Nothing is more sacred than money for Wi Ha Jun in Little Women
South Korean star Wi Ha Jun plays a mysterious man, who believes that nothing is more sacred than money, in the mystery drama Little Women.
In the series, Ha Jun is Choi Do Il, an elite consultant from London who attempts to retrieve the missing 70 billion won from illegal slush funds.
He finds himself teaming up with an ordinary bookkeeper named Oh In Joo (portrayed by Goblin and Yumi’s Cells star Kim Go Eun). She’s one of three poor sisters who get entangled with the wealthiest family in South Korea, after the “lost money” lands in her possession. The other sisters — journalist Oh Ink Yung and arts prodigy Oh In Hye — are portrayed by Nam Ji Hyun (100 Days My Prince, 365: Repeat the Year) and Park Ji Hu (All of Us Are Dead), respectively. Little Women airs Saturday and Sunday nights on Netflix.
Through an English interpreter, Ha Jun spoke more about his character during a recent virtual presscon: “Do Il wants to track down the 70 billion won so (he) asks In Joo to hold hands (work together with him). In Joo, on the other hand, is nervous and suspicious of Do Il, so he tries to earn her trust until they become a team. In that process, there are so many twists and turns, which I believe you will definitely find intriguing.”
Ha Jun has been entertaining audiences in such genre K-dramas as The Bad and Crazy and Squid Game, where he essayed the role of a cop in both shows. He might not be a cop in Little Women, but his character appears to have the dogged determination of an investigator who wants to get to the bottom of things — in the name of money.
Asked why his character in Little Women appealed to him, he said, “The more I read into the script, the more I found him mysterious. ‘What was his upbringing like? How did he end up with such convictions and values? Why does he act that way? How does he feel about In Joo?’ I had endless questions about him, wanting to find out more about him. I found that appealing and wanted to flesh that out about him.”
Four episodes into the series, which is currently in the Top 10 list of most-watched shows on Netflix Philippines, the actor manages to present a character that walks that fine line between being the good guy and bad guy.
“Well, I did not intend to confuse the viewer on whether he is a good guy or a bad guy,” Ha Jun said.
“Do Il is sincere in everything he does. He has a strong conviction and value system about money, and seems very rational. I tried my best to portray all such sides of him, which may lead the audience to be perplexed, wondering whether he is good or bad. All I did was to faithfully portray the character.”
For Ha Jun, another appeal of the show is the convoluted web of relationships among the major characters and how they change through the dire situations they are in.
“(These are) some points you can follow to fully immerse yourself into the show,” he said.
Meanwhile, the actor deemed it an honor and described it as “pure bliss” to be working with the “perfect duo” of director Kim Hee Won (Vincenzo, The Crowned Clown) and writer Chung Seo Kyung (The Handmaiden, Decision to Leave) on the series.
“Whenever I read the script, I was amazed by the writing and I did feel pressured about whether I could bring these beautiful… and philosophical lines to life. To live up to the lines, I really spared no effort and got to study harder,” said Ha Jun.
“I don’t think I did the best job so I’m sorry but also, I’m so grateful to the writer. When you read her writing, it seems like writer Chung is cold-hearted and charismatic, (but) she’s actually such a lovely and beautiful person in real life.
“And director Kim is just so famous for being great. Everyone told me she is a great person and I felt it myself. As a director, she has everything planned out and when the actors ask for a reason, she provides it to us. We could really trust her and act freely. She is really energetic and respectful and fun on the set, too. At the same time, she’s got charisma. I think, she is the true leader type for the current society. I really mean it.”
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