Actress Kim Ji-won, of recently ended KBS drama "Fight for My Way," poses prior to an interview with The Korea Times, at a cafe, in southern Seoul, Thursday. / Courtesy of Starship Entertainment

By Park Jin-hai

Actress Kim Ji-won, previously known for her pinup girl image in TV commercials, being nicknamed "OranC girl" and "Lollipop girl," has had two consecutive home runs in her recent acting roles.

In the megahit drama "Descendants of the Sun" (2016), Kim played army officer Yoon Myung-joo and drew much attention for her important supporting role. This year she proved again that she is leading role material with the recently finished KBS romantic comedy "Fight for My Way."

"After the much loved drama Descendants of the Sun, I had some worries. I felt pressure that my next project should be as good as my last one," said Kim during an interview with The Korea Times, at a cafe in Seoul, Thursday.

She said that the 2016 drama is one that she owes much to, although her latest project forced her to make a fresh start as an actress. "Many viewers say that they got to know me through Descendants of the Sun, so I'm very grateful for the drama. With Fight for My Way, I felt like I was making a new start. As the leading actress, I felt pressure, but I kept telling myself that lead actors are just the ones who shoot more scenes."

In "Fight for My Way," co-starring actor Park Seo-joon, Kim plays the role of Choi Ae-ra, who dreams of becoming a newscaster but lands a job as a department store information desk clerk due to her meager background.

Faced with a job interviewer who says "One's passion should be proved by their background," Choi retorts, "When others went abroad to study and do volunteer jobs, I had to stay and earn a living."

With great enthusiasm she goes after her dream. With a down-to-earth plot and the natural acting of its stars, crisscrossing between friendship and love, the 16-part drama's last episode closed with an impressive 13.8 percent rating.

"I myself have gone to many auditions only to fail many times. So I could share Choi's feelings for her repeated challenges and failures," she said. "When I fully accept my roles, it is only after the first two to four episodes are completed. So I tend to accept roles, after considering how attractive that character can be developed. Choi has been such a character _ very much straight-forward and honest. I like her lines, ‘the place where I stand here and now is the most important.'"

Regarding her acting, she gave herself 50 points out of a perfect 100. "I always give 50 to myself for having worked out and successfully finished a long project, but thinking that the remaining 50 points should be filled with my next project," said the actress.

Starting this month, she is preparing to film the third sequel of "Detective K," where she will challenge her first historical drama. "Of course, I'm worried about my new role, but at the moment, my excitement overwhelms my worries," Kim said.

"For me, every project is no less important than the others. I wish to become an actress whose actress label doesn't sound unnatural to anyone. I want to do my best at every moment so that each project in which I appear could be called a once-in-a-lifetime project," she said.