Director Kim Jae-hong of "Flex X Cop 2" shared behind-the-scenes stories regarding actor Yoo Seung-ho's special appearance and opened up about his honest feelings regarding the success of his previous work.
On the morning of the 4th, a press conference for the new SBS Friday-Saturday drama "Flex X Cop 2" (written by Kim Ba-da, directed by Kim Jae-hong) was held at the SBS building in Mok-dong, Yangcheon-gu, Seoul. Actors Ahn Bohyun, Jung Eun-chae, Kang Sang Jun, and Kim Shin-bi, along with director Kim Jae-hong, attended the event to share their sincere thoughts on taking on Season 2 and expressed extraordinary confidence.
"Flex X Cop 2" is a pleasant, refreshing, and thrilling high-end cooperative investigative drama featuring Jin Yi-soo (played by Ahn Bohyun), a chaebol detective who overturns cases with his immense wealth when traditional investigations hit a wall, and Joo Hye-ra (played by Jung Eun-chae), the newly appointed team leader of the Major Crimes Unit 1.
During the event, Director Kim talked about the casting process for the star-studded cameo lineup, which includes Yoo Seung-ho, Kim Eui-sung, Lee Hak-joo, Heo Sung-tae, Jung Chae-yeon, Jeon Hye-bin, and Kim Hye-eun. He joked, "Just as Jin Yi-soo mobilizes all his money and connections to solve cases in the drama, our production team and actor Ahn Bohyun mobilized all of our connections. We pleaded and sometimes even threatened them to bring in these precious people one by one," bringing laughter to the room.
In particular, Yoo Seung-ho's special appearance has been drawing high expectations. Yoo Seung-ho plays Yoo Sung-won, a third-generation chaebol with wealth comparable to Jin Yi-soo and a world-renowned sculpture artist, who is a mysterious figure that has long been suspected by the new team leader, Joo Hye-ra.
Director Kim explained the casting process, saying, "We have a connection from the past when we met as an assistant director and lead actor on the drama 'My Strange Hero'. I asked him directly because I felt this role had to be played by actor Yoo Seung-ho." He added, "Originally, he was a character in charge of the core narrative in the mid-to-late part, so we intended to keep him hidden. However, while filming with actor Yoo Seung-ho, his striking visuals were simply impossible to hide. In the end, we decided not to hide him with a 'specially extensive' cameo appearance, but rather to reveal him from the early episodes."
He also candidly confessed the pressure he felt regarding the explosive viewership ratings of his previous work "Agent Kim Reactivated" and competing works from other networks. Director Kim said, "My immediate previous work, "Agent Kim Reactivated", recorded unbelievable viewership ratings, so I am carrying 100% of the burden. However, the very culture of bringing viewers in front of their TVs is something to welcome."
Regarding "Flex X Cop 2", Director Kim stated, "We tried to complete every single episode to a 'high-end' level. We configured the cases that only Jin Yi-soo could encounter and solve with a sophisticated feel." He expressed his ambition, saying, "Among hero stories, Jin Yi-soo has a clear distinction as a 'don-chikin' rather than a typical overpowered character, where money is his superpower. I hope this remains an unrivaled series overflowing with a more sophisticated and kitsch charm than other investigative dramas."
Season 1 of "Flex X Cop", which aired in 2024, recorded peak viewership ratings of 11%, establishing itself as SBS's representative seasonal refreshing content. The differentiated worldview where an immature third-generation chaebol turned detective utilizes massive financial resources and cutting-edge equipment as an investigative cheat key received great love.
Emphasizing that "our consistent goal is to make Season 2 better than Season 1," Director Kim showed strong confidence, saying, "We have almost finished all the post-production work now, and personally, I think I have achieved that goal."
SBS "Flex X Cop 2", completed with the return of Season 1 members Ahn Bohyun, Kang Sang Jun, and Kim Shin-bi alongside new member Jung Eun-chae, will premiere at 9:50 p.m. on Friday, the 7th.
[Photo = Reporter Baek Seung-cheol, "Flex X Cop 2"]
(SBS Entertainment News | Kang Sun-ae)
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