You Hyun Soo looked back on the intense preparation behind his role in Disney Plus series A Shop for Killers 2, from learning a regional dialect to earning a motorcycle license and learning how to operate a boat.
The second season, which ended August 12th, follows Ji An (Kim Hye Jun), now running the shopping mall after a brutal handover, as she launches a counterattack against Babylon Global alongside her uncle Jin Man (Lee Dong Wook), who has returned alive.
You played Kim Woo Jin, a young fisherman from the island village of Hanamdo. Despite limited screen time, the character left a strong impression through his tender romance and eventual sacrifice.
A key part of Woo Jin’s story was his relationship with Ji An. You described Kim Hye Jun as “cheerful and bright.”
“When I was scrambling to prepare the Tongyeong dialect and everything else, she would joke around and make the set feel comfortable,” he said. “She also has strong leadership and brought a lot of energy to the set.”
Their first kiss scene was filmed near the end of production. You said the focus was less on romance than on the fear and desperation surrounding the characters.
“There was more tenderness than excitement,” he said. “By then, she had already looked after me a lot and we’d gotten close, so I wasn’t too nervous. We got it in one take.”
You also spoke warmly about Lee Dong Wook, his senior at the same agency and a co-star from the previous project. The two frequent the same gym and often run into each other.
“He always checks in and asks how I’ve been doing,” Yoo said. “At the table read, I think he could tell I was nervous because I’d had to learn the dialect on short notice. He told me, ‘It’s supposed to be difficult, so keep at it.'”
After You finished filming a motorcycle action scene, Lee sent him a message saying he had watched the footage. “He told me I’d worked hard and done well. I was really touched,” You said.
Woo Jin’s death scene was another sequence You prepared for extensively. Filmed on a boat inside a water-tank set, the scene took six to seven hours because of the technical setup and emotional preparation required.
You credited Kim Hye Jun with helping him through the sequence.
“She gave me so much energy emotionally that I could really connect with her,” he said. “I was able to film the scene by feeding off that synergy.”
As for Woo Jin’s ending, You said he sees it as a fitting one. “I think it’s beautiful because it ended that way,” he said. “Woo Jin became a catalyst for Ji An. His choice and his death have an important impact on her, so I think it was a beautiful exit.”
>>Lee Dong Wook on Returning for ‘A Shop for Killers’ Season 2, Gaining 8kg and Hopes for Season 3
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