Lee Gyu-lee is a business writer at The Korea Times, focusing primarily on IT & telecommunications, the Ministry of Trade, Industry and Energy and KOTRA. Prior to this, she has covered a wide range of cultural news, from film, television and K-pop to lifestyle and fashion.
INTERVIEW Ji Chang-wook, Wi Ha-joon star in their first noir series with 'The Worst of Evil'
Disney+ series, "The Worst of Evil," hit the streaming platform on Sept. 27. Courtesy of Walt Disney Company Korea
By Lee Gyu-lee
Actors Ji Chang-wook and Wi Ha-joon shared that working on their first noir genre series, “The Worst of Evil,” was a challenging yet rewarding experience.
“Ever since I was young, I've been fascinated by the noir genre. However, I noticed that there weren't many noir projects featuring young actors. So I felt this was an opportunity to bring our own interpretation to the genre, and I decided to take the chance,” Wi told The Korea Times during a recent interview held at a cafe in downtown Seoul.
The Disney+ crime thriller original series, which started streaming on Sept. 27, revolves around a police officer named Park Joon-mo (Ji Chang-wook) in the 1990s in southern Seoul's Gangnam District. To bring down an international drug deal, Park goes undercover to infiltrate a gang that is suspected as the source of a new drug that has been circulating around the city's nightclubs.
To bust the cartel, Park must gain the trust of its boss, Jung Gi-cheol (Wi), as the gang’s newest member, while getting caught in an unexpected love triangle with his wife, Yoo Eui-jung (Im Se-mi), and Jung.
The 12-part series is led by filmmaker Han Dong-wook, whose previous work includes the romance film, "Man in Love."
Wi Ha-joon plays the character of a crime boss in the series, "The Worst of Evil." Courtesy of Walt Disney Company Korea
The series keeps its suspense through the tension between Park and Jung, getting viewers on their toes about whether Park will get caught and blow the investigation. Both actors emphasized the difficulty in maintaining the high level of tension throughout the storyline.
“I put a lot of thought into keeping the suspense in the story and how to intensify it. The undercover genre is very familiar (to the public), but also has its strengths and is guaranteed entertainment. So I focused on how to portray it effectively,” Ji said.
“Maintaining the tension was difficult but interesting. There are subtle emotional boundaries, political struggles and complex relationships within characters and their relationships. These complexities and nuances were intriguing.”
Wi, who plays a DJ-turned-crime boss after killing the previous boss, shared he tried a different approach to create a charismatic antagonist.
“To portray the charisma of the group’s boss, I wanted to give off a more cool-headed and ruthless image than rough and fiery. I felt making him enigmatic would give more depth to the character. But on the inside, I tried to think of him as pure and sincere. When he is with his first love, Eui-jung, I tried to portray his honest and sincere side,” Wi said.
“It wasn't easy to convey the deep, suppressed character. It was actually more challenging than I initially expected. Given that Gi-cheol had complex and subtle emotions, it made the task even more demanding.”
A scene from the series, "The Worst of Evil." / Courtesy of Walt Disney Company Korea
Wi said the series brought positive changes to how he approaches acting.
“I’ve gotten a lot of positive energy from my fellow actors. Previously, I would feel a lot of pressure on set, but this time, I felt more at ease and could best approach the filming as myself,” he said.
“Being around good people allowed me to learn how to let go. This project has provided a significant positive influence and energy on me to help in my future acting career, so this series will be unforgettable to me."
Ji added the series is a meaningful stepping stone into his future not only as an actor but as a person.
“This project will be remembered as one that I enjoyed working on. Instead of thinking like ‘it changed my life in a grandiose way,’ I'd like to consider it as a part of my ongoing personal growth,” he said.
“I don't have specific goals as an actor, but I do have ambitions. That’s why I continue to take on challenges. Rather than thinking, ‘I have to become a certain actor,’ I want to live a good life and enjoy it.”