The highly anticipated second installment of Made In Korea is set to return with an even bigger, darker and more intense story, as the cast and director gathered for a press conference earlier today to unveil what audiences can expect from Season 2. Attending the event were Hyun Bin, Jung Woosung, Woo Dohwan, Seo Eunsoo, Won Jian, Jung Sungil, Roh Jaewon, Cha Hee, and Director Woo Minho.

Following the compelling characters and tightly crafted narratives that captivated audiences in Season 1, Made In Korea returns nine years after the events of its first installment, expanding its story on a larger scale and with greater depth. As the characters find themselves drawn deeper into a ruthless battle for power, the stakes are higher, the alliances more fragile, and the consequences more dangerous than ever. With power, ambition and betrayal once again at the heart of the story, Season 2 promises a more cutthroat and high-stakes chapter, bringing its characters into an increasingly volatile world where every decision could change the balance of power.

Q: In Season 1, many people said that this was a career-defining role for you, and now you’re back for Season 2. Kitae’s ambition and thirst for power continue to grow. What was your focus when portraying this character once again?

Hyun Bin: In Season 2, compared to Season 1, Kitae has more power and wealth. He has climbed the ladder, but he still wants more. He has greater ambition and greed, and he wants more money and more power. At the same time, as he relentlessly pushes forward, there are other forces trying to stop him. There are a lot of clashes between him and the other players, so at times, he feels lonely and is faced with difficult choices that put him in very dangerous situations. So, I focused on all these aspects to portray the various sides of him.

Q: Hyun Bin, you are always on edge with someone and constantly going head-to-head with someone. Was that a struggle for you?

Hyun Bin: In Season 1, I just had to keep Geonyoung in check, but in Season 2, I have more homework to do. Kihyun is my family, my baby brother, and the reason Kitae goes through all this trouble is because he wants to care for his family. But now, one of his family members, his baby brother Kihyun, becomes a crucial person on the other side of the fight. So, Kitae is very much torn between all of these things happening, and Kihyun becomes a big stumbling block to his path forward. I wanted to make this compelling enough for viewers to see all of these internal conflicts that Kitae is having. I have a lot of scenes that show that internal conflict, and I tried to keep myself lonely.

Q: Jang Geonyoung is back to take down Kitae. He seemingly lost everything in Season 1, but now returns as a special advisor at the Joint Investigation Headquarters. What can we expect from Geonyoung in Season 2?

Jung Woosung: I don’t know how new he would feel to the viewers. Geonyoung lost everything in the finale of Season 1, and he was left behind in the struggle. He was at the very bottom of his life, and he is filled with revenge. Now, he wants vengeance. He doesn’t even realize that he is doing everything out of revenge, but he believes that what he is doing is an act of justice. So, he is trying to take down Baek Kitae. There is a “tiger” that he hops on to, but he doesn’t really know where the tiger is heading. He is basically riding the tide of the times. But this is a character that shows what happened in that era.

Q: Baek Kihyun is going to be a new, big pivotal factor in Season 2. He is caught between his loyalty to his brother, his deep-seated insecurities, and his principles as a soldier. Now, he becomes a lieutenant colonel and rises to prominence in Season 2. What did you try to portray this time around with Baek Kihyun?

Woo Dohwan: It’s been nine years, and Kihyun has become more mature as a person and as a soldier. He now has very strong principles, and he has things that he wants to protect. Kihyun used to be a much more immature kid in Season 1, but in Season 2, he becomes part of a big power struggle between grown-up men. I hope viewers will be curious about what choices Kihyun will make. This was the focus I thought about.

Q: Baek Kitae, Baek Kihyun and Baek So-yeong, what kind of family dynamics did you want to portray?

Director Woo Minho: I wanted to portray the family dynamics during those times. In Season 1, I don’t feel like we got a deep look into their family dynamics, and I wanted to show more of that in Season 2. After nine years, how have the family dynamics changed and evolved? How have the emotions at stake transformed? Those were quite top of mind as we created Season 2. I think the emotions have gotten a lot deeper. Because they are family, they love each other, but then you get more upset with them. It’s a love-and-hate relationship when it comes to family. So, I tried to incorporate those emotions through these three characters in Season 2, and I think you will be quite shocked to meet these characters.

Q: You play Oh Yejin, a prosecutor in the investigations team. What was that experience like for you?

Seo Eunsoo: I’m in the narcotics unit, and I joined the Joint Investigation Headquarters. It is all just filled with men, so I did feel a bit lonely. I would have loved to have a female friend. I worked a lot with Woosung, and I shared a lot of scenes with him. In Season 1, I was the more bubbly person working together with Woosung. I think in Season 2, that sort of changes. It’s a little different vibe. Sometimes we would have arguments, and sometimes we would play along together.

Q: Eunsoo, how did you approach playing Oh Yejin in Season 2?

Seo Eunsoo: I thought a lot about the hairstyle. I had very curly hair in Season 1, but this time I wanted a very natural, polished type of hairstyle, sort of like Princess Diana and her very unique style. So, that was something I tried to pull off. When I first met with Director Woo, I was very slim. I had lost a lot of weight, but he said that if I was going to be the first female prosecutor, I should be more muscular. So, I ate a lot and got to add more weight. Oh Yejin also becomes more straightforward and unapologetic, so I tried to convince myself that I am Oh Yejin, that I am the very first female prosecutor in Korea.

Q:  I think the loneliest might be Ji-an, since you were in Japan.

Won Jian: Yooji Ikeda, unlike in Season 1, gets to meet a lot of different people in Season 2. In Season 1, it was usually just me and Hyun Bin sharing scenes. But in Season 2, I get to meet characters who are on the other side of this fight. While I was filming, I thought, “Wow, this is how it feels to be on the other side.” We were already producing Season 2, but it felt so different to me because it was my first time being on the other side of the fight.

Season 2 of Made in Korea will premiere on on 9 September 2026, exclusively on Disney+!