Hyun Bin, Jung Sung Il, And Roh Jae Won Dish On Their Characters’ Shifting Power Dynamics In “Made In Korea 2”

“Made in Korea 2” has shared a glimpse of how the relationships between Hyun Bin, Jung Sung Il, and Roh Jae Won have changed over the course of nine years!

The first season of “Made in Korea” followed Baek Ki Tae (Hyun Bin), a man driven by ambition for wealth and power, and prosecutor Jang Geon Young (Jung Woo Sung), who sacrificed everything to stop him, as they confronted a monumental event in the turbulent 1970s.

“Made in Korea 2,” set nine years after the Season 1 finale, follows Baek Ki Tae, now at the peak of power; Jang Geon Young, who has been preparing a counterattack; and Baek Ki Hyun (Woo Do Hwan), who is pursuing a different path to power from his older brother. Their ambitions spiral out of control, shaking things up and creating an irreversible rift.

With the characters having undergone major changes over the past nine years and their interests now increasingly at odds, “Made in Korea 2” has unveiled new stills hinting at the intense power struggle among three key figures within the Korean Central Intelligence Agency: Baek Ki Tae, Cheon Seok Jung (Jung Sung Il), and Pyo Hak Soo (Roh Jae Won).

In the newly released stills, Baek Ki Tae and Cheon Seok Jung stare straight ahead with contrasting expressions. Continuing from Season 1, Cheon Seok Jung remains the powerful Blue House chief of staff, wielding near-absolute power while still occupying the No. 2 position. However, the arrival of Hwang Dae Shik (Heo Jung Do), who threatens even his No. 2 position, puts him on edge and prompts him to reach out to Baek Ki Tae, who has long remained by his side.

Regarding this, Hyun Bin shared, “In Season 1, Baek Ki Tae was the one looking toward Cheon Seok Jung, but in Season 2, I felt that Cheon Seok Jung also comes to rely on Baek Ki Tae.”

Jung Sung Il, however, offered a different perspective, saying, “It doesn’t matter to Cheon Seok Jung who sits in that position. Baek Ki Tae has simply taken the seat that Hwang Guk Pyeong once occupied.” He added, “Baek Ki Tae is a card he can discard at any time if the situation becomes unfavorable,” raising anticipation for the increasingly intense psychological battle between the two men.

Pyo Hak Soo has also undergone perhaps the most drastic transformation over the past nine years, immediately catching the eye with his completely changed appearance, including a wig and glasses. After being locked in a tense rivalry with Baek Ki Tae in Season 1, Pyo Hak Soo now finds himself serving under Baek Ki Tae, who has been promoted to acting director of the KCIA, placing him in a completely different power dynamic.

Roh Jae Won explained, “They were rivals in Season 1, but in Season 2, Baek Ki Tae is his superior. The subtle discomfort that comes from that, along with the precarious situations where he crosses that boundary, is the biggest difference.”

He also shared that, to capture Pyo Hak Soo’s sharp survival instincts, he repeatedly reminded himself, “I have to survive this game somehow. I’m smarter than you, and my choice is the right one.”

Director Woo Min Ho likewise described Pyo Hak Soo as someone who “plays a much more pivotal role in Season 2 than in Season 1,” adding that he is “like a trickster ball that could bounce in any direction,” further raising curiosity about what he will do next.

With a total of six episodes, “Made in Korea 2” will premiere with episodes 1 and 2 on September 9, followed by two episodes released every Wednesday.

While you wait, watch Hyun Bin in “Harbin” on Viki:

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