure, you’ll eventually find yourself where you need to be.” She interpreted this not as passive suffering but as active living—continuing one’s own life and work through both joyful and arduous seasons, without fixating on distant futures or succumbing to impatience.

Chae Soo Bin: Courage and Acceptance

Chae Soo Bin portrayed Jo Ha Yeon, a woman whose character arc pivots on the decision to honor her own emotional truth rather than resign herself to lovelessness. Now, a decade later, Soo Bin draws strength from having embodied that conviction: “Ha Yeon wasn’t someone who stayed stuck simply because she wasn’t loved. I remember her as a bold woman who chose her own life and had the courage to move forward.”

In reflecting on her decade of development as a performer and person, Soo Bin addressed her younger self with unexpected gentleness: “You’re doing well, you’ll continue to do well, and you’re living well. I think I always worked hard without worrying too much, but looking back, I was actually constantly anxious. In the end, none of those things were as big as they seemed, so I just want to tell myself that I’m doing a good job.” This dual acknowledgment—that she had pushed through anxiety without fully recognizing it, yet the feared outcomes never materialized—frames her past suffering as disproportionate to actual harm endured.

Bonds Forged and Maintained

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Jin Young approached the retrospective with introspection about the aspects of himself he most values preserving. His central concern was deceptively simple but profound: “I don’t want to lose my love for people. I simply like people, spending time together, doing things together, and sharing things. I think it would be really sad if one day I stopped enjoying that.”

For an actor whose profession demands repeated emotional exposure and collaboration, this orientation toward genuine human connection seems both foundational and fragile. He acknowledged the rarity of maintaining friendships forged on film sets, recognizing that the five of them had achieved something unconventional: “Let’s stay together for a very, very long time. At first, we met through work, but maintaining a relationship for 10 years by keeping in touch, sharing parts of our lives, and supporting one another isn’t easy. I’m happy that we managed to do it.”

Kwak Dong Yeon’s Military Service Perspective

Kwak Dong Yeon, who has recently enlisted for military service, brought a lighter tone to his reflections while still addressing a formative professional challenge. When asked what he would tell his twenty-year-old self, he replied with directness: “Don’t be scared!” He elaborated that his younger self had approached each role and each scene with maximum intensity, as though it might be his last opportunity. “I think that mindset ended up putting too much pressure on myself. If I had been more confident, I might have been able to show even more sides of myself.”

His military commitment, spanning until early 2028, he addressed with humor directed at his four co-stars: “I’ll be doing my part to protect the country until early 2028, so don’t worry and go after your dreams to your heart’s content.”

ELLE Korea’s Documentation

The photoshoot and accompanying interviews appear in ELLE Korea’s September special edition, where readers will find the full pictorial alongside these extended reflections from all five cast members. The reunion captures not merely a nostalgic moment but a substantive accounting of how a shared professional experience has shaped five individual trajectories across an entire decade.