Based on the novel written by Lee Minji (이민진) with the same title, “Pachinko” (파친코/パチンコ) is a multigenerational drama centred on Sunja, a young Korean woman whose life takes a dramatic turn when an unexpected pregnancy leads her from Korea to Japan. The series follows her family’s journey through decades of struggle, love, and survival as they endure the impact of history on their lives. In season two, the parallel stories pick up in Osaka in 1945, where Sunja is forced to make dangerous decisions for her family’s survival during World War II, and in Tokyo in the year 1989, she finds her grandson, Solomon, exploring new beginnings.
To commemorate the premiere of Season 2, we recently had the honour of participating in a virtual interview with several key cast members of “Pachinko” Season 2, including Lee Min Ho (이민호), Kim Min Ha (김민하), and Jin Ha (진하) as well as the showrunner of the series, Soo Hugh (허수진). They shared their standout moments from filming “Pachinko” Season 2, discussing everything from creating the unique opening sequence to the challenges of switching between languages.
Scroll down to read more from the interview!
Lee Min Ho
1. Did you have any rituals or routines to help you to get into your character, Hansu?
I thought of Hansu in season 2 as a person who is more evolved than Hansu in season 1. His desires got more intense, driving him to seek more and more, fuelled by human instincts. So I tried to express him as an unstoppable person, like an unstoppable train.
2. Hansu is a complex and layered character, much like a villain in the series compared to Hansu in the original novel. What did you think of the character? And did it help you to be more skilled and mature as an actor?
As I was trying to portray my character, I tried to avoid drawing a clear distinction between good and evil. So there are maybe some points from the viewers’ perspective that they think that Hansu is unethical. However, from the perspective of the person who is acting as the character, I saw him more as desperate trying to survive and protect. In this way, I perceived this character as someone who makes decisions that are deemed necessary. So rather than seeing him as evil, I tried to think of him as somebody who is making more efficient, reasonable judgements.
I think for everyone, it is very important to think about what they really want at the most important juncture of their life. When I was acting as Hansu, not as the actor Lee Min Ho, but as the person Lee Min Ho, I also looked back at myself to think about what my real desires were at this age. And during that process, I’ve had to become more candid with myself, so I think it made me more mature in some way.
3. Did Hansu’s traits influenced you in any way? Were there any difficulties saying goodbye to the character at the end of filming?
From the moment I first read the script of “Pachinko,” I think I sympathised a lot with Hansu. Although the level might be different, I also started my career at a very young age, and without knowing much, I was surrounded by so many people. I also had to struggle to survive and move forward. In that sense, I was able to relate to him. And not only for Hansu, but it also applies to other characters that I’ve played, it usually takes a year to finish filming and preparations. Therefore, I’m sure that there’s a lot coming from the character that would internalise me. However, I don’t think I have ever felt sad about letting go of a character.
4. How did it feel to portray a father on screen for the first time? And do you see yourself embracing fatherhood in the near future?
Acting as a father meant that there are emotions that I have never experienced, so when I was preparing for that, I watched a lot of documentaries that are related to family love and the relationship between children and parents. Through that, there was an opportunity for me to think about these emotions, and I believed that this is the purest version of responsibility that a human can feel. So I contemplated the possibility of having my own family and children in the future, a sentiment that was subtle yet deeply rooted within me.
5. What was the personality that you highly focused on when playing Hansu’s character over the two seasons? There are two sides to him, he is ruthless but also caring.
The most important part that I had to focus on was his real goal or desire. For that, he was trying to gain more power and authority. In a sense, he believes that Sunja and Noa are what he truly needs for Hansu’s existence. As a result, he may seem sweet and caring, but in the end, he just wants to keep Sunja and Noa within his boundaries and have control over them.
Kim Min Ha
1. Sunja’s character embodies the strength of women, and season 2 delves even deeper into this theme. How did you prepare to portray this evolution of her character?
In order to express her strength, I didn’t prepare anything specific but rather focused entirely on the scenes themselves. I had to make her own story throughout the years as she was devoted to saving and protecting her family. Her clear, vivid goal was to live with an abundance of love to give, and that’s where I placed my focus.
2. Can you share any memorable moments when you were filming the opening credits?
It was one of the most memorable days I’ve ever had. We simply played our favourite music and danced without a care. It was wonderful to gather with the cast from the 1980s era, and the entire set was filled with laughter.
3. Did you encounter any interesting experiences with people who have been moved by your work?
To be honest, after the show was released, it was actually my first experience of people recognising me in public and taking pictures with them. But one of the most significant feedbacks that I got from the audience was that they had the chance to talk with their family members and grandparents about the show. It was one of the precious things that I kept in mind while I was preparing for my role. I was so touched that I didn’t want to ever forget that moment.
4. We all know Sunja is undeniably a complex character, so how did you approach your research for this role, and what was the biggest challenge you faced in playing the character in the second season?
Besides the research for the historical facts, which I studied a lot, in order to bring out the layers of the character, I just focused on the scenes. I tried to think of the relationships with other cast members’ characters. At the same time, I had to figure out what her (Sunja’s) beliefs were and maintain her status. I thought it was all about love; she has a great amount of love inside her.
While preparing for the second season, there was a time jump between the first and second seasons, so I had to mix these two periods into my character. If time had passed, it means that the environment has changed. I had to make my own history of what would have happened to her, her family members, and how she raised two kids on her own during the time jump. So basically, during the preparations, I just focused on my own emotions and stories in life.
5. What about Sunja’s personality that you admire? And is there any notable woman that you admire?
As for Sunja, I’ve learnt so many things about her decision-making and how she protects her family. She’s strong, as she believes in herself. She also knows how to make and keep a promise that helps her to carry on with her life. In addition, she knows how to wait, which requires wisdom; it is a life lesson to be patient for a big opportunity to come and just go along with it.
I have always been fascinated by a lot of women in my life, but Princess Diana is the one I have always admired the most. She really did inspire me a lot. After you asked me this question, she just instantly came to mind.
6. Can you share any memorable moments that you had with Youn Yuh Jung (윤여정) who played as the older Sunja?
To be honest, I unfortunately did not have much time to spend with Yuh Jung. It would’ve been a bit strange meeting her on set because, obviously, we share the same character. Our schedules were completely different, so I had fewer opportunities to meet or have conversations with her. However, I had great faith in what she was doing, and I respect her a lot. As a result, I had more time to focus on and work on my own stories and situations.
7. Did you anticipate the massive global success of this show? How has this influenced your career?
Right after I got involved in this project, I was quite sure that people would love this story. This story is powerful and meaningful as it is related to love and family. I thought that it’s the kind of story that more people should know. I tried my best to deliberate my character on set, but after that, there’s nothing much that I can do. There were no anticipations about receiving awards or people getting to know me. But in terms of the story wise, I thought it was such a beautiful story.
8. When you said that you had to make up Sunja’s history, how did you prepare for it?
I kind of made my own diary for Sunja. I wrote down what would have happened in between that period of time. How would it be like to raise my kids without my husband? What would Sunja’s relationship with Kyung Hee be like? Basically everything. I wrote it down and shared them with Soo Hugh or every cast and crew of “Pachinko.”
9. Was it hard saying goodbye to Sunja when you finished filming “Pachinko”?
No, because I didn’t think I was saying goodbye to her. Like I said, I’ve learnt so many things from her. So she still remains in my mind, and I never said goodbye to her.
10. What do you think is Sunja’s biggest weakness?
I think it’s Hansu. All of her emotions towards Hansu and the secret they’re keeping are things she can’t control. Whenever she faces moments related to Hansu, she becomes very fragile and afraid, even though other things don’t seem to frighten her. She has the ability to carry on and try to find solutions, but when she confronts Hansu after 14 years, she just wants to escape.
11. Was it difficult for you to switch between Korean and Japanese?
I had a Japanese teacher, and I’ve always loved learning Japanese, even though my Sunja didn’t have a lot of Japanese dialogue. And I actually did learn the language when I was a teenager, so it was not a whole new language for me.
12. Is there a particularly memorable scene from this season that you hold very close to your heart?
There are many scenes that I think are memorable, but right now, I think it would be the scene where I packed a bag for Noa when he was leaving. I didn’t expect my emotions to come out in that way. Even after I shot that scene, the emotions lingered for quite a long time.
13. Sunja comes from a very unique family background. How did this influence the way you approached developing her character and impact the way you live?
Sunja has a very, very special family background, and the reason I call it special is because she received an immense amount of love and affection from her parents. That’s why she has the ability to embrace so many people; she learnt that from her parents. I believe, not just for me but for others as well, that family is incredibly special and meaningful, especially when you receive a lot of love from them. I did too—I received a lot of love from my parents, sisters, grandparents, and cousins. So, in that sense, I felt a strong connection with Sunja, which greatly helped me in portraying her character.
Jin Ha
1. What was the most challenging for you to film in season 2? In terms of emotions.
I think one of the hardest scenes for me to shoot emotionally was in episode 1, where I had a brief scene with Sunja in the pachinko parlour after the blow-up scene at the grocery store. It was so difficult because there were so few sentences that were being exchanged between the two of them. But there was a lifetime of things trying to be communicated, and it was a wonderful challenge to try to find that perfect sweet spot where it’s not overly dramatic or stated. But it had to have enough gravitas or substance of weight to it to feel like the event that it is because Solomon is trying to break free from something that he is blaming Sunja for. I remember that being an exciting challenge for myself that day.
2. How did you achieve speaking the Japanese language so smoothly?
The show found an amazing Japanese language coach named Kang Yu Mi, who is a Zainichi. She was born and raised in Kobe, and she studied in Tokyo. She also has been living in Korea for over 10 years, so her Korean has a Japanese accent. She’s also an actress, so we were able to work together to phonetically and annotate all the Japanese lines. In addition to all of that work, she and I were able to talk about acting as well, and I thought it was such a gift to be able to talk to a translator and say, “Hey, I think Solomon is really angry on the inside. So how should I express that?” and she would give a take, and we would try to find something that feels right. I also did Duolingo for Japanese; I did workbooks for writing Kanji, Katakana, and Hiragana. But if we are ever going to get season 3, I have decided that I just need to go to Japan and learn to become fluent in Japanese.
3. The first season was so well-received, so did you know right away that you’ve done something special?
I think I felt it once when I was watching season one, before the press of that first round. While shooting it, I was just so terrified all the time that I couldn’t really process what was happening, but what I did feel and what I didn’t know going into it was that this was an epic story. The responsibility felt quite big. Not just of the role of Solomon, but this entire story and project, also the community the story represents, or tries to represent. I felt the scale of that coming in and the responsibility of it. But I don’t think it’s impossible to ever expect any kind of positive feedback or review, or people just watching it at all. But it’s been such a joy.
4. Can you share a memorable moment that you had with Youn Yuh Jung?
So many. But I really loved episode four. There’s this dinner scene where both Sunja and Naomi show up at Solomon’s apartment by accident. And there’s a beautiful preparation for dinner, and then the dinner scene happens. I really cherish those two days. Just sitting around the table, sitting on the floor with galbi-jjim (braised beef short ribs), and all these different Korean foods with my character grandma. It felt very real, like the countless times that I had been sitting on the floor eating the same meal with my family. It felt so natural.
Soo Hugh
1. In the second season, Hansu comes across as less of a villain compared to the book. Was this shift influenced by Lee Min Ho’s portrayal of Hansu, or was it an intentional change in the script?
No, I think Min Ho brought so much to the character. The script was just a foundation for the actors, but beyond that, they’re building a house on top of it. So much of the Hansu in our show was a result of Min Ho’s work in developing that character. What excites me most for people to see this season is how Min Ho introduced such an interesting vulnerability to Hansu in season 2, something we didn’t see in season 1. This further complicates the question of whether this man is a force of good or a force of bad.
2. “Pachinko” is a story that carries the burden of past mistakes. Do you see Noa and Solomon as reflections of each other in how they navigate those inherited challenges?
Yes, we’ve heard a few lines from the both seasons. In season 1, Sunja said to Mozasu that “Do you think I’ll ever let that mistake happen again? Don’t worry, I’m not gonna let Solomon turn into Noa.” Solomon is so much Sunja’s attempt to get things right, to atone for her mistakes in the past. That’s why there’s such a huge burden on Solomon, he feels that weight.
3. What was the philosophy behind the intro sequence?
I love credit sequences. I mean, I grew up watching TV that always had credit sequences. They’re one of my favourite parts of an episode. So I knew that in the television shows that I make, I want credit sequences. Sometimes, a show is so heavy that our credit sequence is our little gift to the audience, just like how life does have its moments of joy.
4. What was the greatest challenge in making season 2?
I think it would be time. We really had to launch season 2 pretty quickly after season 1 finished, so it felt just like we were on a moving train. In some way, it kind of helped us to streamline and focus.
5. The first season was so well-received, so did you know right away that you’ve done something special?
I knew it while I was on set, I’ll be honest. But that doesn’t necessarily mean I thought it was going to turn out well or that the world was going to understand it. I remember being on set watching and realising something’s happening here. It’s like kismet, magic. But like I said, I didn’t know if that world would receive it that way.
6. Lee Min Ho often puts his hands inside his pocket. Was it in the script, or it just came out naturally?
When Min Ho took on this character, Hansu, we talked a lot about just how Hansu would talk, walk, and breathe. We spent a lot of time on his haircut and his clothes because Minho really thought that this was a character that was needed to be built outside in due to where Hansu grew up and his poverty, and that these clothes very much reflected how Hansu wanted the world to see him. So all those gestures, those are not scripted. That’s Min Ho bringing the character to life.
7. What did you think of Rosé’s (로제) “Viva La Vida” for the season 2 trailer video?
She did such a great job. When we were thinking about Rosé for that song, we didn’t know that she had already recorded it. There’s apparently a version on the internet that was a cover, and we had no idea. What was really interesting is that I have always loved the song, and I thought the lyrics of that song were really appropriate for the moment where Noa is leaving his family. We really wanted something that felt vulnerable to Noa, but also shed a new light on him. And this was a great way for Rosé, especially. She showed so much vulnerability in her cover of that song. She was such a pro, and it was amazing to be able to collaborate with her.
8. What did you learn and take from viewers’ feedback from season 1?
I didn’t try to read too much of the audience stuff because I find that sometimes it will really affect the way I do season two and because I knew we were going to season two directly. I think what was really the most important thing was the response from the Zainichi community in Japan. And of course, one voice can’t speak for all Zainichis, but I’ve heard from enough people that at least it was so reassuring to me that they didn’t feel betrayed by the show. This is one woman’s story. This is Sunja’s story. I can’t even pretend to capture the complete Zainichi’s experience. But it was so important to all of us that at least this show honours their experience instead of tramples on it.
Check out their official season 2 trailer here:
“Pachinko” Season 2 is now officially streaming on Apple TV+!
Alia contributed to this article.
