Hallyu Beat recently got the opportunity to interview the lead cast members of the hit black comedy thriller The Kidnapping Day, currently on Prime Video. Stars Yoon Kye-Sang, Park Sung-Hoon and Kim Shin-Rok gave us an inside look into the world of this intriguing series.
The Kidnapping Day tells the story of clumsy kidnapper Kim Myeong-Jun (Yoon Kye-Sang), who kidnaps a child genius for ransom at the urging of his ex wife Seo Hye-Eun (Kim Shin-Rok). He accidentally hits the girl, Choi Ro-Hee (Yoo Na), with his car and decides to take her home. The accident causes Ro-Hee to lose her memory, and she assumes Myeong Jun is her father. At the same time, detective Park Sang-Yun (Park Sung-Hoon) is investigating the case, and hunting down Myeong-Jun.
What is your character like? And what do you think is special about the role you are playing?
Yoon Kye-Sang: “A man who is literally lacking 2 percent. A man with a sick daughter and with nothing he wouldn’t do for her. A man who loves a child so much that he makes the wrong choice, but he knows it’s wrong and tries to make things right. I deeply considered the unique purity of this character and made many attempts and discussions to express it without causing discomfort.”
Park Sung-Hoon: “I know most detectives lack personal time due to numerous undercover and investigation tasks, but I tried to express Sang-Yun with his hairstyle and clothes to show his thorough self-management. Wearing plain clothes instead of a police uniform will also be a different point. If you focus on the chemistry between Kim Myeong-Jun (Yoon Kye-Sang) and Choi Ro-Hee (Yoo Na), including Sang-Yun’s character, you will be able to enjoy The Kidnapping Day more without missing the flow of the show. The charm of Sang-Yun’s character, which I played this time, is thorough and cool-headed, but I think there is a humanistic side to him behind that.”
Kim Shin-Rok: “Seo Hye-Eun is Myeong-Jun’s ex-wife and the person who planned the kidnapping case. As the show progresses, information about why this character left Myeong-Jun, why she planned the kidnapping, and why she chose Ro-Hee is revealed. But it’s unclear how much of the information is true and which parts are false. I felt that this mixture of the truth and the lies as well as how impossible it is to clearly judge what is good and evil, was special.”
What are the messages that you believe the audience will receive from watching The Kidnapping Day?
Yoon Kye-Sang: “The meaning of family. Family relationships, roles, responsibilities … There are many things, and all of them are important, but the most important thing is love. This is what I focused on while acting and looking at the script.”
Park Sung-Hoon: “I think many new forms of family have emerged in modern times. So, I hope that it will be an opportunity for viewers to think about what the meaning of family is through The Kidnapping Day.”
Kim Shin-Rok: “Among Myeong-Jun’s lines, there is a line that says, ‘Children are not test specimens.’ It seems to contain a message that society or adults should raise children safely, and that they should respect children as human beings.”
What is your favourite scene, and why?
Yoon Kye-Sang: “I like all the scenes that I filmed while running away with Ro-Hee. I think there are scenes that are cuter and make me happier than I had expected. I think it’s thanks to receiving good energy from Yoo Na.”
As you have starred in several dramas this year, how does this character differ from your previous characters, such as Jae-won from Not Others, and what can viewers expect or look out for when watching this drama?
Park Sung-Hoon: “I think it is a great blessing as an actor to be able to play a different character in each work. There are viewers who loved my previous series and loved the character, so it’s a driving force to be able to continue to act and move forward. Sometimes it’s a villain role, sometimes a good guy role, but actors face viewers with new faces and characters in each work, so I hope you can see and sympathize with the characters in the work.
“I played the role of Eun Jae-Won, the head of a police station in my previous series, Not Others, and this time I have a similar but different detective role. He takes the lead in solving the case and encounters action here and there, so I think it has a more rhythmical charm.”
How is it working with Yoon Kye-Sang, Kim Shin-Rok, and other cast members?
Park Sung-Hoon: “I was able to work with Yoon Kye-Sang from the mid to late stages. While talking a lot, we discovered many similarities and we were able to get close in a short amount of time. Personally, I think it is great luck to get to know Yoon Kye-Sang while filming The Kidnapping Day.
“I remember filming with admiration because Yoo Na showed professional and solid acting skills on set. Kim Shin-Rock has the ability to analyze the script sharply and is great at expressing, so I was surprised every time we filmed.”
The Kidnapping Day is currently available on Prime Video in Malaysia and more than 240 countries and territories worldwide. New episodes air every Wednesday and Thursday.
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