What's Up With The Noona-Dongsaeng Casting?

The recent rumors of a relationship between actress Choi Kang Hee and actor Joo Won prompted some thinking about the noona-dongsaeng (older sister-little brother) pairing of actresses and actors. There are a few kdramas, such as "Flower Boy Ramen Shop, " "Still Marry Me," "My Lovely Kim Sam Soon," and "I Do, I Do," that focus on romantic relationships between older women and younger men. But there are also cases where younger actors and older actresses are paired up romantically and are supposed to be the same age.

Quite a few. Think Han Ga In and Kim Soo Hyun in "The Moon Embracing The Sun." She is 31. He is 25. And how about Park Yoo Chun and Han Ji Min in "Rooftop Prince?"  She was 30. He was 26.

The age difference does not usually cause any problems on set.

"When I saw Han Ji Min noona for the first time, I thought how can she be 30 years old," said Park. "She looks great."

She was intimidated.

"When I learned the actor was going to be younger than me, I got agitated," said Han. "But as they are not a noona-dongsaeng couple in the drama, I did not notice the age difference while acting."

Lee Min Ho, 26, has played with a noona actress more than once. Kim Hee Sun was 36 when she played his love interest in "Faith."

When asked if it was easy to summon up on-screen chemistry with his older co-star, he said, "Kim Hee Sun's personality makes you want to protect her. That's why I can't really feel the age difference."

Son Ye Jin, his co-star in "Personal Taste" was five years older and worried about the age difference.

"I worried that I might look like his older sister in the drama, but I was relieved that Min Ho doesn't look young," she said.

In the recent drama, "Level 7 Civil Servant,' Choi Kang Hee was a decade older than her romantic partner Joo Won, but the age difference did not mean anything to him.

"It's amazing how quickly I forgot the 10-year-age gap," said Joo.

The appeal of the noona-dongsaeng relationship in a romantic drama is the potential conflict. Families may not approve of the age difference and it makes for good "it's us against the world" drama.

But the casting of older actresses and younger actors is puzzling. It's something that's almost unheard of in Hollywood. Is the casting choice designed to provoke comment or does it reflect a trend?

Dating older women is something that is becoming more acceptable in Korea. According to a recent poll, 15 percent of Korean brides are older than their husbands, although generally only a few years difference is considered advisable. 

Some people blame singer and actor Lee Seung Gi and his song "Because You're My Woman." The lyrics say, "You think I'm adorable, but noona you are a woman to me. You say 'what do you know?' 'You'll understand when you're older.' You say that I'm acting rashly, but noona you're a woman to me."

Interesting. When Lee Seung Gi romanced Ha Ji Won in 'King 2 Hearts," she was eight years older.