K-Content News

Apple TV+'s 'Pachinko' returns for Season 2 with Lee Min-ho, Youn Yuh-jung

  By Shim Sun-ah

SEOUL, Aug. 23 (Yonhap) -- After two years, Apple TV+'s acclaimed original series "Pachinko" returns for a highly anticipated second season Friday.

Based on the namesake bestselling novel by Korean American author Min Jin Lee, the series depicts the story of four generations of a poor Korean immigrant family who fight to control their destiny in 20th-century Japan, exiled from their home.

In the first season released in 2022, Sunja (played by Kim Min-ha), the only daughter born to a poor Korean family in Busan in the early 1900s, navigates the challenges of poverty and discrimination after becoming pregnant by Hansu (Lee Min-ho), a successful fish broker. She marries Isak, a kind minister, and moves to Japan, where she fights to provide for her family and maintain her dignity amid adversity.

The new season picks up in 1945, several years after the first season's conclusion, as Sunja faces the harsh realities of World War II while still trying to adapt to her new life in Osaka. The narrative also shifts to Tokyo in 1989, where Sunja's grandson Solomon (Jin Ha) grapples with his career and dual identities.

Returning cast members include Oscar-winning actress Youn Yuh-jung and star Lee Min-ho, alongside new additions like Kim Sung-kyu, who plays Kim Changho, Hansu's henchman.

Lee Min-ho described his Zainichi Korean character Hansu as more evolved this season, highlighting his pursuit of personal desires.

"If the first season was a survival story of people who lost their land, I would say the second season portrays the actual lives of people living through those times," he said during a press conference in Seoul to promote the new season.

"Hansu is a much more evolved character than he was in Season 1, so I tried to portray him as a person who wants more and more, pursuing his own desires," he said.
  Kim Min-ha said she focused on her character's growth and the exploration of maternal love.

"Seven years have passed since Season 1. I pondered how to effectively portray the passage of time. As the children continue to grow and her relationship with her sons is prominently featured, I thought a lot about maternal love, which I never thought about in the previous season."

Youn Yuh-jung, who plays the elderly Sunja, learned about the life of a Zainichi Korean from actor Soji Arai, a third-generation Zainichi Korean who plays Sunja's second son, Mozasu. She said she cried a lot, deeply moved by his stories.

"I asked him about the life of a Zainichi. There were so many things we didn't know. I was so grateful to hear his stories, but at the same time, I felt that we didn't know enough about their lives. I learned things beyond what I learned in history class," she said.
  Youn also shared the challenges of having many Japanese lines in Season 2 even though she was unable to speak the language.

"I even said that if I have to speak Japanese again, I said I won't appear in Season 3. I just memorized them like multiplication tables. It was terrible," she said, laughing.

Also among the main cast are Anna Sawai as Naomi, Jung Eun-chae as young Kyunghee, Soji Arai as Mozasu and Han Jun-woo as Yoseb.

Starting with the release of the first episode Friday, "Pachinko" Season 2 will release new episodes every Friday until Oct. 11 on Apple TV+.