'Boys Over Flowers' actress Gu Hye Seon shares pics from the Himalayas
On November 13, the "Disney+ Originals Preview 2025" event was held at the Hong Kong Disneyland Hotel. The event showcased upcoming APAC (Asia-Pacific) and global original content slated for release on the OTT.
The event was attended by over 400 members of the press from around the world, including about 100 journalists from Korea. The participating countries included Korea, Japan, the United States, Hong Kong, Taiwan, Indonesia, Malaysia, the Philippines, Thailand, Australia, Mexico, and Brazil — a total of 14 countries.
The event offered a preview of the upcoming APAC and global original content. It showcases a lineup of APAC originals from countries like Korea and Japan, as well as global entertainment titles.
Korean titles featured include The Manipulated, Made in Korea, and the 2026 releases A Shop for Killers Season 2, The Remarried Empress, Goldland, and Portraits of Delusion, with their cast and creators appearing on stage.
Introducing Made in Korea were director Woo Min Ho, along with cast members Jung Woo Sung, Hyun Bin, and Woo Do Hwan.
The team announced that production for Season 2 is already underway, with a release scheduled for the second half of next year.
Made in Korea is set in the 1970s and follows Baek Ki Tae (Hyun Bin), a man driven by ambition for wealth and power, and prosecutor Jang Gun Young (Jung Woo Sung), who risks everything to stop him. The story depicts the lives of monstrous individuals who came to be from this harsh and chaotic era.
Hyun Bin explained why he chose the project: "I think it was the power of the script. It blends the historical backdrop of the 1970s with fictional elements."
Jung Woo Sung added, "I chose this project because of my co-stars, Hyun Bin and Woo Do Hwan. Forming a bond through acting together in a new project is precious among actors. I felt this project would allow me to work with such wonderful fellow actors."
Made in Korea will premiere on December 24.
A Shop for Killers Season 2 is making a comeback, bringing new stylish action and a power-packed story. Scheduled for release in 2026, the K-drama stars Lee Dong Wook, Kim Hye Joon, Jo Han Sun, Geum Hae Na, Lee Tae Young, and Kim Min.
When asked on stage about what's going to be different in the new season, Lee Dong Wook shared, "I think the action will be on a larger scale and even more intense than in Season 1." Director Lee Kwon added, "There were stories we couldn't tell in Season 1, but now we finally have the opportunity to explain them, so I'm very satisfied."
Kim Hye Jun commented, "I was curious about how the things that weren't explained in Season 1 — even the ones I didn’t know about — would unfold. At the same time, I also felt some pressure about how the character should continue to grow."
Lee Dong Wook continued with a laugh, "The director handled both the script and the directing. It must have been a heavy burden to create a new story, so I tried to help him as much as I could."
Presenting Goldland were director Kim Sung Hoon and actors Park Bo Young, Kim Sung Cheol, and Lee Hyun Wook.
Scheduled for release in 2026, Goldland follows Hee Joo (Park Bo Young), who accidentally comes into possession of gold bars belonging to a smuggling organization. Caught in a chaotic web of greed and betrayal, she becomes consumed by her own desire to keep it, leading to a desperate struggle for survival.
Director Kim explained, "I wanted to delve deeply into human desire — how vast it can be and how people attempt to manage it."
Park Bo Young commented, "I think I'll be showing a side of myself that's quite different from what audiences have seen before. There's a lot of running, and I got covered in dirt quite often."
She continued, "The gold ends up in her hands by accident, and at first, she doesn't think it belongs to her because she didn't want it. But humans develop desire, don't they? She starts thinking, 'Maybe I could keep it,' and I think viewers will see her transformation as she begins to act on that desire."
Presenting The Remarried Empress were Shin Min Ah, Ju Ji Hoon, and Lee Jong Suk.
The Remarried Empress tells the story of Empress Navier (Shin Min Ah), the perfect empress of the Eastern Empire, who is divorced by her husband, Emperor Sovieshu (Ju Ji Hoon), and subsequently marries Prince Heinrey (Lee Jong Suk) of the Western Kingdom.
Lee Se Young takes on the role of Rashta, a runaway slave with stunning beauty. She enters the palace as Sovieshu's concubine, marking the beginning of the downfall of his marriage to Empress Navier.
Shin Min Ah shared her thoughts on acting in a Western-style setting and palace for the first time: "Aside from fusion historical dramas, I’ve only ever filmed modern dramas, so I felt both anxious and excited at the same time." "When I first decided to take on a story set in a palace that exists somewhere between the East and the West, it felt unfamiliar. But once I put on the crown and the dress, it actually felt okay."
Lee Se Young described her character Rashta, saying, "It's a kind of acting that might give off the feeling of shamelessness in a way." "I think many actors would have felt a sense of vicarious satisfaction through her. It was truly a fresh and new experience. While filming, I think I, too, came to share Rashta's desires."
Ju Ji Hoon added, "Our roles create conflict in the story, but the characters themselves are pure in a way that fits the era. Audiences will find that aspect enjoyable to watch."
Portraits of Delusion unveils stills, featuring the leads Bae Suzy and Kim Seon Ho.
Set in 1935 Gyeongseong, Portraits of Delusion tells the story of painter Yoon Yi Ho (Kim Seon Ho), who is commissioned to paint a portrait of Song Jeong Hwa (Bae Suzy) — a mysterious woman, shrouded in rumors and suspicion, who has remained hidden from the world for over half a century. The story unfolds as he delves into her mysterious secret.
