[TF Interview] 'Main Couple' Woo Do-hwan, Instead of Key Man, 'Baek Ki-tae's Achilles' Heel'
'Made in Korea' Season 1 to Season 2... A Performance That Has Gone Through 9 Years of TimeWorked with Hyun Bin&Jung Woo-sung... "I wanted to play someone's younger sibling."Actor Woo Do-hwan met with
to conduct an interview commemorating the finale of the Disney+ original series 'Made in Korea Season 2'. /Walt Disney Company Korea[THE FACT|Reporter Kim Saet-byul] Actor Woo Do-hwan has spent two seasons with 'Made in Korea.' At the same time, Woo Do-hwan also learned new things as an actor by contemplating the growth of a character over two seasons.Woo Do-hwan recently met with at a cafe in Samcheong-dong, Jongno-gu, Seoul, for an interview commemorating the finale of the Disney+ original series 'Made in Korea Season 2' (written by Park Eun-kyo, directed by Woo Min-ho, hereinafter referred to as 'Mainko2'). Playing Baek Ki-hyun in the drama, he shared various stories from participating in Season 1 and Season 2.'Mainko2,' which concluded its 6-episode run on the 23rd, is a noir drama depicting the journey of Baek Ki-tae (played by Hyun Bin), who goes on a rampage towards greater ambition. Season 1, released in December last year, was set in 1970s South Korea and built relationships between characters with their own desires and beliefs, centered around Baek Ki-tae. In Season 2, released on the 9th, 9 months later, the National Intelligence Service and the Joint Investigation Headquarters clashed in a vacuum of absolute power, and Jang Geon-young (played by Jung Woo-sung), who reappeared after 9 years, and Baek Ki-hyun, who tried to stop his brother's rampage, clashed with their own interests.Baek Ki-hyun, played by Woo Do-hwan, grew from a fresh second lieutenant in Season 1 to a security force lieutenant colonel in Season 2. The younger brother, who was intimidated by his older brother Baek Ki-tae but admired him more than anyone, begins to find his own voice after 9 years. In particular, in Season 2, he is constantly asked to choose sides between Jang Geon-young and Baek Ki-tae.Woo Do-hwan confessed with a laugh, "It was a season where Ki-hyun's choices were important, so I felt both pressure and responsibility. Jang Geon-young asked me if I had decided which side to take, and my brother also kept pressuring me over the phone, making me feel squeezed."In reality, the environment surrounding Ki-hyun was structured to pressure the character. Since he was being watched by various characters and had to take responsibility for his choices, it was important not to easily reveal Ki-hyun's inner thoughts."The director said he didn't want to see any wavering. He wanted it to be unclear which side I would take. I think he wanted me to maintain that stance until the end. I also thought it was right not to take my character lightly."Actor Woo Do-hwan played the role of Baek Ki-hyun in Disney+ original series 'Made in Korea' Season 1 and Season 2, playing a pivotal role and adding tension. /Walt Disney Company KoreaThe scene where he points a gun at Baek Ki-tae was approached in the same context. Woo Do-hwan interpreted it as a scene where Baek Ki-hyun was not trying to kill his brother, but telling Baek Ki-tae to stop in the strongest way he could. In fact, he did not perform the action of pulling the trigger. Ki-hyun's actions of telling his brother to leave for Japan and that he would take care of his sister and Min-ju were explained as containing his inability to let go of his family until the end.As such, Ki-hyun's emotions towards Baek Ki-tae coexist with love and fear. He was the eldest brother and someone he admired since childhood, but at the same time, he was a presence that constantly pressured him. Woo Do-hwan said, "I wanted to be a younger brother who was intimidated by his older brother," and set a greater distance between the brothers than in the actual script. He tried to use honorifics for the same reason."The original script did not use honorifics. They were closer brothers. I tried to portray a younger brother who was intimidated by his older brother. I also made mistakes, so I wanted to convey the feeling of wanting to run away just by looking at my brother's eyes, like a puppy with its tail tucked between its legs in front of a tiger."However, Ki-hyun did not become a soldier according to his brother's wishes from the beginning. Woo Do-hwan said, "I don't think he became a soldier just because his brother told him to," and added, "He grew up seeing his brother as a soldier, so he thought that image was cool and wanted to be like his brother." He continued, "He worked harder than anyone else and got the top grades, and only then did he hear proud words from his brother. Therefore, he must have realized that he had to become the best to receive love and recognition from his brother."Actor Woo Do-hwan revealed the points he focused on to express the 9-year time span and other aspects while playing Baek Ki-hyun. /Walt Disney Company KoreaIn that sense, the expression Woo Do-hwan chose for Baek Ki-hyun in Season 2 was 'Achilles' heel' rather than 'key man.' It meant he was less of a character holding the key to the incident and more of a weakness that Baek Ki-tae could not ignore until the end. For Baek Ki-tae, family was the reason he had lived this far and, at the same time, his greatest weakness. His younger brother, Baek Ki-hyun, was the one who touched that point.Woo Do-hwan said, "To Baek Ki-tae, who thinks he has lived this way for his younger siblings, Ki-hyun is, in a way, an obstacle. I thought he was a character who caused great concern for his brother."In Season 1, some viewers described Baek Ki-hyun as having 'middle school syndrome.' Woo Do-hwan acknowledged this, but pointed out that it was inevitable. Woo Do-hwan explained, "In Season 1, I definitely tried to make him seem immature. He's a second lieutenant who just got commissioned, in his early twenties. He was a young age who didn't know reality, so I think he could confidently say he wanted to go to war in front of his brother.""But I can't help it. I'm unconditionally on Ki-hyun's side. When people say they don't understand Ki-hyun's actions, I wonder why they don't understand. Isn't it natural? (laughs)"Actor Woo Do-hwan revealed the reasons why he wanted to be in the Disney+ original series 'Made in Korea' and what he learned through it. /Walt Disney Company KoreaThrough the two seasons, Woo Do-hwan gained more than just an understanding of the character Baek Ki-hyun. By observing the senior actors he worked with for a long time, he also thought about the path he wanted to take as an actor. He wants to be an actor who is continuously sought after in projects over time and who inspires trust just by his presence.Woo Do-hwan expressed his desire, "When I meet senior actors these days, I think it's cool that they remain irreplaceable actors, and I feel a lot of respect just by their presence. At the same time, I want to become an actor like that."As it was a series, his feelings of letting go were also special. Having contemplated one character for a long time, it was difficult to let go easily after filming ended. Woo Do-hwan said, "Through experiences with series like 'Project Wolf Hunting,' I've felt that the longer the time spent on a character and a project, the greater the attachment."Even after finishing the project, Woo Do-hwan did not solely focus on Baek Ki-hyun. He hoped that viewers would see the overall power of 'Mainko,' which was created by the clash of individual desires and beliefs, beyond the story of the character he played. This was his final greeting as an actor who had experienced both seasons."'Mainko' was a project where I learned so much, though it sounds cliché. I can't help but say this the most. Just having a good filmography as an actor is meaningful to me, and I even wonder if Season 2 will really be the end. I hope those who haven't seen it yet enjoy it. I don't even want to ask them to just look at Ki-hyun. I believe 'Mainko' has its own power. I think we're doing patriotism just by the title."sstar1204@tf.co.kr[Entertainment Department | ssent@tf.co.kr]
