For Korean actors Lee Min-ho and Minha Kim, participating in ‘Pachinko’ has been an apprenticeship. The 8-part series, which will premiere in AppleTV+ this March 25, is one of the most anticipated by fans of Asian culture, not only because of its story (based on the most widely read homonymous novel in The New York Times), but also because of the cast that brings together a true constellation of Korean stars, including Yuh-Jung Youn, winner of the Oscar (Best Supporting Actress in Minari, 2021), who plays the lead in her adult years.
Through the life of a woman named Sunja, ‘Pachinko’ chronicles the dreams and hopes of four generations of a Korean migrant family in a historical drama that travels between Korea, Japan, and the United States and takes place over 70 years. “For me it is like an unexpected gift. The series gave me a handful of experiences and opportunities to play this woman. I felt very proud when I became Sunja, because she has a warm heart and is very authentic in the way she handles problems and overcomes obstacles.” bill minha kim about his young version of the protagonist.
The 25-year-old interpreter, who talks through Zoom with The Republic and other media, he adds that he had many connections to his character. “Yes, there were many and I discovered them while preparing for the role. The biggest similarity that I found with her was that despite all the difficulties that she goes through, Sunja has a great survival instinct and knows how to protect herself and her family, so there came a point that I really felt that it was part of me too”.
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From good guy to villain
At the age of 16, Sunja meets the love of her life: Hansu, the man with whom she becomes pregnant and moves away when she discovers that he is married. The role falls to actor Lee Min-ho, (star of ‘Boys Over Flowers’), who confesses that the role has meant a complete turnaround in his performances, almost always centered on good-hearted leading men. “I have been acting for around 16 years and I have not even been satisfied with my performance, I always think what to do better and how to act authentically. This time, Hansu is very different from my other characters, he is very down to earth and down to earth and I wanted to project those vibes. The most important thing to interpret it has been the authenticity of it. And, about my performance, it’s up to the public to decide if they like it or not. For my part, I think I will never be satisfied,” he says. Min-ho.
For the construction of Sunja and Hansu, both actors had to investigate, since much of the drama takes place during the Japanese occupation of Korea (1910-1945), the same years in which their characters meet and fall in love. “Not only did I read the novel, I tried to study about Japanese Korean history, I wanted to understand what was going on. I also read books and listened to music from that time and asked questions of my 94-year-old grandmother. She told me episodes of herself, her thoughts and emotions, things that I wanted to investigate. So I went to work, trying to feel that culture,” says Minha Kim.
“In my case, I had basic notions of that time from school, but that was a long time ago, so I reviewed the major events of that time. But I think the focus of this series is not exactly on the historical events themselves, but on those who survived and were not included, on understanding the feelings and emotions of those people. So I tried to look for images and photographs from that time to understand what it was like to be people and live in that time”, reveals Min-ho.
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The 34-year-old actor confesses that the series brought him back to fame and that he is ready to continue working either in Hollywood or anywhere else. “I hadn’t had an audition for a long time, so it was refreshing for me, it sort of brought my glow back. Ten years ago, when I was younger in my career, I had a lot of auditions and ‘Pachinko’ It reminded me of that time and passion. I think this experience paved the way for more work, not just for Hollywood but for any story told anywhere in the world.”
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