'Pachinko' Director Kogonada: "Youn Yuh-jung's Face Reflects Korean History and Her Film Career" (Summary)

Photo by Apple

[Asia Economy Reporter Lee Isul] 'Pachinko,' which depicts the hopes and dreams of Korean immigrant families, lands on the 25th. Apple TV Plus, which has not achieved remarkable success since its launch, is forcefully knocking on the door of the domestic market, leveraging the recognition of Youn Yuh-jung and Lee Min-ho and a solid work.

Director Kogonada stated at the online production briefing for the Apple Original Series 'Pachinko' held on the morning of the 18th, "I was amazed by every scene with Youn Yuh-jung."

The director expressed satisfaction, saying, "Youn Yuh-jung showed delicate and profound acting in every scene. She was like a map containing Korean history, and it seemed to embody her film career. It was astonishing."

In response, Youn Yuh-jung wittily replied, "That's because I'm old."

'Pachinko' is based on the New York Times bestseller of the same name by author Min Jin Lee and unfolds the hopes and dreams of a Korean immigrant family over four generations in a chronicle. Starting with a forbidden love story, it travels between Korea, Japan, and the United States, portraying war and peace, love and farewell, victory and judgment, recovery, and human resilience. It was produced in three languages: Korean, Japanese, and English.

Director Kogonada expressed confidence, saying, "Although it deals with immigrant families, it is not just Korean history. It is a story that happens to all of us, so it will be relatable and shareable."

He added, "The charm lies in the dialogue and coexistence between the past and present, and it is not a story that feels like it belongs to a completely different era. I wanted to depict it so that people today can empathize and reflect on it."

Photo by Apple

Youn Yuh-jung plays the resilient Sunja, who does not yield to adversity, delivering a seasoned performance. Although it deals with the life of immigrants like 'Minari,' she emphasized that it is a different work. She said, "It is a new character with a completely different narrative," and "I chose the work without concern for the previous one."

New actress Kim Min-ha was selected as the lead after about four months of auditions. She shared, "I poured out my soul during the audition," and "It was a valuable time to learn how to raise my voice and discover who I am."

Lee Min-ho, appearing in his first online streaming service (OTT) work with 'Pachinko,' plays Solomon Baek, the son Sunja gave birth to in Japan. He said, "Regardless of the box office success, I feel proud," and "We worked hard together and were able to fully demonstrate our abilities."

'Pachinko' will release three episodes on Apple TV Plus on the 25th, with one episode released every Friday until April 29. It will be presented in a total of eight episodes.

Producer Teresa Kang urged, "It is very sad, so please prepare tissues," and "I hope this work, which delivers a great resonance, will gain empathy from many people in Korea." Producer Michael Ellenberg also expressed confidence, saying, "I believe everyone will relate to it beyond countries or languages."

Su Hoo, who is responsible for the screenplay and executive production, appealed, "This is a work that contains all of our hearts."

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.