‘Gangnam B-Side’ delves into dark side of famed Seoul district | ABS-CBN

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‘Gangnam B-Side’ delves into dark side of famed Seoul district

‘Gangnam B-Side’ delves into dark side of famed Seoul district

Paul Xavier Jaehwa Bernardo,

ABS-CBN News

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Updated Nov 03, 2024 04:09 PM PHT

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(From left to right) Jo Woo-jin, Ha Youn-kyoung, Bibi and Ji Chang-wook during the press conference for 'Gangnam B-Side' in Seoul, October 30, 2024. Photos from Disney+ Korea's X accountIt has been 12 years since South Korean rapper Psy released his megahit “Gangnam Style,” catapulting Seoul’s affluent district into the global spotlight. Known for its high-end boutiques, trendy cafes and restaurants, and vibrant nightlife, Gangnam has practically become synonymous with luxury and style.

But Disney+’s upcoming crime drama “Gangnam B-Side” presents a darker world lurking beneath the district’s glitzy facade.

“[Gangnam is] a glamorous space... [but] I’m pretty sure beneath the surface, there might be dark alleys and different lives, so I thought I could use that as an interesting plot,” director Park Noo-ri said through an interpreter in a recent online press conference.

Scheduled to premiere on November 6, “Gangnam B-Side” follows a detective, prosecutor and broker as they each pursue their own motives to locate a woman from the Gangnam club scene who has mysteriously disappeared.

Park said the production team aimed to create a realistic atmosphere for the series, filming on location in Gangnam as much as possible.

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“Since it is such a city of glamor, I thought it was really important to capture the realistic aspects. So we put in a lot of thought in choosing the locations. We tried to shoot as much as we could in Gangnam,” she said.

“Viewers will be able to recognize some familiar spots as they watch the series. I thought that could relay or convey the realisticness,” she added.

The cast is led by Jo Woo-jin, who previously starred in the thriller series “Happiness” and crime drama “Narco-Saints.” In “Gangnam B-Side,” he portrays Kang Dong-woo, a detective “with a fiery passion for justice” who, after being initially demoted, returns to solve the disappearance case.

Jo Woo-jin as Kang Dong-woo

The 45-year-old actor shared he gained 18 kilograms for the role. “For the first time after my high school days, I ate a lot and worked out heavily. I tried all the burger restaurants in our neighborhood to add weight,” he said.

“At first, when I saw myself on the monitor, it didn’t feel like myself, that kind of body shape and face was something I’ve never seen myself on the screen like. I tried to make my appearance pleasant for the viewers to see and I tried to get my character’s feelings across in a way that is convincing,” Woo-jin said.

Heartthrob Ji Chang-wook stars as Yoon Gil-ho, a broker in the Gangnam underworld who has endured a tough life.

Ji Chang-wook as Yoon Gil-ho

Attention to detail

Chang-wook stressed that he paid close attention to Gil-ho’s look and styling. “If you look at his face, he’s always wounded, there’s always a scar or injury in his face that shows what a tough life he lives. It hints that he’s always been in a fight,” Chang-wook said.

“When [Gil-ho is] with other people, I want him to stand out to show that he’s someone dangerous, someone who’s a little off, so his clothes are very over the top, not like what I would usually wear.”

Also part of the main cast are Ha Youn-kyoung (“Extraordinary Attorney Woo” and “See You in My 19th Life”) as prosecutor Min Seo-jin, and singer-turned-actress Bibi in the role of the missing club star Kim Jae-hee.

Ha Youn-kyoung as Min Seo-jinYoun-kyoung described Seo-jin as a prosecutor with a “deep thirst for success and promotion, but at the same time she has values.”

Seo-jin is also quite reserved, which proved to be a challenge for Youn-kyoung. “That was quite difficult to express. Acting to suppress the feelings is more difficult than showing the feelings, so I wanted to be a character that had a presence through gaze and body language,” the actress said.

Meanwhile, Bibi, whose real name is Kim Hyeong-seo, was cautious when discussing Jae-hee during the press con, worried that she might reveal key plot points of the series. 

“She is the very trigger of everything that happens. She does this thing that becomes a trigger. She’s not a culprit for anything but she is chased out,” said Bibi.

“I was running with high heels. It was quite painful, running,” Bibi said of the challenges during filming. “On the way home, I realized that I lost some weight so I was very happy while shooting [the running] scene.”

Bibi as Kim Jae-hee

Fast pace, character dynamics

For director Park, what distinguishes “Gangnam B-Side” from other crime action series is its fast-paced storytelling and emphasis on character dynamics. 

“You won’t be able to pause once you start watching. I think that’s what we intended,” she said.

“When it comes to the theme, it could seem familiar to what you’ve seen in previous titles, but this title focuses more on the characters and the relationship between these characters. So getting to the bottom of a crime and busting the cartels is not the focus of this title, it’s more about people who try to protect what matters to them, so please focus more on the dynamics of the characters,” Park added.

For more news and features on K-pop, K-drama, and K-stars, visit the Hallyu Corner microsite.

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Ogie Alcasid on Regine Velasquez-Alcasid’s concert: ‘She was at her absolute best’

Ogie Alcasid on Regine Velasquez-Alcasid’s concert: ‘She was at her absolute best’

Drew Acierto,

Push Team

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Kapamilya singer-host Ogie Alcasid beamed with pride after the successful concert of Asia’s Songbird and his wife, Regine Velasquez-Alcasid, earlier this week. The It’s Showtime host took to his Instagram account to express how proud he was after seeing the spectacular performance of the veteran singer. 

Regine held the first two nights of her RESET concert last February 14 and 15 at the Samsung Performing Arts Theater in Makati City. The last two nights will be held on February 21 and 22 at the same venue. 

In his post, Ogie showed snippets of his wife’s sold-out concert. Regine was seen enjoying herself on stage and singing her heart out to the delight of the fans.

“She was at her absolute best. I kid you not. The standard she upholds for herself is awe-inspiring and her fortitude to always have outstanding performances for her beloved fans is truly incredible,” Ogie wrote.

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For the Kapamilya singer-host, Regine is a “treasure”, a sentiment which the fans totally agreed with in the comment section. He then congratulated her for a job well done on the first two nights of her sold-out shows.

“Behold this treasure we have called Regine and be Reset. Congratulations my love. @reginevalcasid,” he ended. 

Meanwhile, Melai Cantiveros-Francisco, who was also present to watch and support her fellow Magandang Buhay host, showed how Ogie was intimately watching the performance of his wife. She shared how she witnessed the “divine love” Ogie has for Regine.

“Kagabi nawitness ko ang divine na pagmamahal ni kuya Ogie @ogiealcasid kay MomshieReg @reginevalcasid kitang kita nmin na silently praying sa wife nya habang kumakanta cheering in praying and this song na ki-nover from southborder ni momshie reg is song dedicated nya for kuya Ogs nung time na di pa sila public,” she wrote.

Regine’s RESET concert has two more nights, with the February 21 show the only one that still has tickets available as of writing. Fans of the Asia’s Songbird could still purchase their tickets through TicketWorld. 

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