The power of the Apple TV+ series "Pachinko" lies not only in the compelling characters and plot but also in the untold histories lived by real people, according to the second season's cast.

“The series holds great significance by spotlighting the stories of those who lived through historical moments while being overlooked and unnoticed,” actor Lee Min-ho said during a press conference for the series’ second season held in Gangnam District, southern Seoul, on Friday, the same day of the season’s first episode’s release.

Based on Korean-American author Lee Min-jin's best-selling 2017 novel of the same name, “Pachinko” revolves around the story of four generations of Koreans in Japan, known as Zainichi Koreans. Zainichi Koreans have faced severe discrimination in Japanese society and endured limitations in their livelihood, with operating a pachinko parlor — filled with vertical pinball machines mainly used for gambling — one of the few options left to them.

The series’ second season will continue to revolve around Sun-ja and her family and begins in 1945, seven years after from where the first season left off. The first season, released in 2022, concluded with Sun-ja seeking out her husband Isak, who Japanese police had arrested.

The series’ first season garnered major global recognition, winning the Best Foreign Language Series at the Critics Choice Awards and the Breakthrough Series — Long Format awards at the Gotham Independent Film Awards in 2023 and 2022, respectively.

Directed by Leanne Welham, Arvin Chen, and Lee Sang-il, the series features actors like Youn Yuh-jung, Kim Min-ha, Lee Min-ho, and Jung Eun-chae, who appeared in the first season, as well as Kim Sung-kyu, who joined in the second season.

The actors heard real stories from real Zainichi Koreans, as several real-life Zainichi Koreans participated in the series, including Soji Arai, whose Korean name is Park So-hee, and director Lee Sang-il.

Youn admitted she cried a lot when hearing Zainichi stories from Arai, who played the older version of Sun-ja’s son Mozasu.

"I was grateful to have the opportunity to learn the untold stories of history and to realize how little we knew about their lives,” Youn said. “I learned a lot during the shoot about things beyond what we study in history class.”

Kim Min-ha also shared her story with director Lee, which shows the series’ significance toward Zainichi Koreans.

“While we were moving sets, I bumped into director Lee and jokingly said, ‘Don’t give up on me,’” Kim Min-ha said. “However, he replied, ‘I won't let go of this story because it's also my story too,’ which made me emotional.”

The second season starts from a different point of view from its previous one, according to Lee Min-ho.

“If season one was the survival story of people who lost their nation, season two captures the narrative of people living through the situation,” the actor said.

The complicated relationship between Sun-ja, played by Kim Min-ha, and her teenage love interest Koh Han-su, played by Lee Min-ho, continues and even gets more complex, according to the actors.

“In season two, the relationship between the two becomes more complex as [Sun-ja herself] wonders about her feelings for Han-su,” Kim Min-ha said, describing Han-su as an “encyclopedia” for Sun-ja, as he was the one who showed her the world for the first time. “She wants him out of her life while thinking about him daily.”

She added, “She also tries to push him away, but in reality, she needs him to survive.”

Actor Lee Min-ho also acknowledged that his character's way of loving was wrong, saying, “If Han-su lived today, I believe he wouldn’t have heard anything good.”

In the series, Han-su harbors a strong desire for Sun-ja, despite her being married to another man, and an obsession over her and Noa, who was born between the two.

“I heard fans call Han-su ‘ Haebaregi,’” Lee Min-ho said laughing. Haebaregi is a combination of the Korean word haebaragi, or sunflower, and sseuregi, or trash, referring to Han-su’s wrong but steadfast love toward Sun-ja.

The series showcases three different languages — Korean, Japanese, and English — which offered the actors a new and refreshing experience, as well as hardships.

“When shooting, I could hear Japanese on my left, English on my right, and Korean in the front,” Lee Min-ho said. “This situation was so confusing that I felt like I was losing my identity, which made me question if this was what immersed me more in my role.”

Actor Youn expressed her difficulties with her Japanese lines, as she had to interpret the emotions conveyed in the lines in Korean to deliver them thoroughly, which made her resentful. Regarding this, she joked that if season three is to be made, "start without me.”

According to Lee Min-ho, the new season will also depict various depictions of love. “While season one’s narrative was like a dry and barren field, in the second season, almost all the characters are in love.”

“I believe that the series will allow viewers to rethink the importance and strength of love and the motivation it gives throughout our lives,” he added.

The second season consists of eight episodes, each released every Friday. The first episode premiered on Aug. 23.


BY KIM JI-YE [kim.jiye@joongang.co.kr]