Director Kwon Gitaek, who had been surveying the vast forest, let out a faint smile.
'The weather's hot and humid. I actually like this kind of discomfort.'
This was his film, Island of the Missing. Every time he closed his eyes, he could vividly picture its world. Turning slightly, he spoke to a man a few steps away who was filming the surroundings with a small camera—the cinematographer.
"What do you think about using this spot for the scene where Private Kim's head gets blown off?"
The mention of that role hinted at how important this location was. After all, Private Kim's appearance marked the starting point of everything that unfolded in Island of the Missing.
Meanwhile—
"Whew, it's way too hot."
The cinematographer lowered the camera and wiped the sweat from his face, recalling the role Private Kim played in the story. Then he gave a small nod.
"It looks good. It's almost exactly like the script. Especially the smell. What is this smell, anyway? Feels like there's a body buried somewhere."
Director Kwon removed his safari hat for a moment, crouched down, and pressed a finger into the ground.
"Could be."
The soil was soft and wet.
His finger sank in deeper than expected. He pulled it out, wiped it casually on his thigh, then looked up again.
"For the shot where the head hits the ground, tell them to make the prop a bit heavier. It'll be more interesting if it leaves an impact."
The response came from the assistant director standing behind them, already panting in the heat.
"Yes! Got it!"
The reason Director Kwon Gitaek and the Island of the Missing team were in Vietnam was simple.
They were scouting overseas filming locations.
This had not been part of the original plan.
At first, everything had been scheduled to be shot on set. But after seeing the completed set, Director Kwon changed his mind. He decided to split the shoot between the set and overseas locations. It was not unusual for him to change direction like that. In the end, he had left a single instruction.
'Contact PD Park in Vietnam.'
He was referring to a line producer he had worked with on a previous project. Because of that, the Island of the Missing team had hurriedly packed up and flown to Vietnam. It was already their second day there. As a result, some changes had been made to the pre-production schedule that had originally started around April.
But now, things were nearly finished.
Around that time—
"PD Park."
Director Kwon put his safari hat back on and wiped the sweat from his face as he spoke in a relaxed tone.
"Add this location to the list. How many spots do we have left?"
"About five."
"And the overall schedule?"
"We'll continue scouting today and tomorrow, then meet with the local crew after that. It should take about three days total."
"So everything wraps up in three days?"
"Yes, Director."
Director Kwon nodded slowly, then called out to the planning team lead, who was busy taking photos of the scenery.
"Director Ryu!"
"Ah! Yes! Director! Sorry—haha, my daughter kept asking me to take pictures."
"Enjoy your time, but as soon as we're back in Korea, set up a schedule to inspect the set immediately. When was the script reading planned again?"
"We kept the date flexible because of the Vietnam schedule."
"Since we're wrapping up earlier than expected, let's move the script reading forward."
He paused for a moment, calculating the timing.
"How about August 3? Too soon?"
The planning team lead checked the schedule and nodded.
"That gives us about two weeks. Yes, that should be fine."
Hearing that, Director Kwon turned his gaze back to the dense forest.
"Then let's lock in the script reading for that day."
He added calmly,
"Start contacting the actors as soon as we return to Korea."
──────────
Two days later, on the 24th in the late afternoon.
The Boy Friend team was hurriedly setting up equipment in a somewhat secluded area behind the main building of a high school. They laid down tracks, installed lighting, and arranged props around a small storage area littered with trash.
Today, they planned to shoot a few supplementary scenes, along with moments that would highlight Han In-ho's character.
In the script, a group of delinquents who disliked second-year student Lee Bo-min appeared. Their reason was trivial. They were simply jealous of her looks. Desperate to find something to criticize, they clung to anything they could. One of the female delinquents began spreading rumors to bully her.
But Lee Bo-min, who was always optimistic, showed no sign of being shaken or discouraged.
And beside her was Han In-ho. Even if everyone else turned their backs on her, as long as he was there, she could endure it. Still, the delinquents acted as if nothing had happened and continued to harass her. When she failed to react, they decided to become more direct.
Maybe that was what led to this.
"Everyone playing the bullies, gather in front of the camera!"
The actors playing the delinquent students stepped forward. There were five of them—three girls and two boys. They all wore school uniforms, but their vibe was clearly different from ordinary students. Their clothes were either tightly fitted or deliberately worn in a messy way, with buttons undone.
They had made sure their styling stood out.
These extras were not just background fillers. They all had lines and belonged to agencies. Even so, Director Shin Dongchun, who was watching them through the monitor, let out a disappointed sigh.
"Hmm... something's lacking."
The assistant director beside him frowned.
"Is there a problem?"
"Hard to say. I didn't notice it while reading the script, but now that they're standing there... something feels off."
Director Shin trailed off as he looked at the five supporting actors beyond the camera.
"It's missing tension. This is the first real conflict scene—it should feel sharper, more intense."
"I think it works as it is."
"No. Scenes like this need a stronger dramatic edge. That's what makes the audience feel the tension and makes the payoff more satisfying."
"Do you have something in mind?"
"Hmm..."
With a thoughtful look, Director Shin sat down and scanned the set. Dozens of staff members were moving around busily.
"Let's take another look. Someone more intimidating—someone who really feels like a bully."
"You're thinking of adding someone on-site?"
"Yes."
"But that's not easy to do right away! These roles aren't minor—they've got lines, even solo shots. Weren't they cast through auditions?"
"It's fine. They just need to stand there."
"Expressions matter too, though."
Despite the assistant director's concern, Director Shin calmly continued scanning the set. But no one stood out. More than anything, the age didn't match. They were supposed to be high school delinquents, but everyone looked too worn out.
Director Shin scratched his chin, disappointed.
'I want to make Han In-ho stand out more in this scene... but at this rate, I'll have to settle for something weaker.'
At that moment—
"Director."
A deep male voice came from behind him. When he turned, Kang Woojin was standing there in a school uniform, his expression blank as ever. Director Shin smiled and quickly got to his feet.
"Oh, Woojin. You're done with makeup?"
"Yes. I happened to overhear something..."
"Hmm?"
"Are you looking for someone to add to the bully role?"
"Ah, well, what we have now isn't bad. I just wanted a bit more impact. Maybe I'm being greedy. It might be better to stick with what we have."
Woojin looked at him silently for a moment, then stepped aside and pointed somewhere.
"Then what about my manager?"
"...Your manager? Who?"
A solidly built man was standing where Woojin pointed. Woojin introduced him calmly.
"Kim Daeyoung."
Kim Daeyoung's eyes widened instantly. He glared at Woojin, practically cursing him with his eyes.
'W-What the hell are you doing, you lunatic?!'
Of course, Woojin remained completely unfazed. Ignoring the glare, he spoke again to Director Shin.
"He's been part of an acting club for quite a while, so he has some experience."
Woojin recalled something Kim Daeyoung had once said over drinks.
'Why do you want to act, Mr. Kim? Because it's fun?'
"Yeah. Someday, I want to stand in front of a camera too. Not just as a passerby extra—I want a role with lines. That's my dream."
'Is it easy? Or hard? I don't know anything about the industry.'
"It's really hard. That's why it feels like a dream."
'Then try it. If you're a man, give it everything you've got.'
"Just thinking about it gives me a headache. Haha... let's just drink."
Woojin was simply helping him take a step toward that dream. It was not forced, and it fit the situation perfectly. There was nothing to lose, and it could work out well for both Kim Daeyoung and Director Shin.
"If you don't approve, then it's over."
Woojin added calmly,
"As you can see, he has the build. What do you think?"
At the suggestion, Director Shin rubbed his chin.
Then he stepped closer to the flustered Kim Daeyoung.
He looked him up and down. His appearance was a bit rough, but that could be fixed with makeup.
"His presence is definitely stronger than the others. He doesn't feel out of place. And that build will add something to the scene. If he's been in an acting club, he should have some basics."
Finding the idea not bad at all, Director Shin asked him directly.
"Think you can do it? It's not confirmed yet—we'll need a few test takes. What do you say? Want to try?"
Kim Daeyoung stood there, dazed, unsure if this was even real. He glanced at Woojin's expressionless face, then finally gathered his courage and answered.
"I can do it, Director."
His eyes glistened slightly.
Noticing that, Woojin thought to himself,
'Is he about to cry? For someone who looks that tough, he's surprisingly soft.'
Holding back a laugh, Woojin quietly nudged his side. Startled, Kim Daeyoung glanced at him, then quickly composed himself.
Then he shouted confidently at Director Shin.
"I can do it!"
A smile spread across Director Shin's face as he lightly patted Kim Daeyoung on the shoulder.
"Alright. Let's get him into costume first."
Then he turned to the staff.
"What's the largest size we have for the school uniform?"
──────────
At that same time, in Japan—
About a week after Profiler Hanryang was released on Netflix Japan, the Japanese entertainment industry was buzzing with talk about the drama. Media outlets, production companies, agencies, and actors alike had all taken interest.
Among Japanese actors in particular, conversations about Hanryang were everywhere.
"Have you heard of that Korean drama, Hanryang? It's really popular right now. Still number one on Netflix?"
"It's probably just the usual first-week hype. We've seen that with Korean dramas before."
"Yeah. They get attention at first, but the rankings usually drop after that."
"It'll probably die down soon."
Opinions were mixed. But if you looked closely, the negative side had a slight edge. The more Hanryang succeeded, the more the Korean wave intensified.
And yet, its popularity in Japan held firm.
If anything, word of mouth spread even faster as time passed. Hanryang stayed at number one on Netflix, steady and unmoving. It had clearly moved beyond a temporary surge of initial hype.
There was a reason for that.
『Korean drama Profiler Hanryang surges in popularity, takes No.1 on Netflix』
Japanese media had begun covering it in earnest. They noted how the drama was gaining strong support not just from younger audiences, but across multiple age groups.
『Korean investigative drama Profiler Hanryang spreads rapidly through SNS buzz』
Many Korean dramas had entered Japan before, but Hanryang showed signs of reaching an even higher level of popularity. That trend was clearly visible across social media and online communities.
It had even been mentioned on a Japanese variety show just a few days earlier.
"Hey, has anyone here watched Hanryang? I almost pulled an all-nighter watching it yesterday."
"I did! Assistant Manager Park is amazing!"
"Miko-chan, you know your stuff! I loved Assistant Manager Park too!"
At this point, there was no way Director Kyotaro wouldn't know. As he continued casting actors, he was genuinely pleased with Hanryang's rise.
"At this rate, our film will already have strong attention in Japan even before its release."
That assessment was directed at Kang Woojin.
Around the same time, Profiler Hanryang was also becoming a hot topic in a meeting among the production team of a famous Japanese talk show. They were deciding the theme for an upcoming episode.
"What should we cover for the next international special?"
"The Hollywood episode didn't get much response. Probably because we only provided information without a guest."
"What if we do a 'Korean Drama Week'? Profiler Hanryang is getting huge attention on Netflix right now. It's spreading really fast among the public."
"Ah, that one? I read a few articles. It does seem pretty popular. But wouldn't it be too expensive to book the lead actors?"
"Then what if we invite the villains instead of the leads?"
It was quite an unconventional idea.
"You mean only the villains from Hanryang?"