“Made in Korea is a project that gave me confidence as an actor. It gave me the strength to try something new with even more confidence.”
After winning the Best Actor award at the Blue Dragon Film Awards for Harbin, Hyun Bin once again transformed himself in Disney+’s original series Made in Korea, captivating audiences around the world with his powerful and weighty performance.
We recently met Hyun Bin at a café in Samcheong-dong, Jongno, Seoul, where we talked about Made in Korea and many other topics.
Made in Korea is set in South Korea during the 1970s, a time when chaos and rapid growth coexisted. It follows Baek Gi-tae (Hyun Bin), a businessman who seeks to reach the pinnacle of wealth and power by turning the state itself into a profit model, and Jang Geon-young (Jung Woo Sung), a prosecutor who relentlessly pursues him with unwavering obsession, as they confront massive events that cut across the era.
Hyun Bin portrays Baek Gi-tae, a senior officer of the Central Intelligence Agency who even calculates the desires of others to fulfill his own ambitions. As the series progresses, he builds up a character that becomes increasingly rough and lethal, firmly anchoring the narrative.
On that day, Hyun Bin said, “Made in Korea becomes more and more gripping as it goes on. I was happy to see that viewers enjoyed the build-up process. And the response to the ending scene that was created rather suddenly was very positive. That felt really rewarding,” he said with a smile.
Naturally, curiosity about Season 2 grew stronger as the story reached its peak. Previously, director Woo Min-ho had hinted that the story would be set nine years later, even revealing part of the plot. Hyun Bin said, “I’ll go with no comment. I hope people will wait while holding onto the afterglow of Season 1.”
Many viewers see Baek Gi-tae, described in the drama as a “bundle of desire,” as a villain. Hyun Bin responded, “Is he a villain? I didn’t think of him that way when I acted. He is doing wrong things, but there are parts of him that you can understand. You can empathize with him, yet feel uncomfortable. He is a bad person, but isn’t there room to see him as a compelling character?”
For the role of Baek Gi-tae, Hyun Bin voluntarily gained weight. This added even more gravitas and intimidation to the character. He explained, “Compared to when I was filming Harbin, I gained about 14 kilograms. It changed a little depending on the time of shooting,” and continued, “When I first read the script for Made in Korea, I thought the historical context, the power and pressure carried by the Central Intelligence Agency itself, should all emanate from Baek Gi-tae. That is why I decided to gain weight.”
He went on to say, “For Harbin, Director Woo Min-ho told me to lose all my muscles. It was the first time I had gone more than a year without working out. When I moved into Made in Korea, I had to build muscle again, which was not easy. At first it was painful, but once my body started adapting, the process became faster. I wasn’t trying to bulk up to show a muscular body, so my diet was relatively flexible. Still, I didn’t just eat recklessly. I balanced regular meals with controlled dieting to gain weight in a flexible way.”
He also added, “For the airplane scene in episode one, the director said he wanted a James Bond-like feeling. He wanted it to have both intimidation and wit, so I worked hard to create that image.”
Hyun Bin said, “Playing Baek Gi-tae was so much fun. There were many forms of expression I was trying for the first time. It was meaningful to find and show something different, and the director captured those moments brilliantly,” he said with a smile.
He continued, “In Season 2, I added actions and expressions that I did not show in Season 1. I had my own calculations in place,” raising expectations even higher.
Hyun Bin then spoke about the acting controversy surrounding Jung Woo Sung that arose when Made in Korea was released. He said, “There are parts that feel unfortunate. It’s not easy for me to speak about it. The sense of regret must be far greater for Jung Woo Sung himself than for me. Any actor puts in tremendous thought and effort to fully embody the role they are given. When the response turns out that way, it is something they will inevitably reflect on more than anyone else.”
He added, “Season 1 is not the end. Since there is Season 2, I believe he will think even more deeply and show an even better side of himself.”
Hyun Bin also shared his thoughts on working closely with Jung Woo Sung, with whom he has a powerful on-screen rivalry. “From rehearsals to watching the edited versions, we constantly exchanged ideas. Even now, while filming Season 2, we are still doing the same,” he said. “Jung Woo Sung has more experience than I do, and he has also worked as a director. That gives him a different perspective. There were times when he pointed out things I had missed.”
He continued, “Communicating like that made the process more enjoyable and meaningful. It was also a set where we searched for new things beyond what was written in the script.”
Hyun Bin also spoke about his wife Son Ye Jin’s reaction to the series. “We weren’t always able to watch it together, but I know she watched all the episodes,” he said. “She told me she enjoyed it and that she felt she had seen a side of me as an actor that she had never seen before.”
Last November, Hyun Bin and Son Ye Jin each won the Best Actor and Best Actress awards at the Blue Dragon Film Awards. The couple made history by winning the top acting prizes in the same year.
He said, “I was grateful and happy that we were able to create such a historic moment together. Because we were both busy with filming, we only managed to exchange brief congratulations. We still haven’t found a place to put the trophies, so they are currently kept in separate spots,” he said with a laugh.
Hyun Bin also talked about how marriage has influenced his life as an actor. “Nothing has changed dramatically. I have always wanted to keep growing as an actor,” he said. “But after having a child, I started to think that I want my son to be able to say, ‘My dad is a really good actor,’ or ‘My dad was a great actor.’ I developed a desire to show him a proud version of myself.”
When told that his acting seems to have gained more depth since his marriage, Hyun Bin replied, “Marriage definitely has an influence. I have gained new experiences in life. I have grown older, and I now spend even more time on set. I think all of those things come together and make it appear that way.”
Hyun Bin also shared his thoughts on working with younger actors such as Seo Eun-su, Won Ji-an, and Noh Jae-won.
“I still remember the first day I filmed with Won Ji-an in Japan. She was having a really hard time. She had to speak Japanese at a very high level, so the pressure must have been immense. I heard from people around her that she had worked incredibly hard, and in the end, that preparation showed through her character, which was great to see,” he said.
He continued, “For Seo Eun-su, would it be fair to call her relentless? You could really see how she gritted her teeth and prepared thoroughly for the role of investigator Oh Ye-jin. That dedication stimulated me as well.”
“And whenever I acted with Noh Jae-won, it was always fun. His off-beat style of acting brought a sense of freshness and unexpected charm,” he said with a smile.
In closing, Hyun Bin said, “What is right, and what is wrong? The story told in Made in Korea is not something limited only to our country. It is something that could easily exist in any nation. I hope it becomes a work that continues to raise questions.”
He added, “This project had many points where new challenges were presented. It gave me confidence as an actor. I feel that it gave me the strength to try something else with even more confidence.”
When asked once again to hint at Baek Gi-tae’s ending in Season 2, Hyun Bin firmly avoided spoilers. “The director may change things again. It’s a set where anything can change at any time. I really don’t know,” he said.
Hyun Bin is currently filming Made in Korea Season 2. The new season is scheduled to be released in the second half of the year.
Reported by News Culture M.J._mj94070777@nc.press
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