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Promoting her latest film Virus, Bae Doona met with reporters recently at a café in Samcheong-dong, central Seoul, where she joked, “I was impressed with how fresh I looked in the film. Don’t you think so too?” Her playful remark drew laughter but was grounded in fact.

The film was shot in October 2019, just as Bae—born in October 1979—was transitioning from her late 30s into her 40s. A romantic comedy with a unique twist, Virus centers on the outbreak of a fictional disease that causes people to fall instantly in love upon infection, but with a fatality rate of 100%. Ironically, the film’s completion coincided with the early spread of COVID-19, which caused its release to be delayed for over six years until it finally hit theaters on April 7.

“Though it took a long time to release, I didn’t stress over it—I basically forgot about it,” Bae said. “Once filming ends, aside from promotional work, there’s nothing more I can do as an actor. So I’ve developed the habit of not getting emotionally swayed by delays. Still, I was quietly relieved when people said the film doesn’t feel outdated. Watching myself in a hazmat suit, I even thought, ‘Maybe it would’ve resonated more if it had been released during the pandemic.’”

In the film, Bae plays ‘Taek-seon,’ a cynical translator who has long turned her back on romance. After being infected by a virus transmitted through a blind date with ‘Soo-pil’ (played by Son Suk-ku), she embarks on an unexpected journey with ‘Lee Gyun’ (Kim Yoon-seok), a researcher seeking a cure. Though she starts off emotionally detached, her character gradually evolves into someone quirky and irresistibly charming.

“I was immediately drawn to the uniqueness of every character in the script, including Taek-seon,” Bae said. “In the movie, falling in love is a symptom of infection, but even in real life, love isn’t something you can control. My personal view of love is reflected in the way Taek-seon is portrayed.”

Another major reason she joined the film was the opportunity to work with Kim Yoon-seok, whose entire filmography she had followed as a fan. “Working with him was every bit as thrilling and fulfilling as I hoped,” she said. She was deeply moved by his generosity and attentiveness on set, and particularly impressed when he suggested casting singer Jang Ki-ha as Taek-seon’s old classmate and car salesman ‘Yeon-woo.’ “It showed how deeply he considered the film as a whole,” she added.