Nam Ji-hyun & Moon Sang-min: 'Youthful Romance' Chemistry Pops in Photoshoot

Nam Ji-hyun and Moon Sang-min, who are opening the year with KBS's first drama of 2026, <Dear Thief>, have become the talk of the town by gracing the cover of the January issue of <Singles> magazine.

The magazine <Singles> commented, "The photo shoot with the two actors felt like watching a romantic movie," adding, "Their chemistry was so special that even the staff felt butterflies just from the way they looked at each other."

This January issue is expected to draw hot attention from fans as it includes a deep interview covering the process of understanding each other for their soul-swapping roles, behind-the-scenes from the set, and their resolutions for 2026.

When asked about the drama's key points, Moon Sang-min revealed his characteristic honesty, saying, "First and foremost, I'm extremely confident in the visual harmony between Nam Ji-hyun and myself."

Nam Ji-hyun also shared, "As our souls switch and our perspectives genuinely change, it was moving to deeply understand each other with thoughts like, 'So this is why this person acted this way,'" hinting at the unique emotional lines in the drama.

<Dear Thief> is a fantasy romance historical drama about Yi Yeol (Moon Sang-min), an officer hiding his royal status, and Hong Eun-jo (Nam Ji-hyun), who lives as a medical woman by day and a thief by night, switching souls.

Due to the soul-swapping setup, the two actors conducted numerous readings before filming to share each other's habits, voice tones, and emotional nuances. Moon Sang-min expressed amazement at their perfect synchronization, saying, "From the first line, it felt like my sister was me. 'Is this me?! What’s going on, why does she seem so majestic now?'" Nam Ji-hyun emphasized the importance of observing and understanding each other, noting, "The director said, 'When Sang-min acts as Eun-jo, his eyes become round, and when Ji-hyun acts as Yeol, her eyes become sharp.'"

Details on how they studied and analyzed each other, and the efforts they made for their soul-swapping roles, can be found in the interview pages of the <Singles> January issue.

Moon Sang-min shared his thoughts, saying, "After <Shuroop>, I wanted to do a fluffy romance historical drama, and it was so enjoyable that I felt like historical dramas suit me," adding, "I hope it marks a happy start as KBS's first drama of 2026. We've put our best into it, so I hope it receives a lot of love."

Nam Ji-hyun conveyed, "I hope viewers feel a lot of warmth. I believe the special emotions we experienced while creating the project will also be felt by the audience."

The romantic photo shoot and candid interviews with Nam Ji-hyun and Moon Sang-min can be sequentially viewed on the official website of <Singles> January issue. The interview, filled with vivid behind-the-scenes stories and honest conversations about each other, is expected to be a special gift for fans eagerly awaiting the drama. Meanwhile, KBS's new weekend mini-series <Dear Thief> premieres on January 3.