Park Noo-Ri’s ‘Gangnam B-Side’ Finds Humanity In A Brutal World

The Gangnam neighborhood in Seoul has become synonymous with glittering displays of wealth and excess, but there’s also a dark side, one the Disney+ drama Gangnam B-Side explores. The Korean drama is set in a club scene that uses, abuses and cruelly disposes of teens who have no one to champion them. That’s where detective Kang Dong-woo, played by Jo Woo-jin, searches for his teen daughter and ultimately enlists help from the lowlife fixer Yoon Gil-ho, played by Ji Chang-wook.

When director Park Noo-ri first read a draft of the script, the story seemed so intense and violent she wondered if she could take on the project. It was written by Joo Won-gyu, who spent time undercover in some real clubs, trying to help teens.

“When I did some research on the writer, I saw that he said he was a writer and a pastor, but also worked as a part-time driver to find and help runaway teenagers,” said Park. “This sparked my curiosity, and I ended up reading all his books. His works carried a pessimistic tone, but I also sensed an underlying compassion for socially immature individuals, which ended up with me meeting him in person. When we met, I found out that we both shared the same perspectives on how this project should be, exploring the concept of ‘what is the bare minimum of humanity,’ rather than drawing attention through sensitive subjects, and that is how our collaboration began.”

How realistic is the drama’s depiction of exploitation? As a minister Joo helped teens in youth shelters and correctional facilities. After losing contact with some of those teens he discovered they worked as hosts and prostitutes at a Gangnam club, so he went undercover, offering to help them. Much of what he saw left him numb.

“I heard sometimes things could be more brutal in reality,” said Park. “A lot of the series was based on the darker side he experienced with a touch of added creativity.”

The most challenging part of directing the series was balancing the level of intensity.

“It was crucial not to let the provocative subject matter overshadow the story’s core message and we also didn’t want to make viewers feel unnecessarily uncomfortable,” said Park. “Although the story includes themes like drugs, nightclubs, and criminal investigations, the ultimate focus had to be on the characters. Without that focus, the story would lose its depth and emotional resonance.”

Gangnam B-Side is Park’s first time directing a series. She previously directed the 2019 film Money, starring Ryu Jun-yeol, and served as an assistant director on The Berlin File and The Unjust. She always wanted to direct a series.

“For a series I believe there’s more room to explore a broader range of characters and delve deeper into their stories with a longer runtime. While films usually run around two hours, which makes it important to put more focus on the main character. Now that I have experienced directing a series, I feel it requires as much intense decision making similar to that of films. Viewers nowadays easily switch off to another content when things become even slightly boring on screen. And once they leave, they usually never come back to re-watch.”

Gangnam B-Side offers viewers a compelling storyline and plenty of engaging action scenes. It’s a highly stylized series with bold dramatic images that seem inspired by a pulp fiction magazine. There’s lots of melodrama, noir imagery and neon lighting.

“I spent a lot of time thinking about how to keep them hooked,” said Park. “Ensuring that each scene and episode left them eager for the next.”

Park learned a lot about action scenes while working with Ryu Seung-wan, the director of Smugglers, Escape from Mogadishu and The Berlin File.

“He has the whole scene mapped out in his head and gives clear direction which makes everyone’s work easier,” said Park. “Being a part of that and having firsthand experience was invaluable to me.”

The question she always asks before directing an action scene is, “why is this particular character fighting at this particular moment?” To be riveting, a good action scene requires intention.

“We wanted to ensure that every action scene was grounded in characters’ emotions,” said Park. “For instance, Kang Dong-woo shows quick, intense actions focused on catching criminals as a detective, while Yoon Gil-ho’s priority is survival, which leads to him carrying a weapon and targeting the opponent’s weak spots. On top of this, I believe detailed choreography designed by the stunt team and the actors’ dedication helped all the scenes come to life.”

When working with actors Park welcomes their thoughts on character development.

“For Jo Woo-jin’s character Kang Dong-woo, the relationship with his daughter plays a big part in the story,” said Park. “Jo also has children in real life, so I tried to talk with him on that father-daughter relationship for a better understanding. Jo really has so many ideas and prepares well when coming to shoot, so the details of Kang Dong-woo really came to life by him. Having worked with him previously and having had great synergy, I had full trust in him.”

Park and Jo worked together on Money.

“On the other hand, for Ji Chang-wook’s character Gil-ho and Kim Hyoung-seo’s character Jae-hee, they really were ones that lived their lives in extreme environments, which allowed me to discuss the characters with the respective actors,” said Park. “The actors also felt these characters had pitiful lives, and this led to adding more details to the scenes showing their past.”

Ji Chang-wook has played morally conflicted characters before, such as the police officer he played in The Worst of Evil, but he’s generally cast as a good guy. As Gil-ho, he’s a man with few options. His predatory lifestyle leaves him perpetually bloodied and battered. Yet, despite his exploitation of others, the character values human life.

“Ji Chang-wook in his previous work has built up a portfolio of playing good and righteous characters, which has become his general image,” said Park. “However, this image of his character has gone through changes recently and this got me wondering how wide his acting spectrum can be. I wondered what it would look like if you saw evil out of his righteous face and wanted to show it to the viewers. Gil-ho is someone who is in between good and evil, and I wanted him to look like someone who lives with sadness and suffering inside him rather than someone who is just aggressive.”

Kang Dong-woo is the first leading role for Jo Woo-jin, who previously appeared in Narco Saints, Happiness and Mr. Sunshine and who appears in the film Harbin.

“For Kang Dong-woo, I wanted to show a ‘good’ detective, but also someone with what I’d call a ‘human charm’’ and I felt that Jo Woo-jin is that person. He brings a natural humor and warmth while always remaining considerate and attentive to others. I believe his personality aligns perfectly with the humanity and appeal I wanted the character to convey. Most of all, I was eager to see this actor take on his first lead role and carry the weight of the project from start to finish.”

The other major player in this drama is prosecutor Min Seo-jin, played by Ha Yoon-kyung. Soo-jin seems corrupt, but she also has convictions. It’s a very different role from the one Ha played in Extraordinary Attorney Woo.

“I first noticed her in Extraordinary Attorney Woo, where she brilliantly portrayed a character with a ‘sunshine’ personality,” said Park. “I was immediately drawn to her. I went back and watched her other works and what stood out to me was her clear, kind eyes. But when she’s lost in thought, I see her expression shifting to emptiness. That duality felt so similar to Min Seo-jin, who stands at a crossroads of ambition and conviction and whose choices are uncertain. Compared to the other characters who are fiery and single-minded in their goals, Min Seo-jin is much more restrained in her emotional expression. I think her performance truly brought the character to life.”

The villains in Gangnam B-Side may be wealthy and powerful, but they’re monsters. Although Gil-ho and Jae-hee, played by Kim Hyeong-seo, are victims. they also seem the most humane.

“Characters like Jae-hee, Gil-ho, and others like them are barely holding on to their lives, have nothing to fight for, therefore nothing to lose,” said Park. “Since they know how devastating it is to be treated inhumanely, they know firsthand how cruel life can be. This is why they can lend a hand to others in need, even if it means sacrificing themselves.”

For Park, Gangnam B-Side is about human dignity.

“Ultimately, I believe our story is about people fighting so hard to protect what matters to them the most,” she said. “For some that might be family, friends, loved ones or even some kind of belief. By following the path of the struggling people, I hope the following questions will pop up in people’s mind, “What is the bare minimum of humanity? Are we living in a society where even a basic level of human dignity is guaranteed?”

Gangnam B-Side airs on Disney+ internationally and on Hulu in the U.S.