K-drama 'Gangnam B-side' offers suspense-packed chase scenes, uncovers the unfamiliar side of the district
When we think of Gangnam, we envision a luxurious district in Seoul, South Korea with high-end shops and affluent residents. Its fame skyrocketed internationally thanks to Psy's viral hit Gangnam Style, but the district offers much more than just a catchy tune.
Disney+'s highly anticipated original series Gangnam B-Side—featuring A-list Korean actors such as Jo Woo-Jin (Kang Dong-Woo), Ji Chang-Wook (Yoon Gil-Ho), Ha Yoon-Kyung (Min Seo-Jin), Kim Hyeong-seo or BIBI (Jae-Hee)—dives into the more mysterious and thrilling aspects of the famous Gangnam district. With its suspenseful chase scenes and intricate plot twists, the series reveals the hidden layers of the place often associated with glitz and glamour.
"Gangnam might be a place where you make your livelihoods and [for] some it might be a city that you look up to or envy about. So it's a place that goes beyond a space and a location. It's a glamorous space, personally. So I believe it's a big metaphor going beyond a region, and to highlight that glamourosity, I'm pretty sure there are the other surfaces," Director Park Noo-Ri said in a virtual press conference PhilSTAR L!fe attended on Wednesday, Oct. 30.
She added, "Beneath the surface, there might be dark alleys and different lives. So I thought, out [of] that I could use that as an interesting plot."
The characters
The 8-episode series, which will premiere exclusively on the streaming platform on Nov. 6, involves intriguing characters, each with their secrets, leading to unexpected encounters and revelations. It follows the story of disappearances taking place in the district.
According to the director, the characters have intertwining relationships on the verge of the boundary between good and evil, uplifting the story's realism aspect. Hence, viewers "can't really predict what's going to happen next moment."
"There are different people with different occupations in this series. I wanted to portray that as convincing as possible, to give that realistic feel of the series," Noo-Ri said.
Jae-Hee (Bibi), a "fragile and unstable" club star, knows a secret about the series of disappearances, but later on, she also disappears.
"She is the very trigger of everything that happens. She does this thing that becomes a trigger. She is not the culprit for anything, but she is chased down," Hyeong-seo told the press.
As the number of disappearances grew, Detective Kang Dong-Woo (Jo Woo-Jin), a passionate advocate for justice, became involved in the case. Despite a recent demotion, he returned to work determined to solve the mysterious disappearances in Gangnam. His unwavering commitment to justice fueled his relentless pursuit of the truth.
Talking about his role, Woo Jin revealed that he had gained an extra 18 kilograms for the film to give his character a "heavy presence."
"[I] wanted to make this character very tangible, the real adult who you want by your side and I wanted the character to be familiar and humane, just the typical uncle that you have in your life. That's what I try to portray. Appearance-wise, we wanted the character to have a heavy presence."
"I am the heaviest I've been since my high school days. I put on a lot of muscle and fat. So even physically, you will see a very new side of me in this title," he continued.
When asked what it was like to be the lead actor again, the 45-year-old Korean actor said "it was a lot of pressure."
"It was a lot of pressure [but] I wasn't very conscious about that pressure, and I never took it for granted. I always try to act like it's my first title and to bring out the best outcome, I put in my all, and that's how I work all the time. So based on that hard work, I followed the instructions of the director and what is asked of me on the script and I did my best," said Woo Jin.
On the other hand, Yoon Gil-Ho, a notorious Gangnam broker and suspect in the case, is struggling to survive. His connection to Jae Hee brings him into contact with Detective Kang Dong-Woo, further complicating the investigation. As the case unfolds, Gil-Ho undergoes significant personal transformation.
Chang-wook, a seasoned K-drama star, disclosed that his character in this series differs from the ones he has played in the past.
"When I first saw the script and I met the character, I wanted to portray these different things that came to me. I wanted to show that he's living in the underground world beneath the surface. So, I wanted to show the decadus of him. I wouldn't say I transform[ed] myself, but rather, the character itself is a bit different from the characters I've played in the past."
Meanwhile, Prosecutor Min Seo-Jin is working on this case as an opportunity to raise her status. She's just an entry-level prosecutor with a deep thirst for success and promotion.
"To find out about her true side, you really have to look at her closely. She holds a lot of mystery. So she is a prosecutor that you can't really read through," Yoon-Kyung said.
A different take on crime-action drama
Ultimately, Noo-ri emphasized that while the series shares similarities with other crime-thriller K-dramas, its primary focus is on character development and the intricate relationships between the characters.
"Getting to the bottom of the crime and busting the cartels is not the focus of this title, but this title is more about people who try to protect what matters to them. Please focus more on the dynamics among the characters," Noo-ri explained.
She continued, "What sets us apart is the thrill and fast pace of the story unfolding, you won't be able to pause even for a [bathroom] break once you start watching."
Gangnam B-side drops exclusively on Disney+ starting Nov. 6.