Korean Stars Lee Eunsaem And Yeri Are Hungry For Chilli Crab, Kaya Toast and Pandan Cake

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You wouldn’t find much laughter and light-hearted teasing in Cheongdam International High School.

The Korean drama, tagged as a “homicide mystery” is tense but binge-worthy, and full of sneers and snubs. And of course, leading ladies Lee Eunsaem (who plays Kim Hyein) and Red Velvet’s Yeri, also known as Kim Yerim (who plays Baek Jenna) are at the forefront as bitter enemies and rivals.

But that’s all on screen.

Off-screen, the two stars are practically best buds. And their friendship was on full display when they met the media at the press conference for Cheongdam International High School last week.

Eunsaem and Yeri, who both turn 24 this year, are full of giggles and quiet ribbing. Yeri bursts into laughter from the sidelines after Eunsaem gets a little shy during the photo call, and Eunsaem tells us during our group interview that Yeri, whom she describes as “small and cute”, is a friend she always wants to hang out with.

Both stars are no stranger to Singapore and they last visited in April this year.

Eunsaem shares that she was here on vacation, while Yeri was in town as part of K-pop girl group Red Velvet's fourth concert in Singapore.

It comes as no surprise they know what they want to do — and eat — here.

Shopping’s on top of the list.

Though they were separated for the group interviews after the press conference, the stars were of one mind when it comes to things they want to do in Singapore, with Yeri wanting to visit a “famous shopping mall”, and Eunsaem echoing Yeri’s words in a subsequent interview.

Then came the food, and of course, the usual suspects were named — chilli crab, kaya toast and pandan chiffon cake. 

“I did my research, I really want to try some delicious kaya toast,” Yeri chirps in English during the press conference. 

She would later go on to tell 8days.sg during a group interview: “When I came here for my concert tour, we didn't have any free time, so we weren't able to do much or try a lot of local food. Therefore, this time round, I really want to take the time to try as much food as I can, and sightsee too.”

So, what exactly is Yeri looking forward to trying? She goes on to muse in English: “I really like chilli crab, but this time round, I haven't had it yet. I’m gonna eat chilli crab today…” before trailing off to ask her entourage in Korean: “What’s that chiffon cake we ate earlier?”.

She then turns back to us, adding in English that it’s the “round green cake”.

“I really liked that,” she beams.

And yes, they definitely got to satisfy all of their local food cravings during their short three-day stay here.

Mid-interview, a staff member comes into the room, with dapow Ya Kun in his hands. “Kaya toast,” he declares, setting it down in front of Yeri. 

Later, when we’re speaking to Eunsaem, a different staff member interjects when the actress brings up chilli crab, revealing that they’ve booked a restaurant for the stars to enjoy the local dish later tonight.

Talk about hospitality.

But of course they deserve a treat, after putting in hours of hard work playing characters that both actresses describe as complex and challenging.

Yeri shares that she was so intrigued by her character — wealthy queen bee student Baek Jenna — that she read the entire script in one sitting when she first received it.

“I thought it was really exciting, and I really wanted to try this role,” she says, adding that her biggest challenge was getting “in-tune” with Jenna.

“This is my first time playing an evil role, and Baek Jenna is a character who is very princess-like, and her tone and way of speech is completely different from how I usually speak and behave,” she says.

Thankfully, her hard work has paid off.

“My [Red Velvet] member Wendy said that this character suits me well and she encouraged me a lot. She has watched all of the dramas that I’ve been in and this has been a great source of strength for me,” Yeri chirps, when asked if any of her friends or Red Velvet members have watched the drama.

Similarly, Eunsaem, who played the tough and wise-cracking Park Mijin in the 2022 Netflix K-drama All Of Us Are Dead, shared that her role in Cheongdam International High School is “totally different” from her.

“When I first read the script, I wondered a lot about Hyein’s illogical and irrational actions. I couldn’t understand why she would act that way, and I think the audience would think the same. But I had to remind myself that this is her logic, and I hope I was able to show that to the audience,” she says, adding that Hyein’s a character that harbours “a lot of anger”.

“My character only smiles for the first time towards the end of the drama. It’s been a while since I’ve played a role where I’ve had to hide my emotions, and it was hard to do so initially, especially since I’m close to Yeri, and we laugh a lot whenever we meet. But I think I did a good job holding in [the laughter],” Eunsaem adds.

There will be a repeat telecast of the last two episodes of Cheongdam International High School on July 1 (Sat) at 9:15pm, and also on July 3 (Mon) at 8:55pm on tvN Asia (Singtel TV CH 518, StarHub TV CH 824).

Photos: Kelvin Chia, Lee Eunsaem/Instagram, Yeri/Instagram