The Cast of “Coffee Prince” Reunite After Years Apart!

By Jae-Ha Kim
Kocowa.com
September 22, 2020

If the “Coffee Prince” was a person, it would be turning 13 years old this year. But rather than expecting a present from fans, the cast of this classic K-drama are giving their followers a fun gift.

The two-part documentary, “My Dear Youth — Coffee Prince,” will air on MBC in South Korea on September 24 and October 1. But fans in North and South America may watch it right here on KOCOWA. Professional English subtitles will be provided within 20 hours of its Korean premiere.  (Portuguese translation will take a little bit longer.)

The previews indicate that the reunion will be loving and also moving, as the central cast members reminisce about the series and where their lives have taken them. Kind of like a high school reunion, except all the attendees are exceptionally good looking and talented!

Speaking of which, this was Gong Yoo‘s big-time breakthrough role. After making his acting debut in 2004’s “School 4,” he hasn’t stopped working. Even after taking a mandatory break to serve in the South Korean military from January 2008 to December 2009, he came back strong with the feature film “Finding Mr. Destiny.” His next films (“Train to Busan,” “Kim Ji-Young, Born in ’82” and “Silenced”) would cement his position as one of Korea’s most popular actors.

GONG YOO: “Coffee Prince,” “Because I Want to Talk,” “Big,” “Guardian: The Lonely and Great God”

“COFFEE PRINCE” ROLE: Gong portrayed Choi Han-Kyul, the spoiled grandson of a chaebol, who wants him to take over her conglomeration one day. She gives him a failing coffee shop to run, convinced that he would fail. He turns it into a hot spot with his concept of only hiring handsome servers (“princes”) to attract more female customers.

Of course Gong wasn’t the only one to benefit from this series. “Coffee Prince” has produced many other talented stars. Here’s a brief look at some of their work:

YOON EUN-HYE: “Princess Hours,” “Marry Him If You Dare,” “Lie to Me,” “My Fair Lady”

“COFFEE PRINCE” ROLE: Go Eun-Chan, a young woman who is responsible for taking care of her mother and younger sister. She is a hard worker who teaches taekwondo and tackles as many part-time jobs as she can to keep her family afloat. When Han-Kyul mistakes her for a young man, he concocts a scheme: He will hire Eun-Chan to play his “boyfriend,” which he hopes will stop his grandmother from nagging him to get married.

LEE SUN-KYUN: “Parasite,” “Behind the White Tower Remastered,” “Miss Korea,” “Golden Time,” “Pasta,” “Triple”

“COFFEE PRINCE” ROLE: Choi Han-Sung is Han-Kyul’s music producer cousin. Unlike his playboy cousin, he notices right away that the tomboyish Eun-Chan is female. Though he has a long-term girlfriend, he develops a crush on Eun-Chan. He is the only cast member who has starred in an Academy Award-winning film (“Parasite“).

KIM JAE-WOOK: “Bad Boy,” “Love Temperature,” “Her Private Life”

“COFFEE PRINCE” ROLE: No Sun-Ki, a ridiculously good looking street cart waffle maker. Han-Kyul recruits him to work at the Coffee Prince, because he knows that Sun-Ki will bring his loyal female clientele wherever he goes. Mirroring Kim’s own upbringing, Sun-Ki speaks fluent Japanese as well as Korean. Note to fans who loved Sun-Ki’s ponytails and man buns…he wears his hair pulled back in at least part of these documentaries!

CHAE JUNG-AN: “Entertainer,” “The Gang Doctor,” “Repentance,” “Prime Minister and I,” “When a Man Falls in Love,” “Queen of Reversal,” “Cain and Abel”

“COFFEE PRINCE” ROLE: Han Yoo-Joo was Han-Kyul’s first love, before entering into a relationship with his cousin, Han-Sung … before leaving him for another man and moving to New York City. When she returns to Seoul, she makes it clear she wants Han-Sung back. She also can see what he cannot: that he is falling in love with Eun-Chan.

KIM DONG-WOOK: “Special Labor Inspector, Mr. Jo,” “Find Me in Your Memory,” “The Concubine”

“COFFEE PRINCE” ROLE: Jin Ha-Rim is the cafe’s maknae who loves women and is protective of Eun-Chan. His role is to be fun loving and adorable. And Kim carries that off with aplomb!

In Memoriam:

Lee Eon portrayed Hwang Min-Yeop, a dim-witted waiter who was besotted with Eun-Chan’s spoiled sister. A former wrestler and model, Lee’s career was on a roll when he was involved in a fatal motorcycle accident on August 21, 2008. He was just 27. Gong Yoo received permission to take a day off from his military service to attend Lee’s funeral. He carried his former co-star’s memorial photo to the grave site. Lee Eon is gone, but has not been forgotten.