Moon Geun-young called herself "that proactive woman" — PD reveals her candid on-set moments on 'Our Ballad 2'

Moon Geun-young's marriage news hit the set mid-filming

Moon Geun-young's marriage announcement broke while Our Ballad 2 was still filming. The production team learned about it the same way the rest of the world did. Director Ahn Jeong-hyeon, speaking at a studio in Sangam-dong, Seoul on September 17, explained that she called ahead to warn them an article was about to go live.

"We didn't know in advance. They contacted us saying an article was about to come out, so we congratulated them on set, and the other 'Top Baek-gwi' members also congratulated them, and the atmosphere was very good."

Ahn saw it as a positive sign. The good energy she brought felt like it would carry the program forward.

Why casting Moon Geun-young wasn't a simple call

Bringing her on required real deliberation. Ahn said the team spent considerable time weighing the decision during casting. Moon entered the industry young, became a star overnight under nationwide attention, and had since worked through personal health struggles before returning to active work. That history, Ahn believed, gave her something most major stars don't have: the ability to understand children's hearts.

He was right. On set, she exceeded expectations. She engaged with both the surface emotions and the deeper feelings of participants, speaking from her own perspective throughout. Listening to one participant's song, she broke down crying and told them, "At this young age, do you know such deep loneliness? Hearing your song, I really want to hug you."

"The moment I heard the voice, the taste was ruined"

The crew got another surprise from her directness. When one participant performed, Moon didn't hold back: "Ah, the moment I heard the voice, the taste was ruined." No one expected her to speak that bluntly. She has a clear preference for voices with something distinctive about them. Her own approach on the show was simple: "I'm that proactive woman."

Our Ballad 2 is SBS's second season of its large-scale youth audition project. Participants this season average 17.9 years old. The show premieres October 5 at 10 PM on SBS. Ahn has previously directed Where Is My Friend's Home, Sugar Man, My Ugly Duckling, Baek Jong-won's Alley Restaurant, Stage K, Little Forest, and the first season of Our Ballad.