"Made In Korea" Hyunbin mentioned his wife Son Ye-jin's reaction to seeing him play his first villain.
On the afternoon of the 27th, at a cafe in Sogyeok-dong, Jongno-gu, Seoul, an interview was held with Hyunbin, the lead actor of the Disney+ series Made In Korea.
Disney+ Made In Korea is set in Korea in the 1970s, a time of both turmoil and leap forward, and tells the story of Baek Gitae (played by Hyunbin), a company man who seeks to use the state as a revenue model to reach the apex of wealth and power, and prosecutor Jang Geon-young (played by Jung Woosung), who relentlessly pursues him to the brink, as they face major events that define the era. The big-budget production had 70 billion won invested, and is director Woo Min-ho's first series project; he directed films such as Inside Men (2015), 12.12: The Day (2020), and Harbin (2024). The production was by Hybe Media Corp., which made the 10-million-ticket film 12.12: The Day, and even before release it drew attention with a solid lineup including Hyunbin and Jung Woosung as well as Woo Do Hwan, Cho Yeojeong, Seo Eun-soo, Won Jian, and Jung Sung-il.
Hyunbin passionately portrayed Baek Gitae, who leads a double life as a KCIA agent craving wealth and power and as a drug smuggler. For the first time in his 23-year career he took on a villain role, bulking up 15kg and delivering a powerful performance. Working again with director Woo Min-ho, who directed the film Harbin, he successfully transformed his image from hero An Jung-geun to a villain character 180 degrees different.
Made In Korea concluded with its final episode released on the 14th, and among Korean original contents released on Disney+ in 2025 it set the domestic record for most views, solidifying the series' presence. As of the 16th, the OTT ranking site FlixPatrol reported that Made In Korea achieved 23 consecutive days at No. 1 in the Disney+ Top 10 TV shows in Korea, and it ranked No. 1 in Hong Kong and Taiwan and No. 2 in Japan and Singapore. It also became the most-watched Korean work across the Asia-Pacific region during the past year.
On his feelings about the series' release, he said, "I don't know the exact numbers, but it feels good that many people seem to like it," and added, "People say it's a drama where the character stands out, so I think viewers enjoy it from different perspectives. As it goes on, people seem to enjoy the thrilling parts and the build-up."
Asked, "What did people around you and your wife Son Ye-jin say about your playing a villain?", he said, "The director worked hard to bring out something new. She seems to like seeing a new side. I also like seeing it as an actor," and added, "Personally, I didn't think of Baek Gitae as simply a villain when I acted. He wasn't a plain villain, so I found him attractive. Of course he does wrong things, but there are points that are understandable and relatable, and parts that are uncomfortable. He is clearly a bad person, but there is room for nuance."
He continued, "I understand my wife watched all of it. She enjoyed it and told me she was glad to see a side of me she hadn't seen before," and said, "She knew well about the 14kg weight gain because she saw it before filming."
Recently, Hyunbin and Son Ye-jin won the best actor and best actress awards together at the Blue Dragon Film Awards, and Hyunbin smiled as he said, "There was no private party for the two of us. (Laughs) When I mentioned it on producer Na Young-seok's variety show, he was disappointed. We were both filming at the time so we couldn't, but we congratulated each other a lot. Of course, the next day after our schedules ended, when we met, we were thankful and happy to have created a historic moment."
Meanwhile, Made In Korea season 1 concluded as a six-episode series, and season 2 is currently being filmed.
[Photo] The Walt Disney Company Korea
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