Woo Do-hwan on Working With Hyun Bin and Jung Woo-sung in Made in Korea 2

Actor Woo Do-hwan is standing firmly behind his character in the Disney+ series "Made in Korea 2," even as viewers remain split over the choices his character makes.

"I'm completely on Ki-hyun's side," Woo said. "I honestly don't even understand what people couldn't accept. To me, it feels like, 'Isn't this the obvious choice?'"

The final episode of "Made in Korea 2" aired last week, closing out the reckless journey of Baek Ki-tae (played by Hyun Bin) as he chases power at any cost. Season 1 was set against the chaos of 1970s South Korea and pitted Baek Ki-tae, a man hungry for wealth and power, against prosecutor Jang Gun-young (played by Jung Woo-sung). Season 2 jumps forward nine years. Baek Ki-tae is now a deputy director at the Korean Central Intelligence Agency, sitting at the center of state power and seeking for even more influence.

Woo plays Baek Ki-hyun, a lieutenant colonel in the Defense Security Command and Baek Ki-tae's younger brother. In Season 1, Ki-hyun was a newly commissioned second lieutenant in his early 20s. In Season 2, he has risen through the ranks to become a lieutenant colonel who tries to pull the brakes on his brother's descent.

"This was a season where Ki-hyun's choices carried a lot of weight, so I felt real responsibility and pressure," Woo said.

"The director told me he wanted Ki-hyun's inner conflict, and even which side he would ultimately land on, to stay unclear. I worked hard to hold onto that until the very end. Standing at that choice with pressure closing in from every side, I felt kind of squeezed myself."

Since the show's release, viewers have been divided over Ki-hyun's decision to stand in the way of his brother's ambitions. Woo has a theory about why.

"Our older brother in the show is just so charming that I don't think viewers can see anything else," he said. "To them, I'm just an obstacle. I get it. I think he's cool too."

He also spoke carefully about the finale, which has drawn the strongest reactions. Season 2 ended with Baek Ki-hyun pointing a gun at his brother Baek Ki-tae, leading many viewers to conclude that Ki-hyun killed him.

"If you look closely, Ki-hyun aimed the gun, but he didn't pull the trigger," Woo said. "On set, I talked about this with the director and with Hyun Bin, and we agreed Ki-hyun didn't kill Ki-tae. I think the director will clear this up at some point."

Understanding Ki-hyun was one challenge. Finding his footing with a cast of veteran actors was another. Woo joined the production about 50 shooting days after filming began. Because the story is set in the 1970s, he also rushed to study the period so his performance would feel grounded.

Woo said there was no reason to turn the project down.

"I thought if not now, I might never get to work with these seniors again," he said. "I tried to blend in without standing out or clashing. So I was constantly asking how I should approach each scene."

"This was the set I needed. Before this, I was mostly on projects where I was the one driving the story. Working alongside these seniors and watching them lead a set in a completely different way, I learned so much."

Sharing scenes with Hyun Bin and Jung Woo-sung was intimidating at times. Woo said that pressure actually helped his performance.

"Ki-hyun is a guy who's always living under someone else's weight," he explained. "Especially in scenes where his brother felt scary, I tried to lean into that feeling."

"Jung Woo-sung would look at me like a master who sees straight through everything. I remember telling him, 'That's so scary.'"

Still, he described the experience as freeing.

"It wasn't a set where I couldn't do what I wanted to do, so it was great," he said.

"Even after all these years, they're still irreplaceable actors, and that makes me really respect them. I want to be like them. I want to be an actor who is still loved and sought after in many places, no matter how much time passes."

"Made in Korea" Season 1 was the most-watched Korean Disney+ original worldwide in 2025. After two seasons of developing his own version of Baek Ki-hyun, Woo said the experience left a lasting mark.

"It might sound like a cliché, but I really learned a lot," he said. "Just adding this to my filmography as an actor makes it a meaningful moment. It makes me wonder, is Season 2 really the end? Ha ha."