Squid Game (2021 to 2025) actor Lee Jung-jae’s romcom Nice To Not Meet You, in which he stars opposite actress Lim Ji-yeon (The Glory, 2022), is sparking debate in South Korea over the actors’ 17-year age gap.
Nice To Not Meet You is a 16-part series slated to premiere on Nov 3 on South Korean cable channel tvN as well as Prime Video. It pairs Lee, who plays an A-list celebrity, with Lim, playing entertainment reporter Wi Jung-shin. The two find themselves romantically entangled after their paths cross.
After tvN Drama uploaded the official teaser for the show on YouTube, most of the top comments have focused on the 17-year age gap between the lead actors Lee, 52, and Lim, 35.
Viewers said their on-screen chemistry as romantic partners is unrealistic and unsettling, likening it to an uncle-and-niece or father-and-daughter dynamic. Others suggest the series risks alienating the core romcom demographic – young women – as it portrays a romance between characters in their 50s and 30s.
Unlike dramas where the age difference plays an essential narrative role, Nice To Not Meet You appears to centre largely on the couple’s relationship without acknowledging the age gap, worsening the problem, say commenters.
South Korean pop culture critics caution against hasty condemnation.
Critic Jung Duk-hyun says: “I’m not convinced the actual age gap is the key issue. What truly matters is how the relationship is depicted in the story, and since the drama hasn’t aired yet, it’s too early to make any judgments.”
Citing South Korean network JTBC’s hit series Secret Love Affair (2014), which paired Kim Hee-ae, 58, and Yoo Ah-in, 39, Jung noted that significant age gaps have been used effectively in some K-dramas.
In Secret Love Affair, he said, the age disparity was integral to the storyline, with Kim’s older character rediscovering youthful innocence through Yoo’s much younger pianist.
The decision to cast Lee and Lim in Nice To Not Meet You may reflect the industry practice of pairing actors from the same agency, which can simplify cross-promotional efforts and scheduling logistics.
Lee and Lim are both represented by Artist Company, where Lee is a co-founder and one of the largest shareholders. – The Korea Herald/Asia News Network
