Kim Seon Ho Says His Character in "Can This Love Be Translated?" Is Unlike Him in Real Life
"I couldn’t quite understand some of Ho-jin’s dialogue because it felt hurtful to me."
by Em Enriquez
Published on Jan 28, 2026
In Can This Love Be Translated?, Kim Seon Ho plays Ju Ho-jin, a polyglot who's tapped to interpret for an actress taking part in a cross-national dating show. The last time the actor starred in a romantic title was for 2021's Hometown Cha-Cha-Cha, where he further solidified his image as a leading man.
In a recent interview, Seon Ho talked about his comeback to the rom-com genre, detailing how his new character Ho-jin is different from how he actually is in real life.
Kim Seon Ho on How He Played Ju Ho-jin in "Can This Love Be Translated?"
At the beginning of the series, Ho-jin possesses a stoic demeanor that offsets Cha Mu-hee's (Go Youn Jung) cheerful attitude. Seon Ho insists that it was harder to portray an "effortless" character, given that every move he makes has to imply meaning. "I wanted to stay very composed and express my emotions with as few physical reactions as possible," he said.
"Things such as the direction of [Ho-jin's] gaze, the movement of his eyebrows, or even a single hand gesture can carry much more weight when [the rest of the body] is still," Seon Ho adds. In instances when Ho-jin had little to no dialogue, he had to let his body language do all of the talking. He says, "Even if a movement didn’t really stand out, I put much thought and intention into it, just like I do with dialogue."
Seon Ho expresses that he and Ho-jin have different ways of relating with people, illustrating the dissonance through their Myers-Briggs types. He says that the character relies more on thinking than feeling. "[I feel more,] so I couldn’t quite understand some of Ho-jin’s dialogue because it felt hurtful to me," he stated.
He leaned on his co-star, Youn Jung, for scenes that felt too hard to pull off. The actress' inate skill in improvisation helped in bringing the stories of their characters to fruition. "[Youn Jung] is such a naturally lovable person. Mu-hee became even more charming," he shared. "Everyone, even the director, said [things like,] 'Wow, she’s so lovable,' and 'There’s no way Ho-jin wouldn’t go with her.'"
Can This Love Be Translated? utilizes Seon Ho's natural candor and "good boy" image, which have become recognizable traits of his. Some might think that these associations limit his capabilities as an actor. However, he underscores that each role, no matter how similar they are, demands different things from his repertoire.
"I remember having that kind of hunger [for shedding that image] in the past, but I think it’s eased a bit now," he expressed. "Even though I already possess a certain image, I'm starting to feel more certain that I can show something very different through different characters."
Can This Love Be Translated is now streaming on Netflix.
Em is queer and probably daydreaming somewhere. They're Preview's associate entertainment editor who's often spotted in cowboy boots and lemon-tinted sunnies.