[OSEN=Reporter Lee In-hwan] As the hit series Remarried Empress draws massive attention, actress Soo Ae’s advertisement from 7 years ago is once again capturing public interest. Following Shin Min-a, who portrays Navier in the drama, Soo Aeβwho previously left a strong impression as the empress in a short commercialβhas been thrust back into the spotlight.
Recently, the Soo Ae version of the ‘Remarried Empress’ advertisement became a major viral topic online. Released by Naver Series in October 2019, the video features Soo Ae acting out the dialogue of the web novel’s protagonist, Navier. Around the time of the drama’s release, the video was re-shared, drawing nostalgic comments from readers who remembered the original campaign.
In the video, Soo Ae wears a black outfit and delivers Navier’s lines without any elaborate imperial costumes or palace sets, relying solely on her facial expressions and voice to portray the character. In particular, the scene where she calmly accepts a divorce and demands approval for her remarriage shifts the atmosphere entirely through her sharp gaze and firm tone.
Netizens who watched the video praised her delivery, leaving comments such as "Her vocal tone is truly amazing," "Her voice is incredible," and "Just reading along makes the scene come alive." Others shared, "This video made me binge-read the Remarried Empress," showing how the commercial successfully drove them to the original work.
Reactions were divided between the Navier portrayed by Shin Min-a and the one by Soo Ae. While some argued that Soo Ae’s deep, weighty voice matched their mental image of the empress, others expressed that Shin Min-a’s interpretation of Navier suited the role wonderfully.
Soo Ae’s advertisement garnered attention from the moment of its initial release. Part of Naver Series’ ‘Meet Your Life Work’ campaign, the project also featured Kim Yoon-seok, Lee Je-hoon, and Byun Yo-han each acting out characters from different web novels. After Soo Ae’s appearance, the moniker ‘Soo Ae’s web novel’ became closely associated with ‘Remarried Empress’.
Seven years after the advertisement’s debut, Shin Min-a took on the role of Navier in the live-action drama adaptation of ‘Remarried Empress’. The fantasy romance follows the divorce and remarriage of Navier, the empress of the Eastern Empire. When Emperor Sovieshu loses his heart to Rashta and demands a divorce, Navier strikes back by asking for permission to marry Prince Heinrey of the Western Kingdom.
Facing the threat of losing her position as empress, Navier’s choice of a new marriage alters the power dynamics of the imperial court. The story unfolds as the empress chooses a path separate from the emperor who demanded a divorce, alongside the approaching presence of Heinrey. Alongside Shin Min-a, Joo Ji-hoon plays Sovieshu, Lee Jong-suk plays Heinrey, and Lee Se-young portrays Rashta.
The original work recorded approximately 2.97 billion cumulative views and was serviced in 10 languages, including English, Spanish, and Japanese. Following news of its screen adaptation, intense interest surrounded how the imperial court and its characters would be brought to life and who would be cast in the lead roles.
Based on the immensely popular web novel and webtoon of the same name, the Disney+ original series ‘Remarried Empress’ released episodes 1 through 4 on the 4th. New episodes will air two at a time every Wednesday, spanning a total of 10 episodes for viewers.
