Lee Min-ho and Kim Min-ha. Image: Apple TV+ via The Korea Herald
Apple TV+’s Korean original series “Pachinko” aired its first episode of Season Two on Aug. 23. The show’s main protagonists Lee Min-ho and Kim Min-ha, who played a fish broker tied to Yakuza Hansu and a sturdy, hard-working young woman from a small town Sunja, respectively, said they assimilated to their characters.
The second season of the period drama chronicles the life of a Korean family spanning four generations, who moved to Japan in the early 1900s. Over the eight-episode series, the life of Sunja, a Korean woman born to a poor family in Busan, shows her struggles to settle in Osaka, Japan, following World War II.
“Looking at Hansu, I have to admit that there are some similar aspects between him and myself. Starting a career early, life was focused more on survival, and also ambitious with desires at one point. While I, as an actor, was able to express such feelings in a healthy way through many people’s love, Hansu wasn’t able to express that well. That has allowed me to feel gratitude toward my life, appreciate and respect people around me,” Lee said in an interview on Aug. 23.
Kim Min-ha, who rose to stardom with her first-ever lead role in the global TV series that won the best foreign-language series at the US Critics Choice Awards last year, said “Pachinko” has “upgraded” her life.
“To be honest, nothing has really changed before and after shooting this project. But no matter what, now I’m given more opportunities to choose a project from many, different options,” Kim said during an interview on Aug. 23.
“As I played Sunja, I was surprised by her and I wanted to become like her. Because the second season is set seven years after the timeframe in the first season, I focused on delving into what kind of experiences Sunja might have gone through (over time). Writing my journal from Sunja’s point of view helped to do so. I’m sure Sunja is a sturdy woman who gains hope from her family, so I tried to show Sunja’s flexible character facing a new environment with a family in season two,” the 28-year-old actor said.
Shooting for the second season took place in June last year. Although Lee only had a two-week break between another drama shooting and “Pachinko,” he said everything was ready for him to immerse himself into the character.
“Besides the artistic props and set for shootings, I had some intensive discussions with the writer and other staff on how to portray a character like Hansu. Normally, I wouldn’t really do that, I would just do the acting based on my interpretation and preparation. But this project has unleashed my inner desire to find new energy through an unprecedented character,” said Lee.
The 37-year-old actor has become renowned through rom-coms. From the romantic, hero image from “Boys Over Flowers” (2009), “The Heirs” (2013), and “The King: Eternal Monarch” (2020), his character changes to Hansu, a ruthless yet dangerously charming man, Lee said “Pachinko” was a breakthrough to him.
“The fact that I didn’t have to take the lead throughout the series gave me a sense of freedom,” Lee said, jokingly.
“I was personally seeking a new kind of energy during that time in my acting career. I felt such freedom playing Hansu in this project that revolves around love, family, and what a good human being is,” said Lee, adding that “Pachinko” was the kind of project had waited to be a part of when the time was right.
The second season of “Pachinko” started airing on Aug. 23. A new episode will be released every Friday until Oct. 11