Disney Plus is looking to turn things around with a new mystery thriller, Nine Puzzles, after facing backlash over Knock-Off starring Kim Soo Hyun.
A press conference for Nine Puzzles took place at JW Marriott Dongdaemun Square Seoul on May 14th. Director Yoon Jong Bin attended the event alongside lead cast members Kim Da Mi, Son Suk Ku, Kim Sung Kyun and Hyun Bong Shik.
Nine Puzzles follows a profiler who was the sole witness to an unsolved murder case from 10 years ago and a detective who suspects him as the killer. Together, they dig into a series of connected murders.
At the center of it all is profiler Yoon Ina, played by Kim Da Mi. She is the niece of the first victim in the serial murders and lost all memory after witnessing the crime. Director Yoon’s “one pick,” Kim Da Mi, shared, “I wanted to portray her as someone honest and impulsive like a child, who may seem reckless but actually hides deep pain and vulnerability.”
Kim said she didn’t focus too much on portraying a stereotypical profiler. “The director encouraged me to approach it in Ina’s own unique way,” she explained. “So I tried using more hand gestures or giving musicality to my lines.”
Son Suk Ku plays detective Kim Han Saem of the Violent Crimes Unit 2 at Hangang Police Station, the other main pillar of the drama. He said, “The word that best describes Han Saem is persistence,” adding, “This isn’t your typical realistic crime show, so I focused more on unpredictability rather than following genre conventions. I think it suits today’s viewers’ tastes.”
On his dynamic with Kim Da Mi’s character, he said, “Their relationship was the biggest challenge. They’re not siblings, not lovers, not even enemies — it’s something in between. It’s a type of relationship that’s nearly impossible to experience in real life, so I had to rely on imagination. Kim Da Mi brought a lot of great ideas to the table, which helped a lot.”
Kim Da Mi responded warmly, “Son Suk Ku made it easy to communicate. We had lots of conversations, and that naturally made me rely on him.” He added, “We actually have similar personalities, so I figured we’d make a good team — and we really did.”
Throughout the press conference, director Yoon repeatedly warned of spoilers. “Of course, I can’t stop people from posting on forums,” he said. “I don’t have a way to prevent it. But I highly recommend not reading anything labeled Nine Puzzles. It’s best to go in blind.”
Nine Puzzles will run for 11 episodes. The first six will drop on May 21, followed by three episodes the next week, and the final two a week after that.
>> ‘Nine Puzzles’ Unveils Main Poster and Trailer: Kim Da Mi and Son Suk Ku Face Off in Deadly Mystery
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