On the morning of December 19th, a press conference for the Netflix series Gyeongseong Creature took place. The event featured Park Seo Joon, Han So Hee, director Jung Dong Yoon, and more.
Park Seo Joon described the series as “a creature series set in 1945, intertwined with the stories of two youths and offering a variety of complex genres.” He explained his reason for choosing this project: “I always look at the story first. This story was attractive, and the role offered a chance to show various sides of myself. I have always appreciated writer Kang’s work and wanted to meet director Jung Dong Yoon and, of course, Han So Hee.”
Han So Hee, who co-stars with Park Seo Joon, said, “I enjoyed director Jung Dong Yoon’s previous work, Hot Stove League. The era the show was set in was the most appealing aspect for me. It’s a creature genre. I was curious about how this genre would help me.”
Introducing his character, Jang Tae Sang, Park said, “He’s the wealthiest man and owns the pawnshop ‘Geumokdang.'” He added, “I tried to show the life that Jang Tae Sang has lived. People will see the performance once the show is released, but I thought the first impression is from his looks. So we put a lot of effort into creating it, so I hope you like it.”
He recalled shooting the torture scene in his first shoot. Park commented, “It was a very cold day. I kept getting wet. My whole body was soaked. I even thought, ‘What is this, hazing?’ It was a struggle from the beginning. The start of this series was so intense that it made me wonder what the end would be like.”
The actor also shared his thoughts on acting with Han So Hee. “I pondered a lot about keeping my emotions under control. Sometimes, certain emotions are evoked simply by observing the situation and atmosphere. As Han So Hee is a talented actress, it was crucial how we exchanged looks in those moments. I’m certain there will be several scenes where the situation itself naturally brings out poignant feelings.”
He continued, “After the first few scenes, I barely met Han So Hee, so I just grew curious. When we finally met, it felt like, ‘I’ve missed you, So Hee.’ I tried to express restrained melodrama smoothly, focusing on the situation. This sentiment, and the thoughts accompanying it during filming, allowed emotions to build up, necessitating a restrained portrayal of romance in our scenes.” He went on to praise Han So Hee’s acting, “You could just feel the story in her eyes. I relied a lot on her.”
Han So Hee described her character Yoon Chae Ok as “a tracker who can find even the dead. She’s been searching for her mother, who disappeared 10 years ago, with her father. Many things happen when she arrives in Gyeongseong and meets Jang Tae Sang.” She added, “Chae Ok’s character isn’t like mine. I’m not a laid-back person, so I was worried. But Chae Ok had a clear goal of finding her mother, so I focused on that.”
The actress also addressed an injury she sustained during filming last August, saying, “An injury isn’t just about me getting hurt; it’s a problem for everyone involved in the action, from the stuntmen to the actors. It’s fortunate if you get hurt a little—you just can’t avoid getting hurt. Once the filming starts, everyone gets deeply involved. I probably could’ve avoided the injury if I had distinguished between what I could and couldn’t do.” She then playfully added, “There are emotions involved in action sequences. I got hurt wanting to do a good job, so I hope people don’t worry too much.”
Meanwhile, Gyeongseong Creature Part 1 will be released on Netflix on December 22nd, with Part 2 following on January 5th, 2024.
