Choo Young-woo, Shin Si-a capture fleeting love

Dec 23, 2025, 09:30 am

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A still from Even If This Love Disappears from the World Tonight, starring Choo Young-woo (top) and Shin Si-a. / By4M Studio

A girl who loses her memories every day, and a boy who reaches out to her again and again. Even If This Love Disappears from the World Tonight quietly layers moments of first love that begin anew each morning, led by Choo Young-woo and Shin Si-a.

A press screening for the film was held on Dec. 22 at CGV Yongsan I’Park Mall in Seoul, attended by director Kim Hye-young and the two lead actors.

The movie is based on the best-selling Japanese novel by Misaki Ichijo, which has sold a cumulative 1.3 million copies worldwide. The story was previously adapted into a live-action film in Japan, drawing more than 1.2 million moviegoers. The Korean version preserves the emotional core of the original while reworking characters, settings and sentiments through a distinctly Korean lens of youth.

Director Kim said localization was the most important consideration in adapting the novel. “I kept asking myself what ‘Korean sensibility’ really means,” she said, adding that following emotions and behaviors that feel natural to students would make the story more relatable. Everyday spaces such as schools, study cafes, karaoke rooms and seaside towns were chosen to ground the narrative in familiar teenage life.

The film centers on Seo-yoon (Shin Si-a), who suffers from anterograde amnesia that resets her memory each day, and Jae-won (Choo Young-woo), who fills in her days anew. Their relationship—between someone who cannot remember love and someone who chooses to stay despite knowing that—poses a quiet question: can love survive even when it is forgotten?

Kim said she wanted to portray not only love captured through records, but also Seo-yoon’s struggle to stay awake to protect those memories, and Jae-won’s emotions as he watches her.

For Choo, the film marks his big-screen debut. “Watching my own film in a theater has been a long-held dream,” he said, adding that he felt excited approaching that moment. He singled out a line he particularly remembers—“I’ll do it every day”—spoken as Jae-won ties Seo-yoon’s shoelaces, calling it a line that best defines his character’s resolve to stay by her side.

Shin, who plays Seo-yoon, said she has a special affection for the big screen after debuting in film. “This was my first romance, so I was both excited and nervous,” she said, adding that her co-star’s support helped her immerse herself naturally. She described scenes set in karaoke rooms, arcades and aquariums as “sweet and lovely memories.”

Both actors spoke of the positive influence they had on each other. Choo said Shin gave him strength both in acting and on set, while Shin said she felt secure knowing that any reaction she gave would be received steadily, allowing her to act more freely.

Kim explained that she cast the pair after closely watching their efforts to find their own artistic voices. She praised Choo for his natural rhythm and emotional depth, and Shin for her bright energy paired with the courage to take on emotional challenges.

Filming took place largely in Yeosu, a coastal city chosen to capture the sparkle of first love against a summer backdrop. Kim said she hoped ordinary spaces—greenery, the sea and schools—would feel both familiar and beautiful.

The director closed by saying she was grateful the film would be released at a time filled with warmth and forgiveness, expressing hope that audiences would take a moment to reflect on love that lingers like a sensation in everyday life.

Even If This Love Disappears from the World Tonight opens in theaters on Dec. 24.

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