Lee Je-hoon joins new member Shin Jae-ha in ‘Model Taxi 2’

'Model Taxi', which was a hit with a peak viewership rating of 16%, returned for Season 2. Lee Je-hoon's more diverse secondary character play and Shin Jae-ha's performance and secrets, who joined as a new knight, are new points to watch. A location in Vietnam was also conducted to increase the number of attractions.

On the 23rd, the production presentation for SBS' new Friday-Saturday drama 'Model Taxi 2' was held at SBS Hall in Mok-dong, Seoul. Director Lee Dan and actors Lee Je-hoon, Pyo Ye-jin, Kim Eui-seong, Jang Hyuk-jin, Bae Yu-ram, and Shin Jae-ha attended.

'Model Taxi 2' is a private revenge drama in which a mysterious taxi company, Rainbow Transportation, and taxi driver Kim Do-gi (played by Lee Je-hoon) complete revenge on behalf of wronged victims.

Director Lee Dan expressed confidence, "I felt pressure because Season 1 was a good show. But I enjoyed Season 1. I'm a fan of the seniors, so I jumped at the chance to work with them. It was a good choice." He then pointed out that the difference from season 1 is that “you can see a variety of secondary character play.”

In Season 1, events that became social issues were incorporated into the work. Director Lee Dan said, "The most important thing I thought was that I could only feel the thrill of revenge if I could sympathize with the stories around me. In Season 1, we dealt with bullying and voice phishing, but this time, we're a little more into real life, such as fraud by the elderly and real estate instructors." "We brought a topic that was close to us. We wanted to see 'Model Taxi 2' with more viewers, so we adjusted the level to 15 years old rather than 19 years old," he said.

Lee Je-hoon played the role of Kim Do-gi, a Rainbow Transportation taxi driver who was a former military officer and special forces officer. Kim Do-gi's character was greatly loved in Season 1 and was called 'God Do-gi'. Lee Je-hoon expressed his feelings, "I didn't know there would be such a big reaction. After it was finished, our team was in a great mood and I thought it would be a shame if it ended like this, but I was grateful and honored to be able to produce season 2." He continued, "I thought we should continue the fun and meaning in season 2, so we talked a lot with the writer and director. We had actors who had already worked together during filming, so we were able to show our sides without hesitation."

Lee Je-hoon said, "I felt pressured because different sub-characters appeared than in season 1, but I went into it with the mindset of having more fun. I think the chemistry and ensemble came out better." He continued, "If season 1 had a rough appearance, director Lee Dan prepared delicately and thoroughly for season 2. Thanks to that filming and directing style, viewers will feel that season 2 is more diverse and 'much more fun than season 1.' I am also a viewer. “I’m looking forward to it,” he said.

Regarding the topless scene, Lee Je-hoon emphasized, "I prepared for a topless scene in my last life." He also joked, “I thought it would be okay for the director to manipulate me as an actor who brings to life the image he envisions, but he really did that.” He also praised him, saying, “There are only a handful of coaches who work this hard.”

Regarding overseas location filming, Lee Je-hoon said, "It was amazing to be able to film episodes 1 and 2 against the backdrop of Vietnam. The scenes of Rainbow Fortune expanding overseas by capturing villains operating overseas in Korea and receiving requests from victims were colorful and beautifully scaled. “I was surprised that I was able to show it clearly,” he said. He continued, “Viewers will be able to enjoy the spectacle of exotic colors and say, ‘Rainbow fortune is active here.’ It was not easy to film because it was hot and humid, but everyone worked hard. The parts that could not be filmed were finished in Korea, and CG helped. “I will receive it and it will come out complete,” he said.

It is said that in an overseas location scene, Kim Do-gi and the head of voice phishing, Ms. Lim (played by Shim So-young), meet again. Lee Je-hoon predicted, “This is where we meet again. It will be good to look forward to seeing how Mrs. Lim and Kim Do-gi reunite.”

Pyo Ye-jin played the role of Ang Eun, a hacker and employee in the accounting department of Rainbow Transportation. Pyo Ye-jin said, "Season 1 went well, so I vaguely thought I'd like to do season 2, but meeting again felt comfortable and familiar." He then joked, "Even though Jaeha was new, he seemed to be the same as before. Although he is the youngest in our team, he is not actually the youngest, so I felt like there was one more person I needed to work on and take care of."

Pyo Ye-jin asked, "In Season 1, I was mostly inside the corven, but this time, I often come out of the corvene. I thought I should follow suit and work hard just as Kim Do-gi worked hard in playing as a secondary character. Please look forward to my various performances."

Kim Eui-seong played Jang Seong-cheol, CEO of Rainbow Transportation and Blue Bird, a crime victim support center. Kim Eui-seong laughed, saying, “The twist is that I don’t betray. I say, ‘Please believe what people say.’”

Director Lee Dan admired Kim Eui-seong's acting and said, "I heard a groan. I asked my senior what kind of life he lives to have such a look in his eyes." He continued, “It’s a bit of a spoiler, but Jae-ha also appears in a topless scene.”

Jang Hyuk-jin appears as Chief Kyeong-gu Choi, an engineer at Rainbow Transportation's maintenance room. Jang Hyuk-jin said, “Our drama is not difficult and if you do something bad, you will be punished. You will be able to watch it comfortably.”

Bae Yoo-ram appears as Chief Park Jin-eon, an engineer at Rainbow Transportation’s maintenance room. Bae Yoo-ram joked, "I get beaten a lot instead of Do-gi. If we share the pain, it's doubled instead of halved." He also laughed, saying, "I hung on to it, got hit, fell, and got stuck in it. I asked to help the actors and director Lee Dan a lot, and they really helped me a lot."

Shin Jae-ha, who joined Season 2, played the role of On Ha-jun, a new taxi reporter at Rainbow Transportation. Shin Jae-ha said, "I've just been discharged from the military, but I enjoyed watching season 1 while I was in the military. I had high expectations and a lot of pressure, because I had to blend in with my seniors. I felt pressure, but it disappeared as soon as I came on set. My seniors took good care of me and I was like that. “They treated me like I was part of the Korean family. After filming for the first time, I felt no pressure,” he said. When asked who the person who treated him best was, Shin Jae-ha took a sip of water and answered, “The director,” making everyone laugh.

Director Lee Dan said, "I wanted to bring in a new driver while thinking about how to create Tiki Taka by meeting a new driver. I also wanted to show a face that makes you feel good just by looking at it, so I brought in Jaeha Shin. A new character comes and a new narrative is given. “That’s right,” he predicted. Kim Eui-seong said, "(Shin Jae-ha's character) was chosen because he was cute, but there's a huge secret hidden there."

When asked if there was a desired viewership target since Season 1 was a hit, Lee Je-hoon replied, "I haven't talked about it yet." He said, "I hope that after watching this work, you can think about the victims and reflect on the people around you. I hope that this work will lead to healing for many people."

Lee Je-hoon was confident, “If you see how I prepare for revenge and punish it cruelly, you will say it was not a waste of time and that it was so much fun.” Kim Eui-seong said, "The actors sitting here are the main characters, and there are other actors who become the main characters in each episode. There are great and well-known actors, and actors who are not well-known but have outstanding skills. There are also actors who appeared as guests in our drama. “Please support us a lot,” he asked. Ye-jin Pyo hoped, "Incidents based on actual events appear. I hope you will pay attention to what events are the topic and talk about them a lot." Shin Jae-ha said, "Episodes 1 and 2 were filmed in Vietnam, and you worked hard. But they came out beautifully. There's something to see, so please watch it." Director Lee Dan asked viewers to watch the show, saying, “Please look forward to the performance of the Rainbow Transportation team, who are more in sync with each other than in season 1, and the newly joined driver Ha-jun On.”

‘Model Taxi 2’ will premiere at 10 PM on the 17th.

Kim Ji-won, Ten Asia reporter bella@tenasia.co.kr