Park Bo-young Transforms in Disney+ Thriller 'Goldland'

Actress Park Bo-young sheds her youthful image for a gritty role in 'Goldland', a thrilling series about gold smuggling. At the press conference held on the 27th at Conrad Seoul Hotel, Park Bo-young, along with co-stars Kim Sung-cheol, Lee Hyun-wook, Kim Hee-won, Moon Jung-hee, Lee Kwang-soo, and director Kim Sung-hoon, discussed the upcoming Disney+ original series.

'Goldland' follows Hee-joo (played by Park Bo-young), who becomes embroiled in a dangerous game to claim 150 billion won worth of smuggled gold. Directed by Kim Sung-hoon, known for 'Confidential Assignment', and written by Hwang Jo-yoon of 'Oldboy' fame, the series promises intense drama and suspense.

Park Bo-young plays Kim Hee-joo, a security officer at an international airport who gets caught up in the illegal gold smuggling operation. This marks her first foray into the crime thriller genre. She shared, "I wanted to challenge myself with this genre. The director mentioned that viewers might expect me to return the gold, but my character makes unexpected choices."

To fit the role, Park Bo-young lost weight and minimized makeup. She explained, "Hee-joo didn't have a happy upbringing, so I wanted to reflect that. Since there are many scenes of her on the run with the gold, I lost weight during filming and wore minimal makeup."

Speaking about co-star Kim Sung-cheol, she said, "He sang 'nuna nuna' to the tune of Jennie's song 'Like Jennie'. I've never been called 'nuna' so much in my life. If I had a younger brother, he'd be like him."

Lee Hyun-wook plays Lee Do-kyung, Hee-joo's lover and the catalyst for the gold smuggling incident. Kim Hee-won portrays Kim Jin-man, a man driven by greed, while Moon Jung-hee plays Yeon Seon-ok, a woman worn down by desire, who shares a complex mother-daughter relationship with Park Bo-young's character. Lee Kwang-soo takes on the role of Park, the series' main antagonist, showcasing a menacing presence.

Lee Kwang-soo's character is visually striking, featuring gold teeth and tattoos, adding to his intimidating aura. He humorously recounted, "I suggested the gold teeth idea to the director, but later he claimed it was his idea. I clearly remember it was mine." He added, "I didn't receive any extra pay for the gold teeth makeup."

Director Kim Sung-hoon clarified, "Lee Kwang-soo did mention the gold teeth, but I suggested making them unique, like window frames. I even drew a picture to explain."

Lee Kwang-soo joked, "I'll reveal the text messages if I have to. I think the idea credit is about 80:20 in my favor."

When asked what they would do with 150 billion won in gold, Kim Hee-won said, "I'd probably get hurt. It's dangerous. But if I had it, I'd use it wisely and donate to cultural development."

Kim Sung-cheol shared, "I've thought about this question a lot. Sometimes I want it, sometimes I don't. Today, I think I'd use it for good. I don't believe in free money, so I'd use it with good intentions."

Park Bo-young reflected, "As a member of society, I wondered if I could really give up that money. A part of me wants it. Living as Hee-joo, I experienced a lot of vicarious satisfaction. I wasn't 100% happy living by desire. If I had it, I'd fulfill some personal desires and then use it for good."

Lee Hyun-wook said, "If I safely had 150 billion won, I'd see how much I could spend in a day. I'm curious how far I could go and what I'd think."

Lee Kwang-soo added, "If the source is unclear, I'd return it to the owner. I'm cautious, so I'd put any reward money in the bank and earn interest."

Director Kim Sung-hoon concluded, "This is the most personal project I've worked on. When Park Bo-young was considering the role, she asked me to help make it a defining work in her career. The cast and crew did an excellent job, and I hope viewers enjoy it."

The series will consist of 10 episodes, with two episodes released weekly starting on the 29th.

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