AO EXCLUSIVE: “Made in Korea” returns for bigger, stronger, and more intense Season 2 on Disney+

Following the success of its first Season, Made in Korea brings back its ensemble cast for an even more intense story!

Made in Korea Season 1 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 become entangled in an era-defining incident that will forever change their futures. Season 2 follows Baek Ki Tae, consumed by greed, 9 years after the finale of Season 1.

An exclusive press conference was held on September 2 with the attendance of the star-studded cast members- Hyun Bin, Jung Woo Sung, Woo Do Hwan, Seo Eun Soo, Won Ji An, Jung Sung Il, Roh Jae Won, and Cha Hee alongside Director Woo Min Ho to dive deeper into the most anticipated second season of Made in Korea.

Hyun Bin as Baek Ki Tae

Hyun Bin is back reprising his role as Baek Ki Tae, who has become the acting director of KCIA. Hyun Bin shared his areas of focus in portraying his character once again. He said Baek Ki Tae got more power and wealth in Season 2, but he wants more. “He wants more ambitions, he wants more wealth, he wants more power, and at the same time, while he is relentlessly pushing forward, there are other forces that strive to stop him, and there’s a lot of clashes between him and the other players, so sometimes he feels lonely; he has to face very bold choices and be put into very dangerous situations. I focused on all these aspects to portray the various sides of him.”

Hyun Bin won the Best Actor Award at the 62nd Baeksang Arts Awards for his role in this series. He said he feels pressure, but he is very glad that many people loved the first season and hopes viewers will also show love and support for Season 2. “I think if you enjoyed Season 1, Season 2 is going to be even better for you.”

Jung Woo Sung as Jang Gun Young

Jung Woo Sung is ready to strike back, reprising his role as Jang Gun Young, a special advisor at the joint investigation headquarters. When asked about what the viewers can expect from his character Jang Gun Young in the series, Woo Sung responded, “He has lost everything in the finale of Season 1, he was left behind and was the very bottom of his life and he is filled with revenge and now he wants vengeance so, he doesn’t even realize that he is doing everything out of vengeance but he believes that that this is a dead of justice so he is trying to take down Baek Ki Tae.”

Woo Do Hwan as Baek Ki Hyeon

Woo Do Hwan is back as Baek Ki Hyeon. Do Hwan described Ki Hyeon as a more mature soldier and person, with very strong principles now, and he has something that he wants to protect. “I hope that the viewers will be curious about what choices Ki Hyeon would make; that’s the area of focus that I thought about.” He added that he had a lot of fun filming with the cast members.

Seo Eun Soo as Oh Ye Jin

Seo Eun Soo is ready to charm viewers again in Season 2 with her role as Oh Ye Jin, the prosecutor of the narcotics unit at the Busan District Prosecutor’s Office and the first female prosecutor in Korean history. “She became more powerful, more fearless, more audacious, and I thought that it was important that I portray that energy and charisma inside her,” Eun Soo said.

Eun Soo shared her preparation for portraying her character, “I thought a lot about the hairstyle. I have this very curly hair in Season 1, so this time around, I wanted to be a very natural polished hairstyle. I ate a lot and got to add more weight.”

Won Ji An as Choi Yu Ji/Yuji Ikeda

Won Ji An reprises her role as Yuji Ikeda, the power broker of the Japanese underworld syndicate. Ji An shared things that viewers can look forward to: “In season one, she was building up many things to achieve her final goal, and in the second season, you’re going to see that a lot externally from her appearance as well as the action sequences. I hope you look forward to that.”

Jung Sung Il as Cheon Seok Joong

Jung Sung Il returns as Cheon Seok Joong, a Chief of Staff to the President, and has risen even higher in the hierarchy nine years later. “In season 2, the character dynamics and relationships with other characters, not only those played by the actors here but also those played by other actors, are going to be quite different. The scope of people my character interacts with has gotten a lot greater.”

Roh Jae Won as Pyo Hak Soo

Roh Jae Won reprises his role as Pyo Hak Soo, who became the Busan Director of the KCIA. Jae Won shared, “In Season 1, I thought that because he is a member of the KCIA, I thought that was doable, but then to rise to power and become the director of his own Busan District, I went about thinking, how do I approach that, and Director Woo gave me the idea about using a wig. So, I think the wig gave me the power to sort of create that new side to Pyo Hak Soo.”

Cha Hee as Baek So Yeong

Cha Hee returns as Baek So Yeong, Baek Ki Tae and Baek Ki Hyeon’s sister and the head of Baekho Trading. Cha Hee said that her character is completely different from how everyone saw her in Season 1. She added, “We left her losing the man that she loved, ending up with a child, and during those years, I think it will be wonderful for you to focus on what changes in her and what desires she gets.” Cha Hee mentioned that it was such a big honor acting alongside Hyun Bin and Do Hwan as her siblings. “Off camera, they are very sweet people, so I feel very much at ease working together with them.”

“The cast did an incredible job. I guarantee it: each of them is almost like they’re wearing a personally tailored suit; that’s how incredible the cast is. It’s going to be a delicious ride!” Director Woo proudly pointed out.

Catch Made in Korea Season 2 coming exclusively on Disney+ this coming September 9 with 2 episodes every Wednesday.

All photos are courtesy of Disney+ Philippines