Celebrity Travel: Go away with Park Hae-soo and Yoo Ji-tae of 'Money Heist Korea - Joint Economic Area'

Jae-Ha Kim, Tribune Content Agency on Jun 21, 2022

YOO JI-TAE: Having done projects in various countries with people from different backgrounds, I learned that the universal human emotions are key. I’m grateful that I’ve been working as an actor for 25 years. In 1995, when I was still in college, there was a surge in Korean immigration to the United States with the term American Dream being a common catchphrase. I directed a short film that captures many of the issues I grappled with in college and titled it “Korean Dream.” At the time, I was convinced that Korea had the power, drive and energy to create stories that would resonate with the world and that someday Korea would draw the attention of the world. I think that now more than ever, we are witnessing the Korean Dream coming true. An extensive range of Korean cultural content has been recognized at the Academy Awards, as well as the Cannes, Berlin and Venice Film Festivals – on top of many K-pop bands sharing their unique artistic expression and communicating with their fans in Korean.

Q: Where are some places you’ve traveled that have stood out?

PARK HAE-SOO: Definitely Los Angeles. Since the release of “Squid Game,” I’ve had some new and wonderful experiences in L.A. and met lots of great people. I’ve been to L.A. four times already. I’d love to visit other countries, too, to have more wonderful experiences going forward.

Q: Ji-tae, what attracted you to the role of the Professor?

YOO JI-TAE: I enjoyed the portrayal of Professor as a villain, but someone who has genuine feelings in the original series. But I admit that the massive global fandom around the original series did place some pressure on me.

Q: Hae-soo, why did you want to play Berlin?

PARK HAE-SOO: I was a big fan of “La Casa de Papel” and I knew that the wonderful creators of Korea would team up to add a fun twist to the series. I also wanted to challenge myself by trying to portray the layers of charm Berlin has. I feel catharsis when conveying the duality a character holds. What’s funny is “Money Heist: Korea – Joint Economic Area” required me to shoot the whole show in just one set of attire and in a confined space, (just as I did in) “Prison Playbook” and “Squid Game.”

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(Jae-Ha Kim is a New York Times bestselling author and travel writer. You can respond to this column by visiting her website at www.jaehakim.com. You may also follow “Go Away With…” on Twitter at @GoAwayWithJae where Jae-Ha Kim welcomes your questions and comments.)