AO EXCLUSIVE: Meet the star-studded cast members and their roles in “Made in Korea”

A new gripping crime thriller series with a jaw-dropping cinematic scale and packed with intense narrative has landed on Disney+!

Made in Korea is set in the turbulent 1970s and depicts the story of intense tension between Baek Ki Tae, an ambitious man who has a desire for wealth and power, and Jang Gun Young, a dedicated prosecutor who does everything to stop him. They will find themselves involved in an era-defining incident that will forever change their futures.

To dive deeper into the series, an exclusive press conference was held on December 15 with Hyun Bin, Jung Woo Sung, Woo Do Hwan, Seo Eun Soo, Won Ji An, Jung Sung Il, Kang Gil Woo, Roh Jae Won, and Park Yong Woo’s presence alongside Director Woo Min Ho.

The Cast Members and their Roles

Hyun Bin as Baek Ki Tae

Hyun Bin transforms into a man who is consumed with a desire for wealth and power, named Baek Ki Tae. He previously worked with director Woo Min Ho, who helmed the film, Harbin. “He can pull out new sides of myself,” Hyun Bin mentioned, and expressed how honored he is to work with him again.

Hyun Bin shared that he gained 13 kgs to 14 kgs compared to how he weighed in Harbin. He wanted his appearance to reflect power in the series and dominate the scene the moment he appears.

Jung Woo Sung as Jang Gun Young

Jung Woo Sung portrays the role of prosecutor Jang Gun Young, a stalwart prosecutor who stands in Baek Ki Tae’s way. Woo Sung said, when he first read the script for this series, he was amazed and loved the bold imagination of the writer and the director while making it. “As an actor, it really gave me a lot of courage because I could play freely with this character.”

Woo Do Hwan as Baek Ki Hyeon

Woo Do Hwan plays the role of Baek Ki Hyeon, the younger brother of Hyun Bin in the series. He is from a military academy and became an elite military officer. He said the area of his focus playing the role of his role in the series was Ki Hyeon’s love for his family, “I talked a lot with director Woo about how to bring that out from this character. He is a military officer, so I want to make sure that he has this very rigid type of speech.”

According to Do Hwan, one of the reasons why he accepted being part of this project was because of Hyun Bin and Woo Sung. He shared that Woo Sung told him to just enjoy the filming and also mentioned that he also learned something from Hyun Bin since he is the type of person who tries to look for something more, not only from his own character but also from Do Hwan’s character as well.

Seo Eun Soo as Oh Ye Jin

Seo Eun Soo portrays Oh Ye Jin, who is a newbie investigator, and she admires Gun Young’s passion and professionalism and wants to become a prosecutor.

Eun Soo mentioned that director Woo was very detailed and he would give her some advice on how to do her hair, and she would perm her hair for 2 hours, “and that really gave me confidence to become Oh Ye Jin,” she said.

Won Ji An as Choi Yu Ji/Yuji Ikeda

Won Ji An plays Choi Yu Ji/Yuji Ikeda, a powerful person in Yakuza. She is greedy for power and greedy for more, and wants to be the first, according to Ji An’s description.

Ji An shared that she learned so much from director Woo. She felt so blessed to be able to work with her amazing senior actors, and also mentioned that she focused on learning Japanese, which is new for her.

Jung Sung Il as Cheon Seok Joong

The role Cheon Seok Joong is played by Jung Sung Il. He is a beloved chief of security for the president, and he has all the power. He doesn’t trust anyone and only thinks about his own power and keeps his status.

Sung Il shared that the very first scene he acted in was his memorable moment during the shoot.

Kang Gil Woo as Kang Dae Il

Kang Gil Woo portrays Kang Dae Il, who is second in power within the Manjae gang in Busan. He gets intertwined in Ki Tae’s business. “The dynamics between the two are extremely layered and complex,” Gil Woo pointed out.

Gil Woo said, “I have always been a big fan of Director Woo,” and expressed how he loves director Woo’s setting the atmosphere before they shoot.

Roh Jae Won as Pyo Hak Soo

Roh Jae Won plays Pyo Hak Soo, a colleague of Ki Tae in KCIA. Jae Won described his role as the person who always thinks, ‘I am way above you.’

Jae Won shared how their filming locations fascinated him, “It was just the total recreation of the 1970s. It was such an honor for me as an actor to be acting on such a realistic location because it really helps to bring out the characters.”

Park Yong Woo as Hwang Guk Pyeong

Park Yong Woo portrays the role of Hwang Guk Pyeong, the direct boss of Hak Soo and Ki Tae. He is willing to go as far as to join hands with the local gang members for his own gain. “We decided that we will add this detail where he is a character who always wears a wig, and that really helped a lot.”

About the Casting

When asked about the casting of this star-studded cast members director Woo Min Ho said he feels so lucky casting these talented stars, “I am just grateful that this opportunity came along,” he added. He also mentioned that out of all the projects he has done so far, this is the most entertaining one. Director Woo said that he had trust in the cast members that they could effectively deliver the characters’ different desires in the story.

Moreover, he mentioned that they really worked hard on the show, and they had so much on set, so he is sure that the viewers will also enjoy watching it.

Hyun Bin also said that they really poured their hearts and souls into this series alongside Jung Woo Sung, Woo Do Hwan, Seo Eun Soo, Won Ji An, Jung Sung Il, Kang Gil Woo, Roh Jae Won, and Park Yong Woo, so they hope that the viewers will give Made in Korea so much love and support.

Catch Made in Korea now streaming on Disney+. Season 2 will be released in the second half of this year, so let’s look forward to it.

All images are courtesy of Disney+ Philippines