E-Junkies: Family by Choice’s Hwang In-youp doesn’t try to ‘cling on’ to every relationship in his life

New friends come into our lives, and to South Korean actor Hwang In-youp, not all of them are meant to stay.

In his new K-drama Family by Choice, the 33-year-old plays “sad but bright” Kim San-ha, who heals his childhood trauma with a newfound family.

He navigates his childhood and teenage years with Yoon Ju-won (played by Jung Chae-yeon) and Kang Hae-jun (Bae Hyun-sung) but parts with them after graduating high school. A decade later, the trio cross paths.

When it comes to real life, can friends remain close despite not talking for a period of time?

In a recent interview with AsiaOne, In-youp said it may be “a little bit difficult.”

To him, it depends on whether you have a “deep connection” with the person.

“If you don’t, even if you see them a lot of times, if this person is not meant to stay, then this person won’t stay in your life,” he said.

“I don’t think I try to cling on to every possible relationship there is in my life. If this is a good relationship for both parties, I think it would last, and in order for it to last, I think you have to keep contacting the person.”

While 25-year-old Hyun-sung shared the same stance, Chae-yeon, who turns 27 in December, felt differently: “When we were filming, we (the three of them) really got close. We felt like siblings, friends and really good co-workers too.

“After we wrapped shooting, we didn’t see each other for about a month. But when we reunited, I didn’t feel that distance at all.”

When asked about their dynamic in real life, In-youp said they were “truly like a family” on set.

“We would always tease and make fun of each other. Instead of being nervous about going to the set, we were always excited to be there, so it was a big joy for me,” he said.

Hyun-sung added that they were “very comfortable” around each other: “If someone wanted to try out an adlib or a new way of acting, we would be very supportive of one another, so it was a joy for me too.”

Referring to the two as her brothers, Chae-yeon revealed that the three of them would meet up and have fun even on days when they weren’t filming.

Who acts like the oldest sibling and who acts like the maknae (youngest) of the group? Watch our E-Junkies interview to find out!

Family by Choice is streaming on Viu, with new episodes out every Wednesday and Thursday.