Hyun Bin is opening up about a dramatic physical transformation for his latest project, revealing that he gained roughly 13 to 14 kilograms (about 29 to 31 pounds) for Disney Plus’s upcoming original series Made in Korea.
The series held its production presentation on December 15th at the Grand InterContinental Seoul Parnas. Director Woo Min Ho attended alongside cast members Hyun Bin, Jung Woo Sung, Woo Do Hwan, Seo Eun Soo, Won Ji An, Jung Sung Il, Kang Gil Woo, Noh Jae Won, and Park Yong Woo.
Speaking about his noticeably bulked-up appearance compared to his previous role, Hyun Bin explained, “When I was working on my last project ‘Harbin,’ the director told me, ‘Bin, I do not want you to have muscles.’ So at the time, I stopped working out, lost muscle, and even lost weight. Compared to that, for ‘Made in Korea,’ I gained about 13 to 14 kilograms.”
He continued, “One of the reasons for that was because I wanted the sense of intimidation that comes from someone belonging to the Central Intelligence Agency, the most powerful institution at the time, to be visible in the character himself. So I bulked up and focused on building muscle. My diet was actually a bit more relaxed than when I prepare for other characters.” He added, “This is the biggest body I have had in my acting career. Out of all the characters I have played so far, this one is physically the largest.”
Hyun Bin also spoke modestly about expectations for the series’ success. “You should not have expectations that are too big,” he said with a playful smile. “But of course, I would be happy if it did as well as ‘Crash Landing on You.’ I hope many people will watch it, but I am not setting my expectations too high.”
Set in South Korea during the turbulent yet transformative 1970s, Made in Korea follows Baek Gi Tae (Hyun Bin), a man who seeks wealth and power by turning the nation itself into a profit model, and Jang Geon Young (Jung Woo Sung), a prosecutor who relentlessly hunts him down with fierce obsession. The series premieres on Disney+ on December 24th.
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