Jaehwa Bernardo

Jun Ji-hyun (left) and Gang Dong-won pose for a photo during the press conference for 'Tempest' in Seoul, South Korea, September 2, 2025. Photos courtesy of Disney+

Article (news)

Why Jun Ji-hyun, Gang Dong-won said yes to ‘Tempest’

ABS-CBN News

<div><img src="https://od2-image-api.abs-cbn.com/prod/editorImage/1756878460263JJH GDW (1).jpg" style="width:950px" class="fr-fic fr-dib"/>Jun Ji-hyun (left) and Gang Dong-won pose for a photo during the press conference for &#x27;Tempest&#x27; in Seoul, South Korea, September 2, 2025. Photos courtesy of Disney+</div>Jun Ji-hyun and Gang Dong-won may be among South Korea’s biggest stars, but even A-listers have dream collaborations. For both actors, that dream was each other, so much so that the chance to finally work together became a big reason they signed on to Disney+’s upcoming spy romance series “Tempest.”In the series, Ji-hyun plays Seo Mun-ju, a former diplomat who begins investigating the past of a presidential candidate after a shocking assassination attempt. Her search unravels a multinational conspiracy that threatens the stability of the Korean peninsula.Constantly under threat, Mun-ju is forced to rely on the protection of Paik San-ho (Gang Dong-won), a mercenary with secrets of his own.<div><iframe width="640" height="360" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/IIbhy91RTWQ?&amp;wmode=opaque&amp;rel=0" frameBorder="0" allowfullscreen="" class="fr-draggable"></iframe></div>“I am a longtime fan of Dong-won,” Ji-hyun said through an interpreter in an online press conference. “I always wanted a chance to work with him and that was a big reason why I took up this role.”Dong-won echoed the sentiment, making “Tempest” his first-ever series project in 21 years.“I decided to join because of Ji-hyun,” he said, sparking a playful moment at the press conference when his co-star prompted him to form a hand-heart pose with her.“With Ji-hyun, we never had a chance to collaborate until now and finally, I was so happy to finally work together [with her],” he added.<div><img src="https://od2-image-api.abs-cbn.com/prod/editorImage/1756878567966JJH (1).jpg" style="width:950px" class="fr-fic fr-dib"/>Jun Ji-hyun</div>Ji-hyun said “Tempest,” which signals her return to the small screen since “<a href="https://www.abs-cbn.com/entertainment/10/14/21/enigmatic-mountain-inspires-korean-series-jirisan">Jirisan</a>” in 2021, also gave her the chance to get to know Dong-won better.“I’m a fan of Dong-won’s physical appearance but as we were filming, I got to know him more as a person and became an even bigger fan of him. Because he is playing San-ho, I think I could better immerse in my role and we had better synergy,” said the award-winning actress, who rose to fame with the romantic-comedy film “My Sassy Girl” and went on to headline dramas like “My Love from the Star” and “The Legend of the Blue Sea.”For his part, Dong-won, whose notable films include “Temptation of Wolves,” “Peninsula” and “Uprising,” described Ji-hyun as a “cool” person who had “so much fun” on set.<div>Mature melodrama</div>Ji-hyun said viewers can look forward to the evolving relationship between Mun-ju and San-ho.“Mun-ju and San-ho are from very different backgrounds and they are drawn to each other because they are so different. The more they learn about each other, they kind of look back at themselves, it’s like a mirror image,” the actress explained.“As the narrative progresses, the emotions evolve and I think that could be an area of focus for you when you&#x27;re watching the show.”<div><img src="https://od2-image-api.abs-cbn.com/prod/editorImage/1756878587327GDW (1).jpg" style="width:633px" class="fr-fic fr-dib"/>Gang Dong-won</div>Both actors agreed that the series offers a more mature take on melodrama and romance between the leads.“When we were looking at the monitor, we were kind of half jokingly saying that it looks like we’ve been there and done that. We know things. The way we look at each other. It’s so mature. Like when we were younger, we probably wouldn&#x27;t know certain things,” Dong-won said.Beyond its leads, “Tempest” boasts a powerhouse supporting cast that includes American actor John Cho, Lee Mi-sook (“Queen of Tears”), Park Hae-joon (“The World of the Married” and “When Life Gives You Tangerines”) Kim Hae-sook (“Start-Up,” “Under the Queen&#x27;s Umbrella” and “Strong Girl Nam-soon”) and Oh Jung-se (“It’s Okay to Not Be Okay” and “Good Boy”).Talking about the filming experience, Hae-sook, who plays South Korea’s president in the show, said: “The narrative might be deep but we had a lot of fun on set.”“This is a very serious [show] but we kept on bursting out laughing, because we had so much fun. It was challenging but I felt like everything was just going in harmony, everything just worked so well,” she said.<div><img src="https://od2-image-api.abs-cbn.com/prod/editorImage/1756878754808FULL CAST (1).jpg" style="width:950px" class="fr-fic fr-dib"/>(Left to right) &#x27;Tempest&#x27; cast members Gang Dong-won, Jun Ji-hyun, Oh Jung-se, Kim Hae-sook, Yoo Jae-myung, Lee Mi-sook, Park Hae-joon, Lee Sang-hee and Joo Jong-hyuk</div>Behind the camera, the series also brings together a formidable creative team. It is co-directed by Kim Hee-won (“Vincenzo” and “Queen of Tears”) and Heo Myeong-haeng (“The Roundup: Punishment”), with a script by Jeong Seo-kyeong, a longtime collaborator of Park Chan-wook who co-wrote acclaimed films such as “Sympathy for Lady Vengeance,” “The Handmaiden” and “Decision to Leave.”While the series delves into Korean affairs, director Kim assured that international audiences will still be able to connect with the emotions at the heart of the story.“Love, disappointment, despair and hope — these very universal sentiments and emotions are embedded in this title. So maybe Korean audiences will find them more familiar but even the global audiences will be able to relate to the emotions that are running through this title,” she said.“Tempest” will premiere with its first three episodes on September 10, followed by two new episodes weekly until all nine have dropped.

Jun Ji-hyun and Gang Dong-won may be among South Korea’s biggest stars, but even A-listers have dream collaborations.

Jun Ji-hyun and Gang Dong-won may be among South Korea’s biggest stars, but even A-listers have dream collaborations.

Why Jun Ji-hyun, Gang Dong-won said yes to Disney+ series ‘Tempest’

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Why Jun Ji-hyun, Gang Dong-won said yes to Disney+ series ‘Tempest’

Jaehwa Bernardo,

ABS-CBN News

Published Sep 06, 2025 07:11 AM PHT

Read More:

K-content

K-drama

Disney+

Tempest

Jun Ji-hyun

Gianna Jun

Gang Dong-won

Park Hae-joon

Oh Jung-se

John Cho

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