Pachinko 's Minha Kim and Lee Minho Explain Why Their Drama Is For Everyone
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A captivating period drama is about to hit a major streaming service on March 25. No, we aren't talking about Bridgerton.
Instead, we're referring to Apple TV+'s adaptation of the best-selling novel Pachinko, which is set to premiere in less than 24 hours. The drama chronicles four generations of a Korean immigrant family, with Oscar winner Youn Yuh-Jung, Minha Kim and Yu-na Jeon playing different versions of the protagonist, Sunja. The trailer, released in February, promised an "epic family saga," which includes heartbreak, prejudice and perseverance.
Intrigued? Just wait until you hear what Minha and co-star Lee Minho had to say about this sweeping saga.
In an exclusive chat with E! News, Minha revealed she's "really excited to tell this beautiful story to the world," adding that though this is a historical drama—depicting Japan's annexation of Korea in the 1910s—it tells a highly personal story that will resonate with all viewers.
"I think we focus more on the personal events and like, emotional affluence about the love and sacrifice and the choices they have made in that time," she explained. "Those were the things that we were trying to focus on and tell the stories to the world about our humanity."
For Minho, a multi-hyphenate superstar from South Korea, Pachinko was less about Korea's history with Japan and more about themes that "transcend borders [and] transcend time."
"We have some universal themes that can just resonate with anyone on this globe," he said, through a translator. "So instead of just focusing on historical incidents of Korea, I think if people focus more on the people's stories, how they survived in the difficult times and what they had to do in order to survive, I think people can enjoy the show even more."
When asked about the growing popularity of South Korean stories—such as Parasite and Squid Game—Minho noted, "We have this thirst for something new and something that we haven't seen before. And we always want to take a new perspective, and I think that's what makes Korean content popular right now. So I think we should continue to look for something that's new, something that we haven't experienced before and do our best, as we have done so so far, and we will see some good results in American TV as well."
Pachinko premieres March 25 on Apple TV+.
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