“Once We Were Us” is a poignant story of first love and the memories that linger long after it fades. This winter, audiences are invited to follow Eun-ho (Koo Kyo-hwan) and Jeong-won (Mun Ka-young) as they reconnect ten years after their youthful romance, revisiting the laughter, arguments, and tender moments that once made them each other’s entire world.
The film begins with Eun-ho boarding a bus to visit his hometown and Jeong-won taking a break from college to go anywhere, where their chance meeting sparks a quiet connection. As they cheer each other on and become one another’s source of strength, their bond deepens into love. They navigate the highs and lows of young romance, only to be confronted by the harsh realities of life, eventually choosing separate paths. A decade later, fate brings them together again, and Eun-ho asks the question he has carried for years: “What if we…”
Following beloved Korean first-love stories such as “Architecture 101” and “On Your Wedding Day”, “Once We Were Us” delicately depicts how glittering romance in one’s twenties can collide with real-world pressures and fade into cherished memories. Director Kim Do-young explains, “It’s a story about the intense love and messy breakup that everyone experiences at least once. That’s why I believed it could be a universal story that reaches people.”
Koo Kyo-hwan portrays Eun-ho, the steadfast refuge in Jeong-won’s harsh Seoul life. After three attempts at the college entrance exam, Eun-ho moves to the city with a single goal: to earn ten billion won by developing games. “The core of playing Eun-ho was how he genuinely looks at, listens to, and responds toJeong-won,” Koo Kyo-hwan shares. Mun Ka-young plays Jeong-won, the dream Eun-ho holds onto when reality wears him down. Living in a tiny, dimly lit room, she quietly longs to own a home in Seoul and pursue her buried ambition to become an architect. Mun Ka-young reflects, “I loved portrayingJeong-won through the passage of years. I believe Once We Were Us will remain a truly monumental film in my career.”
Koo Kyo-hwan describes the film as “not a two-hour, but a two-week movie that stays with you,” while Mun Ka-young hopes audiences can “revisit their past through the film.”
Catch “Once We Were Us” in Singapore from 22 January 2026 and relive a love story that is at once personal, universal, and unforgettable.
