"Made In Korea" director Woo Min-ho confessed behind-the-scenes details, saying about Jung Woosung's acting, "it was an intentional direction, and before setting the character we even met with a psychiatrist."
On the 9th, the channel "Choi Wook's Maebul Show" released a video featuring director Woo Min-ho of the Disney+ series "Made In Korea."
On that day, the "Cinema Hell" new releases segment covered Woo Min-ho's first series work "Made In Korea," who directed films such as "Inside Men" (2015), "The Man Standing Next" (2020) and "Harbin" (2024).
The Disney+ new series "Made In Korea" depicts the story of Korea in the 1970s, when chaos and leap coexisted, and follows corporate heir Baek Ki-tae (Hyunbin) who seeks to use the state as a revenue model to reach the pinnacle of wealth and power, and prosecutor Jang Geon-young (Jung Woosung) who, with terrifying determination, pursues him to the brink, confronting huge events that span the era. With a production cost of 70 billion won, the large-scale work was produced by HYBE Media Corp., which made the 10-million-ticket film "12.12: The Day," and besides Hyunbin and Jung Woosung, the solid lineup including Woo Do Hwan, Cho Yeojeong, Seo Eun-soo, Won Jian and Jung Sung-il drew anticipation even before release.
"Made In Korea" has continued its global box office run, topping Disney+ top 10 TV shows in Korea for 14 consecutive days immediately after release, and ranking No. 1 in Hong Kong and Taiwan and No. 2 in Japan and Singapore. In addition, K-content analysis platform FUNdex ranked it No. 2 on the drama buzz chart, attracting attention.
However, some reacted negatively to Jung Woosung's portrayal of protagonist Jang Geon-young, saying "the hearty laugh feels somewhat awkward and forced" and "it feels like acting that slightly breaks immersion." Other viewers said, "it seems like an intentional setting that fits the character" and "it makes sense when you see Jang Geon-young's backstory."
Host Choi Wook mentioned Jung Woosung's hearty laugh in the drama and asked, "There were times when my emotions were broken while watching the drama. As a director, how do you see it?" Movie YouTuber and broadcaster Geoui Eopseumnida said in opposition, "Isn't this character deliberately laughing like that? I think it was directed that way from the start."
Director Woo Min-ho said, "Some viewers may see it that way, but it's a character designed by the writer and me," adding, "Have you seen episode 4? In episode 4, Jang Geon-young's battle history and family history appear. It ties into Korea's tragedies, intertwined with the Japanese colonial period. You'll understand why that character is exaggerated, why he has a lot of anger, and why he has that kind of laugh almost like a tic—he has trauma. Seeing that will make it easier to understand." Choi Wook, who had only seen the early part of the drama, apologized with, "I'm sorry. I should have watched it all before speaking; it's better not to come without watching," prompting laughter.
Film critic Jeon Chan-il evaluated, "It is one of the most unique prosecutor characters in Korean works. For example, in '1987' there is a prosecutor played by Ha Jung-woo, but even comparing the two, it's different from Jung Woosung. It's a type of prosecutor we haven't seen before. Two writers worked with the director on the adaptation, so it's very intentional."
Director Woo Min-ho also recounted that before creating the character Jang Geon-young, he and the writer actually met with a psychiatrist and asked, "Could you make it like this?"
Choi Wook repeatedly apologized, saying, "Even though you went that far, I carelessly moved my mouth," which made people laugh. Director Woo Min-ho said, "No. You can see it that way. In reality, people in police or criminal investigation roles who have experienced such trauma often display exaggerated behavior. They said, 'This is possible.' Moreover, if there's such a backstory, the laugh that person has can come out like a tic as a self-defensive reaction, so viewers may have felt slightly uncomfortable while watching," he explained.
He continued, "Then it seems to have worked well. Laughing that hearty laugh first creates distance with the other person in that moment," adding, "The audience watching it feels that distance and becomes uncomfortable." Choi Wook said, "Hearing that, it makes sense," showing his understanding of the intentional direction.
Geoui Eopseumnida also said, "When the character is cornered, for example, when he finds a bugging device, there's a bit of 'aha, you guys look at this'—it felt like he was shouting 'I'm not losing!' as if psyching himself up. It felt exaggerated and theatrical, but I found it quite persuasive."
Director Woo Min-ho said, "It's a character Jung Woosung hasn't played before, so I think there may be room for controversy. I can't help that. If the public sees it that way, that's how it is," leaving the judgment to viewers.
Meanwhile, "Made In Korea" will release episode 6, the final episode of season 1, on the 14th, and season 2 is currently being filmed.
[Photo] OSEN DB, "Main Co" still cut, "Choi Wook's Maebul Show" screen capture
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