'Low Life' has emerged as a savior for Disney+. Actor Ryoo Seung-ryong from Disney+'s all-time highest-grossing title 'Moving' and director Kang Yoon-sung of 'Casino' have teamed up. Following actor Kim Soo-hyun's controversy that completely derailed the tentpole 'Knock-Off', expectations grow over whether Disney+ can revive.

On the morning of the 8th, Disney+ held a production presentation for its new original series 'Low Life' (scripted by Kang Yoon-sung and An Seong-hwa, abbreviated as 'Low Life') at the Conrad Hotel in Yeouido, Yeongdeungpo-gu, Seoul. The event was attended by the main cast, including Ryoo Seung-ryong, Yang Se-jong, Lim Soo-jung, Kim Ui-sung, Kim Sung-oh, Kim Jong-soo, Lee Dong-hwi, Jung Yun-ho (Yoonho), Lee Sang-jin, and Kim Min, who discussed the project with director Kang Yoon-sung, guided by broadcaster Park Kyung-rim.

'Low Life' depicts the story of diligent villagers who gather to seize a sunken treasure ship buried under the sea in 1977, filled with schemes and deceit. This drama is based on the webtoon 'Pine' by writer Yoon Tae-ho, known for works like 'Misaeng', 'The Insider', 'Moss', and 'Incheon Landing Operation'. The project, directed by Kang Yoon-sung, who received acclaim for the film 'The Outlaws' and the Disney+ original 'Casino', is generating anticipation as it brings together Ryoo Seung-ryong, a lead from Disney+'s original series hit 'Moving'.

For the platform Disney+, 'Low Life' is set to be an important turning point. Originally slated for a summer release, the Disney+ original series 'Knock-Off' has been indefinitely postponed due to male lead Kim Soo-hyun's personal controversy, effectively putting it in jeopardy. As a result, 'Low Life' is poised to fill that void. Since the Singapore content promotion held last year, 'Low Life' has garnered global fan anticipation, being a collaboration between Ryoo Seung-ryong, who recorded the highest box office for Disney+ with 'Moving', and director Kang Yoon-sung, who directed another Disney+ hit 'Casino'. With highlights that evoke nostalgia for the 1970s, it is expected to be a high-quality period drama.

The production presentation showcased 'Low Life', featuring a dazzling array of characters with a total of 10 actors in attendance. From the 'Seoul' team, six characters emerge: Oh Kwan-seok (Ryoo Seung-ryong), driven by his obsession with a big score; his nephew Oh Hee-dong (Yang Se-jong); the head of Heungbaek Industrial, Yang Jeong-sook (Lim Soo-jung), who controls the money; the company's chairman's driver, Lim Jeon-chul (Kim Sung-oh); the antique appraiser, President Song (Kim Jong-soo); and Na Dae-sik (Lee Sang-jin), who joins on President Song's recommendation. They are expected to lead the flow of 'Low Life' as 'those who hold the money'.

The Mokpo team includes principled police officer Hong Gi (Lee Dong-hwi), an ambitious character with flair called Beolgu (Jung Yun-ho), and the dabang (tea house) worker Seon-ja (Kim Min), along with Beolgu, veteran captain Hwang (Hong Gi-jun), pottery expert Ha Young-soo (Woo Hyun), and local representative Moguri Go Seok-bae (Im Hyeong-jun), as well as Lee Bok-geun (Kim Jin-wook), who knows the treasure's location. These characters, united as 'those who wield the sea', get intricately involved with the treasure ship buried in the waters off Sinan.

Finally, the Busan team consists of Professor Kim (Kim Ui-sung), along with Coach (Won Hyun-jun), Jeok-san (Kwon Dong-ho), Skull (Lee Geun-wook), and Ashtray (Shin Chang-joo). Following their pursuit of a big score, Professor Kim, a con artist who crossed over to Sinan with his henchmen, is expected to create a tense atmosphere and conflict matched up against 'those wielding guns'.

Ryoo Seung-ryong stated, "I'm thrilled to work on a wonderful webtoon adaptation, along with director Kang Yoon-sung, whom I've wanted to collaborate with, and not just with the incredibly talented actors here but with amazing actors and staff. I feel exhilarated to get a chance to work on this project."

With director Kang Yoon-sung of 'Casino' and Ryoo Seung-ryong of 'Moving' working together, expectations are high. Director Kang noted, "I have been a fan of Seung-ryong since he starred in the 'Kingdom' series, and I wondered if there would ever be a day when I would get to work with him. I’m thrilled it has come true. It has been enjoyable working with each of the actors and developing the characters one by one."

Yang Se-jong, who is attempting a transformation in his acting, shared, "Hee-dong follows his uncle since he was a child and has come to believe in his uncle as a father figure in place of his own father. It was enjoyable acting and every time I acted alongside the seniors on set, it brought back new memories. It was a happy filming environment."

Lim Soo-jung, who displayed an incredible transformation as Yang Jeong-sook, stated, "As the head of Heungbaek Industrial, I play a role in funding the team led by Oh Kwan-seok in their treasure-digging endeavors. I spend time hiding my desires, but eventually start to reveal them and go all out for what I want."

After reuniting with Ryoo Seung-ryong for the first time in 13 years since 'All About My Wife', he humorously responded to Park Kyung-rim's question, "Aren’t you seductive?" with, "You will see." Lim Soo-jung also added with a smile, "I was expecting to reunite with Seung-ryong, but I’m glad to meet him again. It’s an honor to collaborate on a role that is different from the previous work, so I’d appreciate it if you could look forward to that."

Kim Ui-sung, playing the role of a con artist, humorously remarked, "I apologize" while eliciting laughter, adding, "In 'Low Life', there are hardly any upright, good characters, and I'm one of those dangerous men from Busan who stirs up trouble and raises crises." He continued, "It's what I always do," with a twinkle in his eye while saying, "This time around, I did a lot of sailing, and in the end, moved around like a colleague. It was so much fun working with many actors who suffered alongside me. Although it was hard, it will remain in my memory for a long time."

Kim Sung-oh explained, "Lim Jeon-chul is the one who sends money for digging for the treasure under the orders of the chairman of Heungbaek Industrial, and he also watches over Yang Jeong-sook. He creates conflicts with Hee-dong as he seeks not to lose. He evolves into a character who fights and grows attached." In continuation, Kim Jong-soo added, "The treasure hunt began from President Song's greed. Although it isn’t depicted in the original work, he is an antique expert from Hamgyeong-do who causes trouble by soliciting a treasure hunt while having settled in Insadong. While he doesn’t board a ship, he possesses an incredible sense for money."

Lee Dong-hwi shared, "I was born and raised in the neighborhood and lived as a local police officer, but a commotion breaks out, leading me to confront people who have gathered from all over the country. I think it’s best to refrain from making comments regarding the treasure. I’m a policeman, but I don't act like a typical one."

Having met director Kang Yoon-sung for the second time after 'Casino', he emphasized, "The chemistry is perfect. The environment has upgraded a lot. I have a strong desire to work together again; I would love to have that opportunity since the set was peaceful."

Jung Yun-ho, also a local from Mokpo, plays Beolgu. He discussed transforming into a thug, stating, "I’m a cousin of Hong Gi (Lee Dong-hwi) and a hot-blooded thug from Mokpo. I find myself siding with Professor Kim as stories unfold, but it’s not just the thug side that you will see. Please look forward to a variety of aspects."

He added, "Beolgu was a different character from me. It was true that there was some emotional pressure, but I feel supported by the character's relationships during my return to Mokpo with the director, showing fashion points and so on."

He particularly mentioned, "Personally, a word from actor Ryoo Seung-ryong helped me greatly. He told me, 'Yoon-ho, it’s not just a joke, prepare properly.' The lessons were no joke from the start. I managed to enjoy it all safely and pleasantly. His support made me feel alive. There were invisible lessons involved."

In addition to Hamgyeong-do, Busan, and Mokpo, Lee Sang-jin plays Na Dae-sik, who hails from Chungcheong-do, showcasing character play gathered from across the country. He shared, "There were many unbelievable moments. While working with the seniors, I found parts of myself emerging unexpectedly, and I learned so much from the scenes with the seniors, feeling a sense of honor."

Rookie Kim Min, who joined 'Low Life' after passing a competitive audition, described, "Seon-ja's goal is to move to Seoul. Despite difficult circumstances, she does not lose her innocence and maintains hopeful positivity. Being somewhat different in purity from others, she stands out as a unique character."

Director Kang Yoon-sung spoke about the casting of these actors, stating, "In addition to those here, there are about ten more involved. I have personally never experienced creating distinctive characters with so many individuals. I found the process of creating a drama like this to be very enjoyable."

He continued, "I believed it was necessary to engage with actors through their language rather than my vision. All the characters are crafted by the actors, so many parts strayed from my initial imagination. I progressed by adjusting the dialogue to fully match the actors’ styles."

In this work, the character of Seon-ja seeks to find emotional treasures, while others are primarily driven by money. It’s a story of mutual deceit. I feel like it echoes the play 'A Streetcar Named Desire', in that no matter how much desire is pursued, one cannot reach the station of satisfaction. It seems to express endless desire well."

In this work, dialects serve as an important device for depicting regional colors. Lee Dong-hwi mentioned, "The first lesson was conducted by a dialect teacher. In the second lesson, senior Im Hyeong-jun helped me on set. The third lesson involved fine-tuning detailed aspects learned from Jung Yun-ho, who plays Beolgu, my cousin. Although he has long been a less active teacher, he still offers guidance and I look forward to the fourth lesson."

Rookie Kim Min shared, "Since Seon-ja is in her 1970s context in Mokpo, I tried to feel the period's emotions by listening to various visual materials and songs. I sought out local friends for recorded files, which I listened to from morning until bedtime, creating a character with feedback from the seniors on set."

Jung Yun-ho also joked, "I needed lessons as well," revealing, "While preparing for the project, I went to Mokpo. Since the setting is in the 1970s, the dialect from then feels different from today. I received help from taxi drivers I met. Everyone here implemented the dialect so well that it formed a collaborative learning environment."

Regarding the sea, a crucial backdrop for the treasure searching, director Kang Yoon-sung explained, "We conducted underwater shootings in three stages. We started with basic backdrop shots, then proceeded to tank sets and detailed shooting in specialized underwater sets." Yang Se-jong added, "I was scared at first. However, we had received extensive preliminary training. The system operates smoothly when a Moguri presses a button, but it turned out to be calmer and more enjoyable than expected."

How did they portray the era set in the 1970s? Im Soo-jung, who garnered interest from the character reveal, stated, "You will feel that I have portrayed almost all that women could do in the era in a lavish manner." She added, "I wore everything to express that time—hair, makeup, and jewelry—represented perfectly by my character Yang Jeong-sook. I dedicated considerable effort to the external presentation as the hair and makeup teams were immensely diligent, so I want to thank them for that."

Addressing the location that embodied the era, Kim Ui-sung remarked, "We shot in an open set in Mokpo, and it truly felt like taking a time machine. Entering the set, it felt more like dressing the actual streets of Mokpo rather than merely constructing a set, which led to a feeling of 'Is this really how it is?'. Once all actors were in, it began feeling like the acting took care of itself."

Kim Jong-soo remarked, "It feels as though they have set up the atmosphere of that time so well that it was hard for us to blend in. Even for actors who are remarkably handsome, the wardrobe and makeup were integrated well with the set, making it incredibly enjoyable to act."

Lee Dong-hwi expressed, "Personally, meeting Ryoo Seung-ryong has been a different experience compared to our collaboration on 'Extreme Job' and was a great support. Furthermore, I have received much help from Yoon-ho, who plays my family member in the drama. I was really inspired by him, as he memorized all the lines for reading day."

He humorously added, "Since Kim Jong-soo kept looking at me, I felt I wanted to say something to him, but sadly, we didn't meet. There are people I did not manage to meet chance aside."

Kim Ui-sung recalled, "Last summer, we filmed in the waters off Sinan during the hottest period. We ventured out on a small boat to the sea, which was genuinely frightening, and there was no shade on the boat, making it extremely hot. Later, on the capital set, temperatures soared to 39 degrees with no breeze. I keep mentioning this, but this filming experience is more memorable than any film or set I have worked on. I faced many hardships but also forged friendships."

Ryoo Seung-ryong claimed, "There are many underdogs here, alongside the people present. Captain Hwang is one of them. And so is senior Woo Hyun. You will surely be surprised by their visuals."

Jung Yun-ho noted, "Beolgu was not explicitly defined in the original work. His emotional landscape had defensive qualities, and there were moments where he unexpectedly hit ignition. Overall, I want to refer to 'Loosely,' employing a meme from his song 'Thank You' to say 'Pine Thank You.'" This statement garnered applause and laughter from the set, to which Ryoo Seung-ryong cheekily added, "'Pine', 'thank you', and me."

Director Kang Yoon-sung stated, "'Casino' was written without an original work and based on research, thus I could pursue it as I wished. However, 'Low Life' has an original source, so I worked to ensure the storyline aligns with it while filling the gaps. As I contemplated the details of the characters, time flew by. We had about a year and a half of working time, and after finalizing the script, it became richer during discussions around characters with the actors."

In relation, Kim Ui-sung expressed, "I want to mention something here. When filming every day, I truly feel exhausted to the point of collapsing. The director worked alongside us all day, yet when we received the script for the following day via KakaoTalk, I was just struck with amazement. I wondered what this person was up to."

Director Kang Yoon-sung continued, "Every shooting session, the actors grow their characters, but often the existing lines don’t fit well. After seeing the footage, I thought about revising the lines the next day—and I kept modifying them," which drew admiration from the cast. Kim Ui-sung added, "I think everyone felt that he’s an incredible person."

Additionally, actors including Lee Dong-hwi from 'Casino' and those from Ryoo Seung-ryong's movie 'Extreme Job' are expected to feature prominently. Director Kang Yoon-sung noted, "Each new work, I strive to cleanse the scent of the previous, yet there are instances in which I work with actors from prior projects as a habitual comfort. As a human, it seems natural to create an environment where I get to collaborate with those I feel at ease with. I hadn't considered 'Extreme Job', but casting according to the character’s matches led to some recurring actors in the production."

Lim Soo-jung, who has had her first opportunity to work together with these actors, shared, "I was so happy to participate in a work like this with such an appealing character. I learned a lot while filming, which was like the pinnacle of acting. I’ve learned a lot about how to further develop and sculpt characters. It was an amazing experience to learn from such outstanding actors, even though I couldn’t frequently meet them, through the brief scenes we had together. It was enjoyable."

Yang Se-jong also expressed, "Being on set with my seniors made it impossible not to be immersed. I believe that this filming experience will leave a significant mark on me. There were emotionally transformative aspects, and I am grateful to my seniors. It was an appreciated work from human Yang Se-jong."

To this, Ryoo Seung-ryong playfully responded, "As long as you do well," before laughing, adding, "It’s not a joke, but this kind of production is rare. As the days went on, I felt a pang of regret that it was coming to an end. I wonder when I would ever experience a setup like this—a rigorous environment with such a fantastic cast."

Director Kang Yoon-sung stated, "Through 'Low Life', I aimed to construct an understanding of how people lived so diligently during the 1970s and the emotions that they experienced during that period. My objective was to recreate the era as accurately as possible while maintaining a focus on how desires and thoughts could shape stories."

Can Ryoo Seung-ryong become the uncle of Disney+ after 'Moving' and now 'Low Life'? He humbly remarked, "I feel very inadequate, but thank you for seeking me out." He added, "If 'Low Life' succeeds and we all get to film a season two, I would be even more grateful."

'Low Life' will premiere its three-part series on the 16th, subsequently releasing two parts every Wednesday for a total of 11 episodes for viewers.

[Photo] OSEN reporter Min Kyung-hoon, provided by Disney+.

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