Han So Hee proves dedication to Gyeongseong Creature’s action scenes
After a monster hit of a first season, Netflix’s Gyeongseong Creature has just announced Season 2, bringing back its lead stars Han So Hee and Park Seo Joon but transporting them to a different time period.
In Season 1, the monster-themed period series was set in 1945 during a Japanese-occupied South Korea, while Season 2 will take a dramatic leap through time to present-day Seoul, as revealed in an intriguing post-credit footage of the first season.
In a statement, director Chung Dong Yoon shared his vision for the show’s new chapter, stating, “Season 2 presents a story with a completely different charm. The change in space and time period will provide a clear distinction, offering an expanded universe feel.”
Based on the teaser photos from Netflix, So Hee will showcase her badass self and experience hard action anew in Season 2.
And speaking of action, So Hee previously shared her learnings in doing action scenes after getting injured on the set of Gyeongseong Creature.
In Season 1, So Hee is Yoon Chae Ok, a sleuth famous for her special skills to find anyone, whether dead or alive. She arrives in Gyeongseong from Manchuria on a very important mission, which is to search for her mom who has been missing for a decade.
She encounters Tae Sang, played by Seo Joon, who is known not just as the richest man but also the No. 1 informant in Gyeongseong.
After a tense first meeting that sees the lead stars match up with martial arts, hand-to-hand combat and some gun-toting action, they strike a deal to assist each other in their respective missions, leading them to the mysterious Ongseong Hospital. They end up fighting off a creature borne out of human greed and fighting for their lives.
“She is a sleuth who can track down anyone,” So Hee described her character, Chae Ok, during a virtual presscon with press from Asia, including The STAR.
“And alongside her father, she’s in search of her mom, who went missing about 10 years ago. Along the way, she arrives in Gyeongseong and crosses paths with Tae Sang and goes through a series of many events.”
“Because she’s gone through so much, there’s not much that can surprise her or startle her. And yes (I learned a lot from my character). I think her personality and my actual personality don’t really match because a lot scares me, you know. I’m not that laidback or relaxed. So I was concerned about that quite a bit,” she further said, comparing her reel and real-life personas
“But the historical background and the era and the influence and impact I get from other characters, including Tae Sang, and she’s so determined in wanting to find her mother. She had a very clear goal. So focusing on those things, I think portraying her wasn’t as difficult.”
By taking on the action sequences, especially the “high-speed” ones, So Hee ended up “banging her head several times,” the press learned from the host during the virtual press junket.
She confirmed that things were challenging and action-packed from her first scene alone.
“I think that was almost the same as when Seo Joon was doing his torture scene,” referring to her co-star’s torture scene in the first episode,” she said before joking to her director, “I think you’re trying to look away as if it wasn’t you who did this to us. But you did it.”
“So, for me, it was the first scene as well, but also it made me think about ‘Hey, this is my first day on set. What’s my last day going to be?’ My neck began to really hurt, you know, it got stiff and then the next day, I wasn’t quite able to turn my head because it was so stiff.”
But she clarified that her neck is okay and everything is well now.
“It’s all good,” she said, also saying that she can now turn her head 180 degrees.
“However, I really thought that that kind of level of concentration and determination that the director had — that’s what created all of these great scenes. So, I am very fond of his stubbornness,” she added.
“I also really wanted to do the scene very well. So I think that’s why the director was also bent on getting just the right scene.”
She didn’t specifically indicate during the presscon, but as reported, she sustained a facial injury while shooting the series. She only hinted that injuries come with the territory.
She pointed out that the risk of “getting injured, it’s not just me. It happens to all of the stunt teams and to anyone who really does action, there’s always the risk of injury. So you know, I would feel very grateful if there are no injuries but you really go into it thinking that you want to be hurt as least as possible.”
Nevertheless, there are lessons to be learned, foremost of which is knowing her capabilities and limits.
“I think when you are doing action, no matter how well prepared you are… because on set and when you begin shooting the scenes, everyone goes at it 100 percent,” So Hee said.
“But one thing that I felt like I had not thought of or prior was discerning what I’m capable of and what I’m not able to do. I thought that if I were to go back in time and do it again, I thought that could probably help me not to lessen the risk.
“And also, I learned that it’s not about really just giving it or overdoing it… I just feel like I could just do a better job if I were to do it again,” she said.
So Hee also spoke up about her romantic scenes and on screen chemistry with Seo Joon in the series, Parts 1 and 2 of which are still in the Top 10 trending shows on Netflix Philippines.
She agreed with her leading man that the time between their first meeting and shooting their scenes together helped develop what they described as a “reserved romance.” For sure, it heightened fans’ anticipation for a continuation in Season 2.
“And as Seo Joon said, it took a lot of time to get back together on sets, so we were always missing each other because usually he is, you know, somewhere. He’s locked up somewhere or, you know, in the show I would be hurt or something like that. So there weren’t that many scenes where I could come together with him,” she said.
“So, those circumstances helped us become more restrained in terms of expressing our feelings.”
She also stressed that Gyeongseong Creature is not only focused on the romance between a girl and a boy, but also about this “camaraderie” and “banding together to fight off the creature.”
“I hope the viewers don’t just focus on the romance part of the show, but the entire, you know, circumstances and how they band together to struggle to survive together. So there’s also friendship, there’s also romance, there’s also camaraderie. So yes, there are layers of different emotions in their dynamics.”
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