Kim Woo-bin, a ‘delivery driver’ different from ‘Mad Max’

Kim Woo-bin, Song Seung-heon, Kang Yu-seok, and Lee Som make a strong return.

On the morning of the 10th, a production presentation for the Netflix drama 'Delivery Driver' was held at Provoke Seoul, Yeongdeungpo-gu, Seoul. Kim Woo-bin, Song Seung-heon, Kang Yu-seok, Lee Som, and director Cho Ui-seok attended the event.

'The Delivery Driver' is a series depicting what happens on the Korean Peninsula in the future, where people cannot live without oxygen respirators due to extreme air pollution, and what happens between the legendary delivery driver '5-8' and the refugee 'Sawol' against the Cheonmyeong Group that rules the new world.

On this day, director Cho Ui-seok said about the English name of the 'delivery driver', 'BLACK KNIGHT', saying, "During the day, the delivery driver delivers oxygen and daily necessities, and at night, the role of '5-8' is to protect refugees and distribute daily necessities. Do it. Think of it as a vigilante group. He introduced himself as ‘Black Knight’ because he plays the role of a taxi driver during the day and a ‘black knight’ at night.”

He continued, “When I watched the original webtoon, I liked the world view. I liked the setup of carrying oxygen, daily necessities, etc. I talked to the original writer and he graciously allowed me to do a lot of adaptations, so I ended up writing an interesting story. “I got to create a work with the actors I gathered together,” he added.

When asked why he chose the work, Kim Woo-bin said, "Not long ago, we were all wearing masks. So, after reading the script, I thought that something like this could happen in the future. I was curious about the stories and "I became interested as various characters appeared. I was especially curious about the characters 5-8, which I played, so I decided to do it," he said. Kim Woo-bin continued, "And I worked with director Cho Ui-seok on the movie 'Master' and I remember having so much fun at that time. My trust in the director played a big role in my choice of work."

Song Seung-heon also said, “Even at this moment, we are living dependent on oxygen. “But I don’t think we really feel gratitude for oxygen,” he said. “Isn’t oxygen too important in our lives? I filmed it with the thought, ‘If a world like that comes, it will be a big problem.’ “Through ‘Delivery Driver,’ I became more interested in the environment,” he confessed.

Kang Yoo-seok, who won the role of Sa-wol after going through a fierce audition, said, "I was curious how the science fiction elements would be portrayed. I thought this work would be fun because it also has action. I was curious how it would be portrayed." Kang Yoo-seok, who was asked by the director, "I want you to become an action monster," said, "I thought it would be fun when I heard the word 'action monster,' but I prepared for about three months and thought it was not an easy task. Basic physical training, sum. “I prepared, including matching,” he said.

Lee Som, who plays Seol-ah, said, "From the first time I saw the scenario, it was interesting that a courier, a common figure in everyday life, was created as a special being responsible for someone's life. It was a very famous webtoon, but how did director Cho Ui-seok tell the story? “I was curious about how it would unfold,” he said.

Lee Som said, "Seol-ah is a major in the intelligence service and is a person with courage and leadership. She saves the life of refugee Sa-wol and helps her when she was young. She is suspicious of the Cheongmyeong Group and Ryu-seok and begins an independent investigation." Director Cho Ui-seok recalled Lee Som's military uniform fitting and said, "When I saw her wearing it, I thought, 'That's Seol-ah.'" Lee Som, who predicted a completely different character from his usual nickname 'Sombly', said, "This time, there will be some action and I will be holding a lot of guns."

Lastly, when asked if the setting in the work reminded him of the movie ‘Mad Max,’ director Cho Ui-seok said, “It’s different from ‘Mad Max.’ “You may feel a sense of déjà vu, but it’s a different story,” he said, drawing a line and urging viewers to watch.

‘The Delivery Driver’ will be released on Netflix on the 12th.

Ryu Ye-ji, Ten Asia Reporter ryuperstar@tenasia.co.kr