Boosted by the critical acclaim of its first season released last January, the Disney+ original series Made in Korea has returned with an even more intense Season 2. When Season 1 concluded with a relatively short breath of only six episodes, some viewers questioned why the narrative had to be divided into a seasonal format. However, upon opening the lid of Season 2, it becomes evident that the plot picks up a full 10 years after the previous installment, proving that this division was an essential leap for a natural break in the narrative. The series previously secured the phenomenal title of the most-watched show in the Asia-Pacific region, sweeping Best Actor, Best Director, and Best Supporting Actor awards at various ceremonies while being recognized for its weighty thematic consciousness and outstanding artistic quality. Consequently, expectations for Season 2—both within Disney+ and among the public who eagerly awaited its return—were higher than ever.
Season 2, which has released two episodes so far, squarely targets the late 1970s to the early 1980s, a period swept by the most fierce and controversial events in modern South Korean history. Specifically, it covers the breathless political upheaval from the assassination of President Park Chung-hee to the new military regime, led by Chun Doo-hwan, seizing power and inaugurating a new president. This era is a widely known chapter of history, frequently utilized as a staple subject in numerous Korean films and dramas. Yet, because the blatant human greed for power, betrayals, and dramatic twists that actually occurred resemble a massive drama in themselves, it consistently acts as an attractive element that captivates creators, constantly being reborn into works with fresh perspectives.
However, many viewers did not easily anticipate that Made in Korea 2 would use the very center of this heavy and sensitive modern history as its main stage. Furthermore, the structure places the massive character of Baek Ki-tae, played by Hyun Bin, at the core to absorb this historical vortex head-on. Of course, since this drama is not a strictly historically accurate documentary, the names of key figures appearing in the show have all been changed to pseudonyms while still using actual historical events as motifs. Through this clever genre setup known as "faction" (fact + fiction)—layering the creator's imagination over real historical figures and events—the work masterfully traverses reality and fiction, elevating dramatic tension to its peak.
The greatest characteristic and limitation of such history-based faction dramas is that the vast majority of viewers already clearly know the final outcome of the narrative. Even though it is predetermined who will become the ultimate victor to seize power and who will vanish into the dew of the execution ground or quietly exit behind the scenes of history, the reason audiences immerse themselves in the work is clear. The entertainment and depth vary drastically depending on what specific perspective the writer presents and how they shed new light on the hidden sides of the characters within the massive gears of history. In this second season, the thrill is maximized by the fact that Baek Ki-tae, a man standing at the center of immense power, is a completely creative, fictional character who never existed in actual history.
The narrative densely depicts the moves of the new military faction, which fiercely seizes power by taking advantage of the political vacuum following the October 26 assassination. During this turbulent period, Baek Ki-tae is rapidly promoted to the powerful position of Deputy Director of the Korean Central Intelligence Agency (KCIA), establishing himself as a core power player heavily favored by the supreme leader. Paradoxically, however, his bloated power and upright control degenerate into the most irritating obstacle from the perspective of the new military faction seeking to usurp the regime. As Baek Ki-tae is portrayed as an uncompromising figure who directly opposes the new military's coup plot, from the viewpoint of viewers who already know the outcome of actual history, his position is inevitably like a ticking time bomb bound to plummet into a tragic abyss.
Therefore, the core viewing point penetrating Season 2 is what kind of fateful decision Baek Ki-tae, standing on the edge of a cliff, will make between his political beliefs and his survival. The precarious tightrope walk of whether he will meet a heroic end, thoroughly destroyed and collapsed after being swept away by the majestic flow of history, or whether he will realize the physiology of the cold-blooded power ecosystem and walk the path of a turncoat by compromising with the new military for his own safety, keeps viewers on the edge of their seats. The process of deducing how the final moves of the fictional character Baek Ki-tae will organically interlock with the predetermined historical results before his exit is the greatest intellectual amusement this drama offers.
As 10 long years have passed since Season 1, the status and relationships of the people surrounding Baek Ki-tae have also undergone a sea change. In particular, Baek Ki-hyun, played by Woo Do-hwan, breaks away from his past self and rises to the position of section chief at the Defense Security Command, a powerful military institution, becoming incorporated as a core force of the terrifying new military regime. This inevitably foreshadows a sharp confrontation and conflict with the protagonist, Baek Ki-tae. Additionally, Ikada Yuji, played by Won Ji-an, has grown over the decade into the cold and charismatic boss leading a massive Japanese yakuza syndicate, injecting tension as another variable in the play.
The crossed fates of the characters take on an even more complex aspect across the political and legal spheres. Oh Ye-jin, played by Seo Eun-soo, grows into a sharp prosecutor who sensitively pursues the direction of power, showing an opportunistic side that gradually leans toward the new military faction. In this season, the role of Defense Security Commander Hwang Dae-shik—who stands at the clearest opposite extreme from Baek Ki-tae and spearheads the new military's coup—is played by Heo Jung-do, an actor with weighty acting skills who delivers a chilling, overwhelming presence. On top of this, at the end of episode 2, Jang Geon-young, an advisor to the Martial Law Command played by Jung Woo-sung, makes a short but intense first appearance, strongly foreshadowing that an even more massive storm will rage in the fierce power struggle to unfold.
The highly dense political dynamics of the diverse supporting cast hovering around also solidly support the completeness of the play. Chun Seok-joong, played by Jung Sung-il, still maintains the title of Chief of Staff, but vividly portrays a pathetic hidden side where his once-mighty power has been thoroughly drained amidst the rapidly changing political landscape. Pyo Hak-soo, Baek Ki-tae's colleague played by Noh Jae-won, appears as a despicable figure who constantly covets Ki-tae's position and maneuvers secretly to tarnish his reputation, tuning the play's unpleasant tension. Most interestingly, actor Jung Hae-kyun—who has long been talked about for his striking physical resemblance to the real-life former KCIA Director Kim Jae-gyu—actually ends up playing a character essentially modeled after Kim Jae-gyu in this work, providing viewers with a stunning synchronization and visual immersion.
In this massive vortex of history, it remains unknown whether Baek Ki-tae will be able to protect his firm beliefs and exercise control until the very end. Tragically depicting the process of a figure who reached the pinnacle of power being helplessly ruined after being swept away by the massive waves of the era is perhaps the epitome of the most distinctly Korean noir narrative. It is also an important viewing point to see what kind of weighty acting transformation Jung Woo-sung, who was sometimes embroiled in acting controversies in the past, will show through this role of Jang Geon-young, and whether Hyun Bin, who demonstrated screen-dominating inner acting in just two episodes, will once again be mentioned as a strong candidate for acting awards through this season. Having meticulously poured attractive fictional characters into the pre-determined mold of history, Made in Korea 2 easily surpasses the heavy prelude of Season 1 and is certain to showcase the absolute essence of a much more thrilling and gripping political thriller.
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