Baek Byung-yeul is a journalist at The Korea Times focused on cultural content, including films and cultural events in South Korea. You can contact him at baekby@koreatimes.co.kr to share your insights.
INTERVIEW Disney+ series 'Made in Korea' reveals dark side of power
Actor Hyun Bin, center, in a scene from “Made in Korea” / Courtesy of Walt Disney Company Korea
By Baek Byung-yeul
Director Woo Min-ho / Courtesy of Walt Disney Company Korea
Disney+’s new series “Made in Korea” dives deep into the dark underbelly of 1970s Korea, a decade director Woo Min-ho calls an “age of barbarism.”
Drawing from real events and personal ambition, the six-part drama follows the collision of two men: Baek Ki-tae (Hyun Bin), who will stop at nothing in his pursuit of money and power, and Jang Geon-young (Jung Woo-sung), a stubborn prosecutor determined to bring him to justice.
Director Woo set out to explore how the hunger for power and a corrupt system can turn a person's ambition into something monstrous and destructive.
"I am constantly throwing out the question of what the essence of power is and why people change so drastically once they attain it," the director told The Korea Times during an interview in Seoul, Monday.
"Rather than providing a clear answer, I wanted to show the process of how history repeats itself through these characters."
The series, which premiered last December and concluded its six-episode first season on Wednesday, does not shy away from the darker side of Korea’s rapid transformation. Against the backdrop of a nation in turmoil, it immerses viewers in the chaos of the era, portraying drug trafficking, political conspiracies, social upheaval and moral compromise.
Woo, known for films such as “Inside Men” (2015), “The Man Standing Next” (2020) and “Harbin” (2024), explained that directing a series for the first time was necessary given the scale of the story he wanted to tell.
"A movie script is usually around 60 to 80 pages, but this series had six full volumes of scripts," the director said. "The story was too vast to be squeezed into a two-hour film, so I wanted to use the series format to properly build up the characters and the era."
Actors Hyun Bin, right and Jung Woo-sung in a scene from “Made in Korea” / Courtesy of Walt Disney Company Korea
The director specifically chose the 1970s as the setting, seeing it as the origin of the dynamic yet chaotic energy that continues to shape modern Korea.
"I used real historical events like the 1970 [Yodogo] airplane hijacking to set the stage," Woo said. "I was shocked by a crime scene photo from that time showing a child standing in front of their parents' bodies. That photo represented the 'age of barbarism' I wanted to show because this was a time when the people with power could do whatever they wanted while ordinary people suffered.”
Woo added that the title “Made in Korea” carries a heavy symbolic weight regarding the evolution of the protagonist. Woo explained that "Made in Korea" refers to the "monsters" created by the specific socio-political climate of the country during that era.
"I wanted the audience to jump on the train of desire with Baek Ki-tae, much like how people root for Al Pacino in 'The Godfather,'" the director said. "Hyun Bin gained 15 kilograms for this role on his own. Seeing him transform from a national hero in my previous film to this greedy villain gave me a huge sense of catharsis."
As for Jang Geon-young, Jung’s portrayal drew mixed reviews, with some viewers finding his exaggerated laughter and characterization discomforting. Woo clarified that these choices were deliberate, intended to mask the character's painful past.
"The character’s loud laughter was meant to be a defense mechanism for someone whose family was destroyed by a tragic past," the director said. "I respect the public's reaction. Since we are creators, we must listen to the audience without making excuses."
Woo confirmed he is currently working on the second season, which is scheduled to be released in the second half of this year, adding that the final six episodes will jump forward nine years to 1979.
"Season 2 will take place in 1979 and show how these characters eventually break down," the director said. "I wanted the viewers to board the train of desire alongside Baek Ki-tae and feel the rush of his ambition. In the second season, they will witness how that train eventually derails and the price that must be paid for such power."