Park Seo-joon and Han So-hee Interview: Sophomore Season of Netflix’s ‘Jeongsaeng Creature’

“An ordinary life was my dream; I just wanted to live an ordinary life,” says Yoon Chae-ok, one of the protagonists of the 2023 Korean show Muses. Gyeongseong animal. Chae-ok’s life is anything but ordinary, and even more so when he crosses paths with Jang Tae-sang, the wealthy owner of a pawnshop in 1940s Japanese-occupied Korea.

In the show’s second season, which drops on September 27, there’s more going on in the extraordinary, this time though in modern Seoul. Chae-ok, played by Han So-hee, survives the Gyeongseong Spring of 1945 and finds herself in Seoul in 2024, where she encounters Jang Ho-jae (Park Seo-joon), who bears a striking resemblance to Tae-sang. . If the first season Gyeongseong animal Following Tae-sang and Chae-ok as they uncover the mysterious events at Onseong Hospital — numerous people trapped in a basement ward and a deadly monster on the loose — the second season will see some old horrors return, and many new ones following a time jump.

“Che-ok is the pillar of the story. 70 years have passed, it has not ceased to exist. He’s the focus of everything that happens and drives the narrative forward,” said Han So-hee, in an interaction before the show’s release. Both he and his co-star Park Seo-joon said the time leap was something they were aware of when preparing for their roles.

“Given that I play a seemingly different character who doesn’t remember her past, I’m not told everything about my progress. I had to interpret it and fill it in with my own imagination,” Seo-joon said. In the second season, her Ho-jae is a big departure from the strong, wealthy informant from the first season. Adapted to modern methods.”

Park Seo-joon in ‘Gyeongseong Creature’ Season 2 | Photo credit: Special Arrangements

While the actors worked on the show’s first season and had some time off before moving on to filming its sophomore, Seo-joon said that the change to the current setting meant that they reflected on ways to make the show more entertaining. “I was nervous to step on set again. The show has a lot of action and not an easy scene,” narrated the actor. A certified Hollywood star, Seo-joon has starred in several hit K-dramas in various genres, including romantic comedies. What’s wrong with Secretary Kim? And hugely successful Itaewon class.

As for So-hee, in her character Gyeongseong animal Demands both a mental and physical range. Several sequences in both seasons feature the actor taking part in high-octane fight sequences and stunts, which he is no stranger to in his previous outings in action-packed thrillers. my name.

Han So-hee in a still from the show Photo credit: Special Arrangements

“Instead of saying I particularly enjoy action, I think action is a means of expressing a character. My character is someone who protects herself, is very active in managing her life, and I like people who put themselves first,” So-hee said.

Among her early scenes for the second season was shooting underwater, and So-hee recalls how she braved the frigid water. Seo-joon, though, is quick to chip in at this revelation. “You have a ‘najin,’ and you’re a superhero, so you were probably right,” he laughs. A parasitic creature, the najin are used by the Japanese to experiment on humans on the show. did and it was Che-Ok’s mother who became infected in the first season, which eventually led to the creation of the monster.

A still from ‘Gyeongseong Creature’ Season 2 Photo credit: Special Arrangements

Short K-dramas that deviate from the standard 16-episode format, as well as sequels, are slowly but surely becoming popular. Netflix’s Korean originals in particular have dabbled in more sequels than any other production. Hospital Playlist, Alchemy of the Soul, And State Everyone is enjoying the second season.

Working on its sequel Gyeongseong animalDirector Chung Dong-yeon said that working on the second part was good news for him as a director, but it was not without doubt as to whether the follow-up would live up to the first part. “Writer Kang Yoon-kyung and I believed that two seasons would do this story justice, and were enthusiastic about the idea of ​​a time jump. We saw Season 2 as a completely different show and saw it as two different narratives,” he says.

Amidst all the terror, terrifying monster attacks and protecting Kuroko from stealthy warriors, an ever-growing romance also manages to find a place in the chaotic proceedings. Romantic chemistry, says So-hee, will be much more this season.

“Everything last season was leading up to this, and it’s going to be fun to see how it unfolds. There’s a lot to explain, but the show will be very quick,” Seo-joon said, summarizing what’s in store.

Gyeongseong Creature Season 2 premieres September 27 on Netflix