When KCIA agents live double lives and covert operations spiral into dangerous territory, Made in Korea delivers a tense, stylish, and unforgettable ride. Disney+/Hulu’s latest Korean drama stars an all-star cast including Hyun Bin, Jung Woo-sung, Woo Do-hwan, and more, bringing 1970s Korea vividly to life through political intrigue, crime, and power struggles.
Premiering on December 24, 2025, Made in Korea launches with a two-episode debut and unfolds across six tightly written episodes filled with high stakes, shocking twists, and moral ambiguity. From the opening episode, aptly titled “A Businessman,” the series sets its tone: sleek, suspenseful, and relentlessly gripping.
The story centers on Baek Ki-tae (Hyun Bin), one of the actor’s most complex and connected roles to date. Ki-tae describes himself simply as “a businessman,” but that label barely scratches the surface. By day, he is a KCIA agent; by night, a ruthless smuggler. Ki-tae uses illegal operations to consolidate power, and as the series progresses, viewers are left constantly wondering just how far he’s willing to go and who will be left standing in his wake.
As the story expands, we’re introduced to Geon-young (Jung Woo-sung) and Yeo-jin (Seo Eun-soo), investigators and partners determined to bring Ki-tae down, or so it seems. Their pursuit raises unsettling questions: are they truly working against Ki-tae, or are their allegiances more complicated than they appear?
In our conversation with Jung Woo-sung and Hyun Bin, the actors discussed their characters, the challenges of portraying morally ambiguous figures, and what drew them to these roles. Watch and read the full interview below, and don’t miss the drama everyone will be talking about.
The Knockturnal: Hello! My name is Emma Salehi. I’m from The Knockturnal. Hi. I’m really looking forward to talking to you today about Made in Korea. I just finished the whole first season today. It’s very intense. It’s short, yet powerful. So yeah, let’s get started.
I’m sure you’ve been asked this multiple times, but the story is set in 1970s Korea. It’s a period loaded with both modern and contemporary historical tension. For the two of you, how did you approach the responsibility and sensitivity as actors portraying characters in this era? Were there any challenges that came with bringing these characters to life, specifically within that time period?
Jung Woo-sung: Well, fortunately, our script didn’t touch upon any sort of very sensitive matters that you mentioned, because while it is true that it’s based on actual events that happened, I think that if you keep a distance from what really happened, then you have to be more cautious about sensitive matters.
However, this time with the script, we were playing fictional characters who were thrown into these actual events, meaning it led to a completely new and fictional storyline. And so I think because it was so blatantly obvious that we were telling a fictional story, it gave us even more freedom and allowed our imaginations to really be at work.
Hyun Bin: For me, because my character (Baek) Kitae belongs to an organization that is quite literally afraid of nothing in real life, the organization and the character’s personality are like that as well. I tried to approach it in a way that’s very fearless
The Knockturnal: Beautifully said, both of you. Thank you so much. And this role, both of you really, really mastered it. I’m curious to know: was there anything specific that drew you in when you first read the script, something that made you want to do this project and portray these characters, written by Park Eun-gyo and Park Joon-seok? I’d love to hear what initially drew you to Made in Korea.
Hyun Bin: For me, it was about how my character Kitae would stop at nothing. Everything he does is so unapologetic, and I love that spirit about him. As an actor, that’s what really drew me in. I really wanted to portray that side of him, and that’s also what I’m having the most fun with as I work on the series.
Jung Woo-sung: When I was reading the script, I was really drawn to what wasn’t written about the character Jang Geon-young. I felt like there was a lot of room for me to bring new layers to the character. Even just reading the script, I began to feel excited about how much I could contribute in designing the character myself.
The Knockturnal: That’s brilliant. And speaking of your characters, I want to point them out individually. In the first episode, Kitae introduces himself with a very simple phrase: “I’m a businessman.”
As the six episodes go on, we learn more and more about him, and you’ve described him as fearless. What made portraying him so special for you in this series, and what was that experience like?
Hyun Bin: In a way, this is similar to what I said earlier, but throughout the over 20 years that I’ve been acting, this is the first time I’ve portrayed a character who is so open and overtly expressive about his personal desires and ambitions, especially ambition for power and wealth.
I feel like playing a character like this will also help me down the line when portraying other characters. Being able to step into the role of someone who is fearless, who will stop at nothing, that was the biggest draw for me.
