'Made in Korea' Season 2 goes deeper into power, revenge, and family
Nine years after the events of its first season, Made in Korea returns with a bigger scale, higher stakes, and a deeper dive into the characters caught in a fierce battle for power.
During a press conference virtually attended by PhilSTAR L!fe on Sept. 2, director Woo Min-ho and the cast teased what viewers can expect from the second season of the Disney+ series, which picks up nine years after the Season 1 finale.
Unlike the first installment, which treated each episode almost like a standalone film, Woo Min-ho said Season 2 was designed to feel like “one movie” flowing across all six episodes.
“I don’t know how this will sound, but in Season 1, it’s more about a brawl. Season 2, this is the true power struggle between grown-up men,” he hinted.
Familiar faces, bigger stakes
The second season of Made in Korea will see its characters change, clash, and bring their new sides to light.
Ki-tae has more power, but he's far from satisfied
The new season continues to follow Baek Ki-tae (Hyun Bin), who has risen further up the ladder of power and is now the acting director of the Korean Central Intelligence Agency (KCIA). Despite having more wealth and influence, Ki-tae remains hungry for more.
“In Season 2, compared to Season 1, he’s got more power. He’s got more wealth. But still, he climbed up the ladder. But he wants more,” Hyun Bin said. “He has more ambitions. He has more greed. He wants more money. He wants more wealth. He wants more power.”
But Ki-tae’s relentless pursuit of power comes with new obstacles, including the return of Jang Geon-young (Jung Woo-sung), who has spent the past nine years preparing to strike back.
Geon-young returns with revenge on his mind
Geon-young was left with virtually nothing at the end of Season 1. Now, he returns as a special advisor at the Joint Investigation Headquarters, driven by revenge but convinced that his actions are rooted in justice.
“He was left behind in the struggle. He was at the very bottom of his life, and he is filled with revenge,” Jung Woo-sung said of his character. “So he doesn’t even realize that he is doing everything out of vengeance, but he believes that this is a deed of justice.”
Ki-hyun becomes the wild card
The director also sees Baek Ki-hyun (Woo Do-hwan), Ki-tae’s younger brother, as the unpredictable element in the conflict.
While Ki-tae and Geon-young are both certain about what they want, Ki-hyun is still figuring out where he stands. Nine years later, however, he is no longer the immature younger brother viewers met in Season 1.
“In Season 2, Gi-hyun has become more mature as a person, as a soldier. And he has very strong principles now, and he has some things that he wants to protect,” Woo Do-hwan said. “He used to be an immature kid in Season 1, but in Season 2, he becomes part of that big power struggle between grown-up men.”
For Hyun Bin, the conflict becomes even more complicated because Ki-hyun is not simply another opponent. “Gi-hyun is my family. He’s my baby brother,” he said. “And the reason why Ki-tae goes through all this trouble is because he wants to care for his family.”
“But now, one of his family members, his baby brother Gi-hyun, becomes a crucial person on the other side of the fight.”
More of the Baek family
The love-hate relationship within the Baek family is something the director wanted to explore more in the second season.
“In Season 1, I didn’t feel like we got a deep look into their family dynamics. So I wanted to show more of that in Season 2,” said Woo Min-ho. “Because they are family, you love each other, but then you get more upset with them. You know, it’s a love-hate relationship always when it comes to family.”
The Baek family also includes Baek So-young (Cha Hee), who undergoes perhaps one of the biggest transformations between seasons.
So-young is now the head of Baekho Trading and looks markedly different from the woman viewers saw in Season 1. “She is 180 degrees different from how you saw her in season one,” Cha Hee said.
The actress teased that viewers should pay attention to what happened to So-young during the nine-year gap, particularly the changes in her desires and circumstances.
Ye-jin becomes Korea’s first female prosecutor
In Season 2, Seo Eun-soo’s Oh Ye-jin has also risen in rank. After working as an investigator in Season 1, she is now Korea’s first female prosecutor and works in the narcotics unit at the Busan District Prosecutor’s Office.
Seo Eun-soo said she imagined how difficult it would have been for Ye-jin to reach that position in the era. “Compared to Season 1, she’s more strong-willed, she’s more fearless, and she’s more powerful,” she teased.
She also revealed that she intentionally changed her appearance for the role, including her hairstyle and physique, after the director suggested that Ye-jin should have a fuller appearance as a prosecutor.
“I actually lost a lot of weight. But he said, 'If you are the first female prosecutor, I think you should be more plump.' So I ate a lot. I got to add more weight,” she said.
Yuji explores the other side of the fight
Won Ji-an’s Ikeda Yuji also returns with a more prominent role in the power struggle. In Season 2, Yuji encounters more of the characters outside her previous circle, including Ye-jin and Geon-young.
Won Ji-an said the experience felt different because she was finally able to interact with characters on the opposite side of the conflict.
“Usually it was just me and Hyun Bin sharing scenes in Season 1, but in Season 2, I get to meet characters who are on the other side of this fight,” she said. “So while I was filming, I thought that, 'Wow, this is how it feels to be on the other side.'”
New dynamics
The actors also teased lighter moments behind the intense storyline, particularly the evolving dynamic between Hyun Bin and Roh Jae-won, who plays Pyo Hak-soo.
Roh joked that although Pyo Hak-soo rises in rank in Season 2, his promotion comes at a cost. “I was promoted, but while I was promoted, I lost a lot of hair,” he said, referring to the character’s new look and wig. “I became the more comedic character, I guess. I became the comedic relief of the show.”
Hyun Bin also admitted that working with Roh was even more enjoyable this time around, although he was struck by his co-star’s new appearance. “I think we had much better chemistry this time because we are already very much feeling at home with each other when we are working together,” he said.
For Hyun Bin, viewers who enjoyed the first installment will find Season 2 even better.
“With Season 2, it’s already there. And so once the story begins in the first episode, there’s no turning back. It’s just a consistent flow of the story,” he said. “I feel like that’s going to make it so much more immersive for the audience members. I think if you enjoyed Season 1, Season 2 is going to be even better for you.”
Made in Korea Season 2 will have six episodes, with the first two premiering on Disney+ on Sept. 9. Two new episodes will then be released every Wednesday, with the finale arriving on Sept. 23. Watch the trailer below.
