“The Worst of Evil” (2023) is Disney+’s new crime thriller series, starring A-List actors like Ji Chang-wook, Wi Ha-joon and Im Se-mi.
Set in 1990s Seoul, rural police officer Park Jun-mo (Ji Chang-wook) goes undercover to infiltrate a mega crime syndicate distributing a popular new drug nicknamed “Gangnam Crystal” in the city’s nightclubs. Former DJ turned gang leader, Jung Gi-cheol (Wi Ha-joon) runs the Gangnam gang which is the core of the Korea-China-Japan drug trade. Yu Eui-jeong (Im Se-mi) who is an elite police officer and Jun-mo’s wife, has a complicated relationship with Gi-cheol, being his childhood friend and also his first love. Park Jun-mo is stunned to discover his wife has volunteered for the same assignment as him and is torn between his dedication to his job and his need to keep his wife safe. Jun-mo’s actions will keep viewers on the edge of their seat throughout the show.
The press conference for “The Worst of Evil” took place recently, with cast members Ji Chang-wook, Wi Ha-joon, Im Se-mi and director Han Dong-wook present. Here is a quick summary of the press conference:
Action Scenes
Ji Chang-wook: The style of action in the show was not really about the choreography, we focused more on the emotions and how to portray those emotions through the action sequences. We wanted to go deeper into why are they fighting? What is the most effective way to show such emotional turmoil? It is not just about being stylish, you want to portray the narrative and emotional dynamics through the action scenes. We worked so hard on the action on this show so I am proud of it.
Wi Ha-joon: Chang-wook is a veteran at action and I am also confident in doing action scenes, so I knew that if we could do action scenes together, they could be really authentic and realistic. All of the actors really immersed themselves and worked so hard on the action sequences, it was quite touching as we were all working so hard for that one goal. We did really well, I felt proud!
Gripping Script
Im Se-mi: The script was so gripping, it was such a page turner that I read it in one sitting. I loved having conversations with Director Han, we talked not only about the story but the layers of emotions underneath it. My character Eui-jeong is a very self-driven character, she is very independent and does not get swayed too much by the others. That is what I liked about my character.
Complex Emotions and Love Triangle
Ji Chang-wook: First of all, I am playing two different characters. I put myself into their shoes and over the course of the story, I wanted to keep that tension all throughout and I relied on Director Han’s directions for advice. When my character Jung-mo is at the crossroads and has to choose between different options, he breaks down and he has to think for himself. I wanted to focus on that and how he rationalises (his thoughts to) himself.
Wi Ha-joon: First of all, because he is a boss of a gang, he needs charisma. Rather than being too overly tough on the surface, I feel that my character is more of an extremely cool-headed person who has his own thoughts and puts to action whatever he decides he needs to do. I intended for his facial expressions to be almost robotic-like and the only time he would sort of reveal his real emotions would be when Gi-cheol comes face to face with Eui-jeong.
Im Se-mi: Eui-jeong is not undercover but she is also after the gang and wants to approach Gi-cheol from a professional standpoint. I tried to focus on the confusion of personal feelings, of the complexity and mixture of different emotions.
Se-mi also shared that Eui-jeong’s relationship with Gi-cheol was one the topics she had the most conversations with the director on. ‘Was it pity? Or some kind of affection? Something they didn’t get closure on? Were there unresolved feelings?’
What Makes “The Worst of Evil” Different From Other Undercover Cop Dramas?
Ji Chang-wook: When I first got the script, as it has been dealt with a lot, there is a sense of familiarity when it comes to an undercover cop story. So I had my own doubts if this was going to be something that is worthwhile. But after reading the script, that concern was completely gone. When I was younger, I watched a lot of noir genre content and I think this (drama) definitely has a different tone. First of all, the overall visual mood is very different and the method that the emotions are weaved into the story is different too. The way the character dynamics are portrayed in this undercover cop story are very different from how you have seen it before.
“The Worst of Evil” is now available for streaming on Disney+.
Article by: Angeline @ KAvenyou
