Imagine this scenario: You show up to work every morning not knowing what you’re up against. The only mission? To solve the mystery given by Mr.K as soon as possible. That is Netflix’s first Korean variety show, “Busted!”, in a nutshell.
Consisting of 10 episodes, “Busted!” features some of the biggest Korean stars, both from the acting and music industry. They include seasonal veterans Yoo Jae Suk, Lee Kwang Soo, Park Min Young, Kim Jong Min, Ahn Jae Wook, as well as K-pop singers gugudan’s Kim Se-jeong and EXO’s Sehun.
These all-stars are required to put their detective hats as they scramble to solve mysterious cases while having some fun along the way. Each episode consists of a unique theme. They can range from topics such as forewarned murder and detective battle, to treasure hunt and vampire island.
Earlier this week, we were invited to attend to attend the official “Busted!” press conference and “Busted!” red carpet event which took place at Intercontinental Seoul Coex (Harmony ballroom) and Coex K-pop Square (in front of SM Town) respectively. During this media press junket, we got to ask these actors on their roles and experience while filming “Busted!”.
Without further ado, let’s get to know these 7 all-star detectives better:
1. Yoo Jae Suk
- Age: 45
- Well known for his ability as a “national MC”, he has hosted various K-variety shows including “Infinite Challenge”, “X-Man”, and of course, “Running Man”.
- Personality traits: Jittery and timid, but chatty. Great use of his wits during critical moments
- Role: Leader of the detective team
“We filmed the show from episode 1 to episode 10, without any knowledge except for the fact that we were all detectives. I think there are elements from the existing variety shows, but there are quite a lot of new elements in terms of the overall framework,” Jae Suk shared. In what way exactly? Besides solving actual cases, “Busted!” cleverly combines drama and variety. “This show is different from what I’ve done in that I become a player in it. I am supposed to play the character in the (variety) show that has its own story,” the veteran previously said.
“There are no scripts. They just say ‘Action!’ then they start filming, just watching us solve the cases. Sometimes it takes us 2 days to solve a case, maybe 10 days at times. There’s nothing to prepare except our stamina – we do a lot of running –and our time,” Jae Suk told us.
2. Ahn Jae Wook
- Age: 46
- Oldest in the group
- Has actively appeared on TV dramas and musicals
- Personality traits: Appears somewhat difficult-to-please but is able to crack cases in a composed manner
- Role: Featured as a former investigator cum reliable detective
For Jae Wook personally, one of the his favourite episodes to film was when someone was “killed” before their eyes. “It’s really surprising. We know the person is not really dead but for us, it feels like he is and now we suddenly need to solve the case,” said the actor. The fun, which he repeatedly noted, was not in the end result but in the process of solving each case.
3. Kim Jong Min
- Age: 38
- Is the leader of the co-ed group Koyote
- Personality traits: Described as an “excited yet clueless fool”, he’s usually the last person to figure out the mystery behind each case
- Role: Used to be an errand boy
Genius or fool? We can’t quite put our finger on this peculiar individual. Regardless of which, Jong Min remarked, “I think at the very least there’s 1 in the 7 characters that a member of the viewers can relate to.” He couldn’t have said it better. Each of these stars were handpicked by the producers because they come from a different background. As a result, they each have something unique to bring to the table. Having said that, all of the other 6 entertainers agree that Jong Min is the worst detective out of the group.
4. Lee Kwang Soo
- Age: 32
- Best known for being a dark horse of “Running Man”
- Personality traits: He’s easily the funniest of the bunch. His passion in solving the mysteries is incomparable but sometimes his body has a hard time catching up with his brain
- Role: Always seen with a backpack wherever he goes; like an A-frame carrier
What we like best about Lee Kwang Soo are his candid answers. Before “Busted!” came along, the 1.94 metre-tall actor wasn’t familiar with Netflix at all. The reason he signed on to star in this uncharted territory was largely because of his trust and faith in the producers (Cho Hyo-jin and Kim Joo-hyung). It also helped that fellow “Running Man” star Yoo Jae Suk was already onboard. Just like in real life, Kwang Soo will prove to be a constant slapstick of comedy when you watch “Busted!”.
5. Park Min Young (Rachel)
- Age: 32
- Makes her debut in a K-variety show
- Personality traits: Described as the queen of mystery, this feisty woman is brainy when it comes to tackling tricky cases
- Role: Former flight attendant
Audiences will enjoy watching Park Min Young on the small screen not just because she’s easy on the eyes, but also because of her intelligence. Since “Busted!” marks the actress’ first venture into a variety show, she felt a bit apprehensive at the beginning. “It’s a new experience, and a chance for me to show a side of myself that I haven’t before. So I was really nervous up till the filming of the 2nd episode,” she said.
For Min Young, she never really thought that she had to act for this role. As soon as the mystery and the investigation starts, it’s complete reality and it was more of them reacting to each instances naturally.
6. Sehun
- Age: 24
- From the Korean idol group EXO
- Personality traits: Temperamental during times of crisis but this rookie is also determine and competitive
- Role: Former choreographer with perfect looks and flawless dance skills
Arguably one of most popular figures amongst teens, this K-pop star feels that he has learned a lot just from observing his experienced co-stars. The EXO member recalled, “There are a lot that I could learn from them but if I were to pick one of them, well, there was a very difficult scene to shoot because of one mission. I took much longer than anyone expected and everyone was tired and even the producer said that maybe we should do it quickly and get it over with. But my co-actors were like, ‘No, let’s try it again.’ And I was like ‘Wow! This is what real professionals are’.”
7. Kim Se-jeong
- Age: 21
- Youngest in the group
- Formerly from I.O.I, she’s now a member of girl group gugudan
- Personality traits: Charming people with her cutest and cheerful attitude
- Role: Mystery novel enthusiast
Despite being the youngest in the group of 7, Kim Se-jeong is more than ready to prove her worth. Not one to hold back when it comes to voicing her opinion, her curiosity when it comes to people and deduction skills enables her to analyse tricky situations from various angles. “The 7 of us solved mysteries better than we thought. If you want to see how, please be sure to check it out on Netflix,” the singer teased.
Enjoy the official trailer below:
Still need more convincing to watch “Busted!”? We’ve compiled 7 reasons in our fun facts article here.
“Busted!” debuts on Netflix 4th May.
