Hyun Bin and Jung Woosung Dissect Their Characters (Exclusive)

A new Hulu original Korean drama, Made in Korea, premieres on Hulu and Disney+ on December 24. The drama, set in 1970s Korea, follows the story of two opposing dual protagonists, Baek Kitae (Hyun Bin) and Jang Geonyoung (Jung Woosung). Kitae is living a double life as a KCIA government agent by day and an illegal businessman by night, smuggling drugs and engaging in other dangerous crimes.

Meanwhile, Geonyoung is a prosecutor who has fallen behind all his colleagues. With their sights set on taking each other down and absolutely everything to lose, the stakes just keep getting higher. The series features real Korean historical events, including political conflicts with Japan, which fuel some of the heavier action elements in the story.

Here, stars Bin and Woosung break down what it’s like playing these two characters and their feelings about the rivalry, including what the rivalry will look like in the future, now that the show has already been renewed for a second season.

Kitae and Geonyoung are equally matched. What’s it like playing characters that are constantly taking turns being one step ahead of each other?

Hyun Bin: I think the conflict between these two characters is due to the fact that they have different takes on the same thing. They both hold onto this sense of patriotism, but they act differently upon it, and they have different approaches. They interpret it differently as well, and so I think it’s really interesting to see how that difference leads to such intense conflict.

Jung Woosung: This is a story about these two main characters, these two men, butting heads, and there are many buddy movies, there are many movies that convey rivalry between the characters. I think, however, Made in Korea is a little bit unique in the sense that, usually, when you have these two main characters coming head to head, it’s about somebody being within the public organization, and then the other person being outside of it. However, this time, these two characters, they’re both inside a public organization. So I think that adds a new layer of intrigue, because even if you doubt the other person, if you feel like you have something on them, you can’t immediately write him off or go after him because you’re both a part of the public organization. So I feel like the conflicts between the two characters are a lot more nuanced, and I think that adds to a greater sense of tension and intrigue.

Has there ever been a time when you found yourself rooting for the other’s character?

Hyun Bin: No.

Jung Woosung: I think there is room, maybe, for a personal feeling of compassion or pity for the other person because, no matter how different you may be in terms of your position or your beliefs or principles, there is always room for all of us to understand each other on a personal level, right? So I think that those aspects of feeling personal empathy or compassion toward each other is slightly building up as we are currently working on the second season.

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With Made in Korea already renewed for Season 2, where do you see Kitae and Geonyoung’s rivalry going in the future?

Hyun Bin: I would say that compared to the first season, it’s going to get even more intense and even more extreme in terms of the level of conflict.

Jung Woosung: I mean, obviously, it is expected that there is probably going to be somebody who gets a little ahead of the other person at the end of Season 1. And then, you know, compared to, I guess, the “winner,” so to speak, the person who didn’t get to do that is going to be filled with a lot of anger, and that’s going to be maybe a driver for future storytelling.

Made in Korea, Series Premiere, December 24, Hulu