”Interview” and ”Gyeongseong Creature” author: ”I was surprised by the ranking in Japan. I thought Park Seo Jun and Han Seo Hee would do it.”

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He said, "'No, it's not like that; I do it because the work is good.' I was rather embarrassed."

Writer Kang Eun-kyung and director Jung Dong-yun talked about the process of offering Park So-joon and Han So-hee and the behind-the-scenes of their character composition in an open interview for Netflix's "Gyeongseong Creature" Season 1 held at a cafe in Seoul's Jongno District on the morning of January 10. The show is a new series that is being produced by the same team that produced "Gyeongseong Creature.

Gyeongseong Creature" tells the story of two men and a woman whose survival is all that matters in the spring of 1945, when the darkness of the times was at its darkest, and they confront a monster born out of greed. Park Seo-jung plays the role of Jang Tae-sang, Gyeongseong's top informant, and Han So-hee plays Yoon Chae-ok, a manhunt specialist.

On this day, writer Kang commented on the characters that make up the drama, "I wanted to show that we all worked together in the drama. Jang Tae-sang is like the CEO of this city. He ensures that those who fulfill their responsibilities are compensated appropriately. I thought it was their rebellion against those who use violence with power, not for money, but to make sure they get together when they can.

Kang said, "I was also very troubled by the part about the Independence Army. They were very young, and Kwon Joon-taek (Wee Ha-jung) is a man whose father is pro-Japanese. I thought it was more important to show the horror they faced when they failed and what happened to them after that, rather than their betrayal. I wanted to emphasize that a little more. I wanted to emphasize that a little more.

Some criticized the film for portraying the independence fighters as opportunists. In response, Kang said, "When I was tortured like that, with even my fingernails and toenails pulled out, how much more could I endure?" You would imagine. I understand the greatness of those who fought for independence, but I wanted to get to know them a little more humanely. How hard, painful, cruel, and heartbreaking it must have been for them. It's not about the Japanese versus the Koreans, it's about human beings, and it's something we shouldn't do.

He added, "I thought it was sometimes violent to portray them as heroes in a too cool way. There must have been a clear process of overcoming that fear, and sometimes, unfortunately, I might have mentioned the names of my colleagues. Still, I think he moved on toward the next and the next. I focused more on that," he explained.

After its release, "Gyeongseong Creature" occupied the No. 1 spot on the Korean Netflix Top 10 for two consecutive weeks. It also placed third in the top 10 in the global non-English category. Writer Kang said, "They say that period dramas are not of interest in foreign countries. I thought that Netflix had the power to give the content a boost," he said. He added, "This is not a film that was created to suit anyone's tastes. There was a tremendous amount of effort.

He continued, "What surprised me the most was Japan's ranking. I thought I would be ignored. I thought, 'I didn't use a lot of advertising, but what do the numbers mean? I also heard that Google searches for Unit 731 were rapidly increasing among Japanese teenagers. It was empowering, and I thought, 'I'm glad I did it,'" he added.

Writer Kang revealed that casting actors was difficult due to the historical background of the Japanese colonial period and the period drama genre. She said, "I wondered if Park Seo-jung would do it. When I first met him, I asked him if it would be difficult for him to do this film, but he replied, 'No, I'm doing it because it's a good film. I was so embarrassed that I asked such a question. Han So-hee also told me, 'We have to do this. I felt that they shouldn't be hurt by such a decision," he said.

Director Chung added, "The actors were very cool and said, 'We don't care about that. I approached them because the story was interesting. I also hoped that the actors would not be hurt by the decision. I thought about how to make it look good, even though it seems that what was felt in 2024 was also felt in 1945.