Hyun Bin has cautiously shared his hopes for success as he returns to a major OTT series nearly five years after 'Crash Landing on You,' which ended in 2020 as tvN’s highest-rated drama of all time with a peak viewership of 24.1%.
On the morning of December 15, a production presentation for Disney+’s original series 'Made in Korea' was held at the Grand InterContinental Seoul Parnas in Gangnam. Director Woo Min Ho and cast members Hyun Bin, Jung Woo Sung, Woo Do Hwan, Seo Eun Soo, Won Ji An, Jung Sung Il, Kang Gil Woo, Noh Jae Won, and Park Yong Woo attended the event to introduce the project.
Asked about ratings expectations, Hyun Bin said, “You shouldn’t set expectations too high. Still, I hope it does as well as 'Crash Landing on You.' I just hope many people will watch our series. I’m not placing huge expectations on it,” he added with a smile.
Set to premiere on the 24th, 'Made in Korea' is set against South Korea in the turbulent yet transformative 1970s. The story follows Baek Ki Tae (Hyun Bin), a man who seeks to reach the pinnacle of wealth and power by turning the nation itself into a profit model, and prosecutor Jang Geon Young (Jung Woo Sung), who relentlessly pursues him with fierce obsession. Their confrontation unfolds through massive, era-defining events.
Production Budget Near 70 Billion KRW…Combined for Seasons 1 and 2
Director Woo Min Ho addressed reports of a 70 billion KRW (approx. 47.4 million USD) production budget, saying, “I’m not sure where the exact figure of 70 billion KRW came from, but it certainly wasn’t a low-budget project. It’s not the budget for Season 1 alone—it should be viewed as the combined budget for Seasons 1 and 2. It’s difficult to say the exact number. To properly recreate the era, we had overseas locations, and the costs indeed added up.”
To recreate 1970s Busan, the production filmed for a month in Kobe, Japan, along with additional overseas shoots in Vietnam and Thailand. Woo explained, “South Korea achieved rapid economic growth in a short time, so there aren’t many physical traces left from that era. I’m not a director who likes relying on CG, so we filmed for a month in Kobe. It was Japan’s first port city, and traces of 1970s Busan are actually preserved there, which is why we spent so much time filming.”
Woo Min Ho, Hyun Bin, and Jung Woo Sung Reunite One Year After 'Harbin'
Director Woo Min Ho reunites with Hyun Bin and Jung Woo Sung just one year after collaborating on 'Harbin.' Hyun Bin said, “I’m excited and thrilled about the opportunity to meet viewers around the world through an OTT platform. Having worked with Director Woo on 'Harbin,' I have great trust in him. He has a real ability to draw out new sides of actors.”
Woo added, “'Harbin' was a tough project for both the actors and me. After going through that together, there was no need to be cautious with each other on this second project. We were able to speak freely on set about the work and the scenes.”
Jung Woo Sung commented, “When I first read 'Made in Korea,' I thought its imagination was bold and provocative. Period dramas usually handle real events very carefully, keeping a distance between historical figures and fictional characters. But this project inserts fictional characters into real events and even adds things that never actually happened, turning it into a fully imagined story. That gave me tremendous creative freedom in designing my character.”
First OTT Series for Hyun Bin and Jung Woo Sung…Star-Studded Cast
'Made in Korea' marks the first OTT series for both Hyun Bin and Jung Woo Sung. The cast also includes Woo Do Hwan, Seo Eun Soo, Won Ji An, Jung Sung Il, Kang Gil Woo, Noh Jae Won, and Park Yong Woo.
Explaining Baek Ki Tae’s ambition, Hyun Bin said, “After reading the script, I thought a lot about where Ki Tae’s relentless drive comes from. His lifelong sense of lack, insecurity, and anxiety—surviving a harsh world made him never want to return to those feelings. I think that’s why he chases wealth and power.”
Hyun Bin gained approximately 13–14 kg for the role, sharing, “I wanted the intimidation of someone belonging to the Central Intelligence Agency, the most powerful institution of that time, to be visible in his body. I bulked up and built muscle. This is the biggest physical build I’ve ever had in my acting career—larger than any character I’ve played before.”
Woo Do Hwan plays Baek Ki Hyun, Baek Ki Tae’s younger brother and a military officer who graduated from the Korea Military Academy. He said, “He loves his brother, but also wants to surpass him and carve out his own path. The most important thing was expressing his love for family, which I discussed a lot with the director.”
On casting, Director Woo said, “It was luck. Gathering these actors in one place isn’t easy. Fortunately, I was given a great opportunity. This is the most fun I’ve ever had filming a project. I’m not sure if it’s appropriate to say this, but I think it may be the most entertaining work among my films.”
Six Episodes Shot Like a Film…Season 2 in the Works
Taking on drama directing for the first time, Woo emphasized, “We truly filmed it like a movie. I didn’t differentiate it much just because it’s an OTT series. I hoped it would achieve the same level—or higher—of quality as my previous films. Since it’s a six-episode series, the volume was large, but that made us even more selective and focused than with a film.”
He added, “The greatest strength was the actors. My directing approach was to trust them—to believe they could fully convey the era’s desires and madness to viewers. Showing that trust to the actors on set was the key to my directing.”
Woo concluded, “It’s been exactly one year since 'Harbin.' I hope viewers enjoy Made in Korea through Christmas, the year-end season, and the New Year.”
'Made in Korea' premieres on December 24, with new episodes released every Wednesday: Episodes 1–2 on December 24, Episodes 3–4 on December 31, Episode 5 on January 7, and Episode 6 on January 14, completing its six-episode run. Season 2 is scheduled for release in the second half of next year.
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