Is she a killer, or is she being framed? That’s the question at the heart of “Siren’s Kiss,” Studio Dragon’s new romance thriller landing on Prime Video on March 2.
Directed by Kim Cheol-gyu, whose previous credits include “Celebrity” and “Flower of Evil,” the series centers on three interlocking characters: Han Seol-ah, a captivating art auctioneer suspected of being a serial killer; Cha Woo-seok, an insurance investigator drawn into her orbit despite his suspicions; and Baek Jun-beom, a conglomerate heir surrounded by secrets. The cast is led by Park Min-young (“Marry My Husband,” “What’s Wrong with Secretary Kim”), Wi Ha-jun (“Squid Game”) and Kim Jung-hyun (“Crash Landing on You,” “Mr. Queen”).
For Kim, the project represented an opportunity to push his creative instincts to their limit. “From the opening of the first episode to the closing of the final one, tension never lets up,” he says, describing the series as one filled with “fresh concepts, unpredictable storytelling, and striking visual composition.” He adds that the genre “allows and demands a director to fully express their creative vision, imagination, and personal style,” calling the chance to helm the project “a tremendous stroke of luck.”
Park, taking on a markedly different role from her previous work, describes Han Seol-ah as “a woman who has confined herself within ice.” To capture the character’s duality – a polished professional exterior masking profound inner darkness – the actress made deliberate physical and psychological adjustments during production. She drank nearly three liters of water daily and, reflecting the character’s emotional desolation, avoided anything more sustaining. “Han Seol-ah is a woman who has emotionally stopped nourishing herself,” Park explains. “Surrounded by repeated tragedy, she survives on water and alcohol alone.” She also employed the lowest vocal register she could produce, adding a slight breathiness to her delivery – a departure she describes as unlike anything she has attempted before.
On the styling front, Park drew on research into real-world auctioneers to develop a look that tracked Seol-ah’s shifting emotional states. Strong colors and bold materials defined the character’s public-facing persona, while neutral tones and slim silhouettes appeared in her more private moments. “Compared to the office looks I’ve shown before, I wanted to convey a more avant-garde sensibility,” she says.
Wi Ha-jun, who says he read the entire script in one sitting – something he describes as unusual for him – was drawn to both the series’ tension and its undertow of warmth. “Although the series is dense and filled with tension, it also carries warmth and a sense of human compassion,” he says, suggesting the show could offer viewers “a sense of healing simply through watching.” His approach to the character’s action sequences was equally considered; rather than prioritizing technique, he focused on what each movement could reveal emotionally. “I wanted each movement to reveal his emotional state, his mindset, and his relationship with the person he is facing,” he says.
Kim Jung-hyun, meanwhile, gravitated toward the instability at Baek Jun-beom’s core. “His demeanor shifts dramatically depending on the situation. At times he treats people as objects; at others, he shows an almost excessive warmth,” the actor says. He distills the character’s relationship to Han Seol-ah in a single image: “If Han Seol-ah is the sun, Baek Jun-beom is Icarus.”
The three-way dynamic between the characters, Park suggests, defies easy categorization. “Their relationship does not begin with warmth or affection. It starts from emotions closer to resentment,” she says. “They dislike each other, yet cannot help but want to see one another again.” Wi Ha-jun describes the trio’s connection as existing on “a precarious boundary between suspicion, love, and obsession.” Kim Jung-hyun likens it to a chain – one that, handled carelessly, might snap or tangle, but handled with care, might yet be unraveled.
The series makes extensive use of an art auction house setting, and Kim Cheol-gyu says the visual possibilities that environment presented were central to the production’s identity. “A remarkable number of artworks appear throughout the series – perhaps more than in any drama to date,” he notes, adding that these works “interact organically with the characters’ psychology, costumes, and emotional states.” Park notes that the production employed a camera lens previously unused in Korean drama, which she believes contributed to a look she would describe with a single phrase: “dangerously beautiful.”
A particular sequence in Episode 5, in which all three characters collide for the first time, stood out to both the director and cast as a production highlight. “Watching the final edit with the music layered in, I remember thinking, ‘Did I really direct this?’” Kim Cheol-gyu says. On the score more broadly, he notes that the creative team pushed for music “entirely unique to this series,” and expresses confidence the soundtrack will draw significant attention upon release.
“Siren’s Kiss” is a Studio Dragon production. The company, a subsidiary of CJ ENM, is behind such titles as “Crash Landing on You,” “The Glory,” “Queen of Tears” and “Marry My Husband,” among others.
