AO EXCLUSIVE: “A Shop for Killers 2” is back for another dopamine-packed action sequence with new characters!

After 2 years of waiting, A Shop for Killers is now back for its second season!

Named one of The New York Times “Best International Shows,” A Shop for Killers is a novel-based drama that depicts the story of a college student named Jeong Ji An who lives with her uncle, Jeong Jin Man, who runs a mysterious shopping mall after her parents’ passing. After the sudden death of his uncle, she faces truths about her uncle’s identity and the mystery behind the shopping mall. In Season 1, we saw a thrilling and intense journey of Ji An’s survival from the assassins, which ended with a cliffhanger.

To delve deeper into the drama, an exclusive press conference was held on July 20, featuring the powerhouse cast of Lee Dong Wook, Kim Hye Jun, Jo Han Sun, Geum Hannah, Kim Min, Jung Yun Ha, Hyunri, and Japanese actor Masaki Okada, along with Director Lee Kwon.

Season 1 to Season 2

When asked about Director Lee Kwon’s inspiration and how Season 2 differs from Season 1, he shared that when he was young, there was a phrase that he loved: “To all attacks there is a counterattack.” He said he wanted to bring that to life. According to him, he started with the idea of how Ji An reacts to the things she found out about her uncle in Season 1 and how Jin Man would act after reuniting with his niece.

According to Director Lee, Season 2 is very different from his original novel and a completely different story: “In Season 1, there were some mysteries left unanswered, and that’s the starting point for Season 2. Season 2 deals with the extended storyline for the bad organizations of Babylon.”

The Cast Members and Their Roles

Lee Dong Wook as Jeong Jin Man

Uncle Jin Man is back! Lee Dong Wook said, “It’s such a great honor to continue playing the role of Jeong Jin Man. Based on the popularity of Season 1, we were able to move forward with Season 2, so I’m very grateful.” Dong Wook shared that in Season 2 he has more interaction with adult Jeong Ji An emotionally. “Ji An has not entered the world of assassins; now that has happened, how will Jin Man make sure that his niece survives and how he lives his own life, and how will Ji An carry her own life? There are a lot of emotional conflicts between the two,” he added.

Kim Hye Jun as Jeong Ji An

Kim Hye Jun shared that in Season 2, Ji An, who wasn’t able to understand her uncle at all before, becomes more like her uncle. “In Season 1, the adult Ji An and Jin Man did not have the chance to show some action choreography together or resolve the situations together. You will get more of that in Season 2,” Hye Jun revealed.

Jo Han Sun as Bale

Jo Han Sun, who plays Bale in the series, said that he has a lot of ruthless action sequences in the series. “I’m a bit worried because it’s so ruthless. I feel like I’m going to get a lot of criticism again this season.” In Season 1, Bale didn’t really have a specific edge to him (Jin Man) and was used to create tension in the show, but in Season 2, he focuses on one target.

Geum Hannah as So Min Hye

Geum Hannah, who plays So Min Hye, is very thankful and thought that her character would die in the first season. “It’s good to be back,” she added. She said that in Season 1, Min Hye didn’t have anything to protect, which is why she was able to put her life on the line. But then, in Season 2, she actually has to protect something, so she is going to go all in. She is even stronger in this season. She shared that for this season, she took a motorcycle license to do the motorcycle action and did a wire stunt as well.

Kim Min as Pasin

Kim Min, who plays Pasin, said that a lot of action scenes happened in many locations, and Taekwondo, Wrestling, Muay Thai, and a lot of action elements have come together in Season 2. “You will have so much spectacle in Season 2,” he pointed out.

New Cast Members

Jung Yun Ha as Kusanagi

“Season 1 is such a massive hit, so I was very honored to join the series and have very strong characters here played by stunning colleagues here, so it was a real joy to be working alongside them on set,” she expressed. Yun Ha said that her character, Kusanagi, looks a bit unstable, so she wanted to show her character through the way she speaks.

Hyunri as Q

Hyunri shared that she is a huge fan of Season 1, so being able to work with the crew and cast who produced such a great work, she said, “I have so much respect for them, and now joining Season 2, I am determined not to disappoint the viewers with the great sense of responsibility.” Hyunri described her character as someone who has a lot of charm.

The discussion between her and the director about her character helped her to portray it well. According to Director Lee put a lot of effort into working out for this role. She had to put on 5 kg of muscle mass and trained for about 4-5 months in order to portray her role as Q in this series. “Having experienced the action sequences, I’ve realized that there is an adrenaline and dopamine rush that you can only get when you’re pulling off those action sequences. I want to do more action pieces going forward,” she said.

Masaki Okada as J

Japanese actor Masaki Okada makes his debut in a Korean series. “Working on such a beloved series was a great joy, and I was very happy to work with the awesome cast and crew. I think it was a great choice to join a Korean production.” Okada shared that through this series, he experienced doing action scenes for the first time. “Lee Dong Wook and a lot of cast members on set taught me the fun of doing action scenes.”

In addition, Director Lee was asked about the possibility of Season 3, and he responded, “Still thinking about whether there will be a possibility, but it is really not up to me to decide.” Dong Wook added, “If I get the offer, I would be happy to join.”

Moreover, Director Lee highlighted that the key storyline for A Shop for Killers focuses on how Ji An grows. “Ji An is maturing over the course of the journey of survival and learning, and the journey is not so easy because it is met with many villains. Actions are there, but those are built around the growth of the character of Ji An.”

Catch her intense journey in A Shop for Killers 2 now streaming on Disney+!

Images courtesy of Disney+ Philippines