‘Gold Land’ Production Press Conference Featuring Park Bo-young, Kim Sung-cheol, Lee Hyun-wook, Kim Hee-won, Moon Jeong-hee, Lee Kwang-soo, and Director Kim Seong-hoon Concludes Successfully!

Disney+ original series 〈Gold Land〉 held a successful production press conference in grand style today, April 29 (Wednesday), right ahead of its release. At the event, Park Bo-young, Kim Sung-cheol, Lee Hyun-wook, Kim Hee-won, Moon Jeong-hee, along with Lee Kwang-soo and Director Kim Seong-hoon, attended and traded a variety of stories related to the project, raising anticipation for the series.  

First, Director Kim Seong-hoon kicked off the press conference by introducing 〈Gold Land〉, saying, “It’s a story about what happens when a character named ‘Kim Hee-ju,’ who unexpectedly ends up with about 150 billion won worth of gold from a smuggling organization, develops a desire to have that gold.” When asked what led them to decide to appear in 〈Gold Land〉, Park Bo-young said, “In terms of the genre, I wanted to take on a challenge, and the director told me, ‘When I see you, you have an image that looks like you’ll return the money.’ I thought that when a person with that kind of image makes a different choice, it could give viewers a different emotion—and I was also moved by that.” She revealed her ambitions for taking on her first crime-genre role, and hinted at the birth of a new ‘desire’ series within Disney+’s genre hits. 

Next, in-depth stories unfolded about the intense characters in 〈Gold Land〉. Playing Kim Hee-ju, a woman who has awakened to desire, Park Bo-young centered the drama and said, “There was also a side to her—because ‘Hee-ju’ isn’t someone who grew up happily, we wanted to show that as well. And since there’s so much in the story about her fleeing with gold, they said she should look a bit slimmer, so I lost weight during filming.” She heightened expectations for a new look, shedding her lovely image and putting on a colder edge. Kim Sung-cheol, who plays ‘Woo-gi,’ the man who’s betting on desire, said, “‘Woo-gi’ is incredibly one-dimensional and honest, and I thought that the mystery coming from this honesty might be able to bring tension.” He shared what he worked on to vividly capture the character’s charm. Lee Hyun-wook, who plays ‘Lee Do-kyung,’ the man who bets on desire, said, “All of them are characters who are honest about their desire, but personally, I think ‘Do-kyung’ is the most realistic. I guess I tried to focus on that and do a lot of real responses and portray the grounded side of him”, emphasizing the character’s realism and multi-layered appeal.

Kim Hee-won, who played ‘Kim Jin-man,’ a man trapped by desire, praised the script as “the best script of the year,” then said, “‘Kim Jin-man’ gets stuck in a pit he can never crawl out of, and later he gives up. I thought that’s how he lives—like he makes a vow to live and die, stuck deep in a pit of evil,” adding to expectations for the heavy presence he would bring to the drama. Moon Jeong-hee, who plays ‘Yeo Seon-ok,’ a woman whose desire has worn thin, said, “While reading the script, there were parts where my mind felt like it was being swept along by it, and the expression ‘desire has worn thin’ felt appropriate,” sharing her thoughts with deep empathy for the character.

Lee Kwang-soo, who became the drama’s top antagonist as ‘Park Lee-sa,’ the man who chases desire, said, “To embody his harsh life, I suggested ideas using facial scars and his obsession with gold—like gold teeth or accessories.” He shared detailed behind-the-scenes set-up notes for bringing the character to life. On top of that, the atmosphere at the site was lightened by an amusing situation where Lee Kwang-soo’s ‘tooth gem’ drew lots of attention, leading to a playful idea dispute between Director Kim Seong-hoon and Lee Kwang-soo. He added, “Unlike my previous work, this is my first time playing a role that’s good at fighting, so I acted hard for the action too. Since it’s my first time playing a character expressing such chunky, substantial desire, I think I can show a different side from before,” raising expectations for his transformation as an actor.

As tracking begins around the whereabouts of the gold bars, people harboring different desires clash in relationships surrounding the gold bars, and the suspense in the unpredictable 〈Gold Land〉 ensnares everyone—those who chase the gold, those who hide it, and even those preparing to betray others—showing an intense psychological battle where no one can be trusted all the way through. Like the series’ premise in 〈Gold Land〉, when asked, “If a 150 billion won gold bar were actually to appear, what would you do?” Park Bo-young replied, “I thought a lot. When I tried living as ‘Hee-ju’ according to desire, I wasn’t 100% happy. I don’t want to have it right now—but if I had it, I would fill just a little of my selfish desires and donate the rest.” Then Kim Sung-cheol said, “Through 〈Gold Land〉, I’ve been asked this question a lot, and it seems my thoughts change every time. Sometimes I want to have it, and sometimes I don’t want to. Today, I do want it, but since I don’t think there’s such a thing as a freebie, I think I’d spend it with good intentions.” Lee Kwang-soo said, “I have a lot of fear, so I’d return it to the owner. I know that if I find the wallet, I’d get a reward—but I’d return the gold bar, get the reward, and put it into the bank,” prompting laughter. In this way, even the actors seemed deeply immersed in the show’s premise, further building anticipation for the thrilling development of the series.

Lastly, when asked about the points to watch in 〈Gold Land〉, Park Bo-young said, “I don’t think there are any ‘good people’ or ‘bad people’ in 〈Gold Land〉. It’s a work that makes viewers think, ‘What would I do in that situation?’” Lee Hyun-wook said, “It’s a great work full of tension. You can look forward to it—we’d really appreciate it if you set high expectations.” Kim Hee-won added, “In Disney+, you’ll be able to see Park Bo-young’s new side. We had an incredibly fun time filming, and there were many different, unique experiences.” Moon Jeong-hee said, “I think it’s a fresh, shocking, and fast-paced series you can see again in Disney+. It’s a work where noir and warmth coexist, so there’s a lot to enjoy.” Director Kim Seong-hoon also said, “We filmed for more than six months. You’ll be able to see new sides of the actors we’ve been familiar with—inside the drama. The suspense created by desire in their hearts is an important element. I’m sure you’ll be able to enjoy it enough—it’ll be plenty fun.” With both the cast and the director speaking in agreement, they wrapped up the 〈Gold Land〉 production press conference in great style. 

Disney+ original series 〈Gold Land〉, drawing attention as a powerhouse genre entertainment built from the intense suspense surrounding human desire, the golden acting synergy from actors to be trusted as they showcase their new sides, and Director Kim Seong-hoon’s dense directing in 〈Joint Operations〉, as well as the solid writing of author Hwang Jo-yoon of 〈Oldboy〉, will begin with the release of episodes 1 and 2 on Wednesday, April 29, followed by two episodes every week, for a total of 10 episodes.