Jun Ji-hyun and Kang Dong-won Star in 'Polaris', "I Wrote the Script Imagining Jun Ji-hyun... Kang Dong-won is Like Winning the Lottery"

Writer Jeong Seo-kyung revealed the behind-the-scenes story of casting the lead actors for the Disney Plus original series 'Polaris' during the Creators Talk held on the 20th at CGV Yongsan I-Park Mall in Seoul. Jeong stated, "From the moment I imagined this story, 'Moon Joo' was Jun Ji-hyun," and added, "When I cast Kang Dong-won as San-ho, I felt like I had won the lottery."

'Polaris' is a drama series that depicts the story of Moon Joo (played by Jun Ji-hyun), who has built an international reputation as a UN ambassador, chasing the truth behind an assassination attempt on a presidential candidate, and facing a huge truth threatening the Korean Peninsula alongside the unidentified special agent San-ho (played by Kang Dong-won). This work has garnered significant attention from the production stage due to its glamorous casting, including Jun Ji-hyun and Kang Dong-won. Renowned actors such as John Cho, Lee Mi-sook, Kim Hae-sook, and Oh Jung-se have also joined, raising expectations.

Jeong revealed that he had Jun Ji-hyun in mind for the role of 'Moon Joo' from the beginning of the scriptwriting process. He described Moon Joo as "a character who has lived in a lonely and cold place," and added, "I was relieved to see Jun Ji-hyun interpret this character, thinking that it was fortunate for a warm person like her to take on a lonely character."

Regarding the casting of Kang Dong-won, he expressed, "I couldn't help but admire, wondering if such luck could exist in life." Jeong evaluated the character of 'San-ho' played by Kang Dong-won as "a very difficult character," praising him as "an actor who can simultaneously show the coldness and warmth of San-ho, as well as the adult yet boyish aspects."

'Polaris' has garnered attention for its co-direction by Kim Hee-won, director of 'Queen of Tears' and 'Vincenzo', and Heo Myung-hyang, director of 'The Outlaws 4' and 'The Wilderness'. Additionally, writer Jeong Seo-kyung, known for 'Decision to Leave' and 'Little Women', has joined, further raising expectations.

Director Kim Hee-won revealed the reason for choosing the work, stating, "I like stories where characters risk their lives and struggle." He explained, "As I added flesh and ideas, the scale grew, and since action is an important aspect of the work, I asked director Heo Myung-hyang to co-direct."

Director Heo Myung-hyang expressed his respect for director Kim Hee-won and explained the background of accepting the co-direction. He added, "I thought that my directing ability could not be demonstrated in the tight schedules and demanding production environments of previous works, but through co-direction, I was able to enhance my directing ability."

All spaces in the work were overseen by art director Kim Byung-han, who participated in works such as 'Mother' and 'Suriname'. Kim expressed, "This work had the most spaces among the projects I have participated in. If other works had 100 spaces, this one had to create 200 spaces," and shared the challenge of having to set up a total of 13 countries.

For parts that could not be built as sets or required visual effects, VFX supervisor Hong Jeong-ho, who worked on the 'Along with the Gods' series and 'Parasite', was responsible for enhancing the quality. In particular, the production team focused on the cathedral scene that appears in the first episode. Unable to find a suitable location for filming, they built the set themselves and supplemented the detailed parts with CG.

Jeong expressed admiration, stating, "I was surprised that they made the cathedral set, which was only for one or two scenes, so beautifully." He continued, "I wanted to make the cathedral set, which would be gone in two weeks, meaningful, so I wrote the ending scene here."

The music is composed by Dalparan, a founding member of Sinawi, and Jeong Jae-il, the music director of 'Squid Game', adding to the anticipation. Director Kim Hee-won expressed satisfaction, saying, "Having these two is enough to die without regrets," and added, "It felt like a big jam session where musicians freely participated and played impromptu, providing a cathartic experience."

Consisting of a total of 9 episodes, 'Polaris' is set to be released sequentially on Disney Plus starting from the 10th of next month.