Actress Kim Yun-jin 'never dreamed of' seeing Korean content accepted by global audience

김보람 / 2022-06-29 11:24:45

actress-Netflix series

▲ This image provided by Netflix shows a scene from "Money Heist: Korea - Joint Economic Area." (PHOTO NOT FOR SALE) (Yonhap)

▲ This photo provided by Netflix shows Korean American actress Kim Yun-jin. (PHOTO NOT FOR SALE) (Yonhap)

actress-Netflix series

Actress Kim Yun-jin 'never dreamed of' seeing Korean content accepted by global audience

By Kim Boram

SEOUL, June 29 (Yonhap) -- Actress Kim Yun-jin, also known as Yunjin Kim in the United States, is one of the first-generation actors from the Korean entertainment scene who have played a major role in an American TV series.

She made her small screen debut in Korea with the drama "Splendid Holiday" in 1996 and starred in some box office hits, like the crime action film "Swiri" (1999) and the thriller "Seven Days" (2007).

Then, she went to America and starred in two American TV shows, including ABC's popular adventure drama "Lost," which ran for six seasons from 2004-2010.

As "Lost" gained huge popularity and was televised to more than 100 countries around the world, Kim rose to international fame and was nicknamed a "world star" in Korea.

Now, the Korean American actress stars in "Money Heist: Korea - Joint Economic Area," a latest Korean-language Netflix original that is available in nearly 200 nations from last week.

"In 2010 when I wrapped up 'Lost,' I couldn't dream of this moment, that a Korean-language show produced by Koreans and starring Korean actors is released in the entire world," Kim said in an online media interview held Tuesday, adding that she was a rare Asian cast member in the ABC drama.

"It's incredible that Korean-made content has opportunities to be shown globally through streaming platforms," she said.

"Money Heist: Korea" is an original Netflix series adapted from the Spanish heist crime drama series of the same name, which is one of the most successful non-English TV series on the U.S. streamer. It is set on the Korean Peninsula in 2026, when the two Koreas establish a joint economic area (JEA) as a first step toward unification.

Kim took the role of Woo-jin, a crisis negotiation team leader of a police task force to deal with a group of thieves who overtakes the mint in the JEA and take tens of hostages.

"When I first got the script of this show, I was doubtful about the success of a Korean remake of the smash-hit original," she said. "But after finishing reading the script, I felt it was fresh and different from the Spanish original."

She said she was interested in the indigenous conflicts among South and North Koreans in the gang and in the police, along with the main tensions between the thieves and the police.

"Money Heist: Korea" has been creating positive viewership results since its release on Friday, placing second on a global popularity chart for TV series on Netflix as of Wednesday.

But it has been also drawing mixed views from global audiences, marking 5.1 points out of 10 in IMDb, an online database for films and TV series, and 48 percent in audience score in Rotten Tomatoes, an American review-aggregation website for film and TV.

"I expected some mixed views on the Korean remake because the original is so popular," she said. "But I'm surprised that so many people are watching this show and writing reviews. I think I'm blessed to be part of a project in the huge spotlight."

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