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(From left to right) Jo Woo-jin, Ha Youn-kyoung, Bibi and Ji Chang-wook during the press conference for 'Gangnam B-Side' in Seoul, October 30, 2024. Photos from Disney+ Korea's X account

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‘Gangnam B-Side’ delves into dark side of famed Seoul district

Paul Xavier Jaehwa Bernardo

ABS-CBN News

<div><span class="fr-img-caption fr-fic fr-dib" style="width:950px"><span class="fr-img-wrap"><img src="https://od2-image-api.abs-cbn.com/prod/editorImage/1730606545713GANGNAM1.jfif" style="width:950px" class="fr-fic fr-dib"/><span class="fr-inner" style="text-align:left">(From left to right) Jo Woo-jin, Ha Youn-kyoung, Bibi and Ji Chang-wook during the press conference for &#x27;Gangnam B-Side&#x27; in Seoul, October 30, 2024. <em>Photos from Disney+ Korea&#x27;s X account</em></span></span></span>It has been 12 years since South Korean rapper Psy released his megahit “Gangnam Style,” catapulting Seoul’s affluent district into the global spotlight. Known for its high-end boutiques, trendy cafes and restaurants, and vibrant nightlife, Gangnam has practically become synonymous with luxury and style.</div><p>But Disney+’s upcoming crime drama “Gangnam B-Side” presents a darker world lurking beneath the district’s glitzy facade.</p><p>“[Gangnam is] a glamorous space... [but] I’m pretty sure beneath the surface, there might be dark alleys and different lives, so I thought I could use that as an interesting plot,” director Park Noo-ri said through an interpreter in a recent online press conference.</p><p>Scheduled to premiere on November 6, “Gangnam B-Side” follows a detective, prosecutor and broker as they each pursue their own motives to locate a woman from the Gangnam club scene who has mysteriously disappeared.</p><div><span class="fr-video fr-deletable fr-fvc fr-dvb fr-draggable" contenteditable="false" draggable="true"><iframe width="640" height="360" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/SNPNbSLOMqM?&amp;wmode=opaque&amp;rel=0" frameBorder="0" allowfullscreen="" class="fr-draggable"></iframe></span></div><p>Park said the production team aimed to create a realistic atmosphere for the series, filming on location in Gangnam as much as possible.</p><p>“Since it is such a city of glamor, I thought it was really important to capture the realistic aspects. So we put in a lot of thought in choosing the locations. We tried to shoot as much as we could in Gangnam,” she said.</p><p>“Viewers will be able to recognize some familiar spots as they watch the series. I thought that could relay or convey the realisticness,” she added.</p><p>The cast is led by Jo Woo-jin, who previously starred in the thriller series “Happiness” and crime drama “Narco-Saints.” In “Gangnam B-Side,” he portrays Kang Dong-woo, a detective “with a fiery passion for justice” who, after being initially demoted, returns to solve the disappearance case.</p><div><span class="fr-img-caption fr-fic fr-dib" style="width:950px"><span class="fr-img-wrap"><img src="https://od2-image-api.abs-cbn.com/prod/editorImage/1730606796150DONGWOO.jfif" style="width:950px" class="fr-fic fr-dib"/><span class="fr-inner" style="text-align:left">Jo Woo-jin as Kang Dong-woo</span></span></span></div><p>The 45-year-old actor shared he gained 18 kilograms for the role. “For the first time after my high school days, I ate a lot and worked out heavily. I tried all the burger restaurants in our neighborhood to add weight,” he said.</p><p>“At first, when I saw myself on the monitor, it didn’t feel like myself, that kind of body shape and face was something I’ve never seen myself on the screen like. I tried to make my appearance pleasant for the viewers to see and I tried to get my character’s feelings across in a way that is convincing,” Woo-jin said.</p><p>Heartthrob Ji Chang-wook stars as Yoon Gil-ho, a broker in the Gangnam underworld who has endured a tough life.</p><div><span class="fr-img-caption fr-fic fr-dib" style="width:950px"><span class="fr-img-wrap"><img src="https://od2-image-api.abs-cbn.com/prod/editorImage/1730606840030GILHO.jfif" style="width:950px" class="fr-fic fr-dib"/><span class="fr-inner" style="text-align:left">Ji Chang-wook as Yoon Gil-ho</span></span></span></div><div><strong>Attention to detail</strong></div><p>Chang-wook stressed that he paid close attention to Gil-ho’s look and styling. “If you look at his face, he’s always wounded, there’s always a scar or injury in his face that shows what a tough life he lives. It hints that he’s always been in a fight,” Chang-wook said.</p><p>“When [Gil-ho is] with other people, I want him to stand out to show that he’s someone dangerous, someone who’s a little off, so his clothes are very over the top, not like what I would usually wear.”</p><div><a href="https://news.abs-cbn.com/entertainment/2024/8/7/ji-chang-wook-melts-hearts-in-manila-fan-meet-1250"><strong>READ: Ji Chang-wook melts hearts in Manila fan meet</strong></a></div><p>Also part of the main cast are Ha Youn-kyoung (“Extraordinary Attorney Woo” and “See You in My 19th Life”) as prosecutor Min Seo-jin, and singer-turned-actress Bibi in the role of the missing club star Kim Jae-hee.</p><div><span class="fr-img-caption fr-fic fr-dib" style="width:950px"><span class="fr-img-wrap"><img src="https://od2-image-api.abs-cbn.com/prod/editorImage/1730606913292SEOJIN.jfif" style="width:950px" class="fr-fic fr-dib"/><span class="fr-inner" style="text-align:left">Ha Youn-kyoung as Min Seo-jin</span></span></span>Youn-kyoung described Seo-jin as a prosecutor with a “deep thirst for success and promotion, but at the same time she has values.”</div><p>Seo-jin is also quite reserved, which proved to be a challenge for Youn-kyoung. “That was quite difficult to express. Acting to suppress the feelings is more difficult than showing the feelings, so I wanted to be a character that had a presence through gaze and body language,” the actress said.</p><p>Meanwhile, Bibi, whose real name is Kim Hyeong-seo, was cautious when discussing Jae-hee during the press con, worried that she might reveal key plot points of the series. </p><p>“She is the very trigger of everything that happens. She does this thing that becomes a trigger. She’s not a culprit for anything but she is chased out,” said Bibi.</p><p>“I was running with high heels. It was quite painful, running,” Bibi said of the challenges during filming. “On the way home, I realized that I lost some weight so I was very happy while shooting [the running] scene.”</p><div><span class="fr-img-caption fr-fic fr-dib" style="width:950px"><span class="fr-img-wrap"><img src="https://od2-image-api.abs-cbn.com/prod/editorImage/1730606969616JAEHEE.jfif" style="width:950px" class="fr-fic fr-dib"/><span class="fr-inner" style="text-align:left">Bibi as Kim Jae-hee</span></span></span></div><div><strong>Fast pace, character dynamics</strong></div><p>For director Park, what distinguishes “Gangnam B-Side” from other crime action series is its fast-paced storytelling and emphasis on character dynamics. </p><p>“You won’t be able to pause once you start watching. I think that’s what we intended,” she said.</p><p>“When it comes to the theme, it could seem familiar to what you’ve seen in previous titles, but this title focuses more on the characters and the relationship between these characters. So getting to the bottom of a crime and busting the cartels is not the focus of this title, it’s more about people who try to protect what matters to them, so please focus more on the dynamics of the characters,” Park added.</p><div><em>For more news and features on K-pop, K-drama, and K-stars, visit the </em><a href="https://news.abs-cbn.com/kcontents"><em>Hallyu Corner</em></a><em> microsite.</em></div>

<p>Disney+'s crime drama 'Gangnam B-Side' presents a darker world lurking beneath the Seoul district's glitzy facade.</p>

Disney+'s crime drama 'Gangnam B-Side' presents a darker world lurking beneath the Seoul district's glitzy facade.