Woo Do-hwan on 'Made in Korea 2': From "Middle-School Rebel" to Conflicted Colonel

Actor Woo Do-hwan says his character in "Made in Korea 2" has grown up in a way that reshapes the story around him. He spoke at a press conference for the Disney+ original series on Sept. 2 at the Conrad Seoul in Yeouido, Seoul.

"Made in Korea 2" is a noir drama that picks up nine years later, following Baek Ki-tae (played by Hyun Bin) as he races toward even bigger ambitions. Season 1 was the most-watched Disney+ Korean original of 2025 worldwide. Where the first season used a new incident and setting in each episode to sketch different faces of an era, the new season locks onto one large event and pushes the characters' desires and choices into constant collision.

Woo Do-hwan plays Baek Ki-hyun, a lieutenant colonel in the Defense Security Command climbing toward his own peak. Director Woo Min-ho said the characters have changed, so even a familiar event will look different this time. "Baek Ki-tae and Jang Geon-yeong (played by Jung Woo-sung) know exactly what they want," he said. "The question mark is Baek Ki-hyun. He goes back and forth without ever really knowing what he wants. In the middle of history's chaos, his choices will decide how the fight between Baek Ki-tae and Jang Geon-yeong will tip."

In the show, Ki-hyun is Ki-tae's younger brother. "Nine years have passed by in Season 2, so Ki-hyun is a bit more mature now," Woo Do-hwan said. "The director described Season 1 as a 'kids' fight,' and if it felt like kids back then, Season 2 has more of a grown-up feel. I tried to make people wonder what choice Ki-hyun will make."

He laughed as he recalled fan reactions to the first season. "A lot of people told me he felt like a moody teenage little brother," he said. In Season 2, he added, "you start to see why Ki-hyun had to act the way he did, why he cares for his family this much, and why he ends up going head to head with his brother. Those pieces get filled in bit by bit."

"Made in Korea 2" premieres on Disney+ on September 9.