“Uncle Samsik,” the Korean drama that will premiere on Disney+ on May 15, is set in the 1960s during Korea’s period of unrest.
In the drama, one man will operate in the shadows, manipulating the system and its key players for the advancement of the country.
It stars “Parasite” actor Song Kang-ho, Byun Yohan, Lee Kyu-hyung, Jin Ki-joo, Seo Hyun-woo and Tiffany Young.
Byun Yohan and Song Kang-ho (right) in "Uncle Samsik" (Disney+)
The cast of "Uncle Samsik" (Disney+)
“Uncle Samsik” follows Kim San (Byun Yohan), an ambitious idealist who is driven to turn his country’s fortunes around. A recipient of an Albright Scholarship, he wants nothing more than to transform his country into an industrial nation and deliver an American-level of affluence to the people of Korea.
He attracts the attention of Pak Doochill (Uncle Samsik), played by Song Kang-ho, a shady fixer who adapts to any situation and takes whatever steps necessary to help him accomplish his boss’ goals. Together, the pair will form an uneasy alliance, navigating the complexities of the established system, united by their shared goal of a prosperous future.
This is Song Kang-ho’s first ever drama series since his debut.
“After I debut in the film, it's been about 28 years and I have been acting including my theater career for about 35 years, so I have been acting on stage in the theater or in movies, and after 35 years, I'm in a series. So it's kind of new to me. I'm a little bit nervous. It was a new challenge for me, so I have mixed feelings,” said Song Kang-ho.
Director Shin Yeon-shick revealed the story behind “Uncle Samsik.”
“I think Korea is like the only country in the entire world where we say hi by asking someone if they had food, if they had a meal. After the Korean War, you know Korea was devastated, and it was difficult to have one meal a day,” he said.
He added, “And Uncle Samsik is a character. He makes sure he has a lot of elite people surrounding him. He has elite soldiers, he has at least scholars around him and when they talk about what's important in this world, Samsik talks more about the trivial things like eating and having meals.”
“But I think those kinds of people who talk about trivial things are really grounded, are really realistic and have a very, very pure heart. So inside these elite people, there's Uncle Samsik who gets down to the bottom of things and I think the way he sees the world is about how people are fed, and that's how I’ve envisioned the character Uncle Samsik,” he said.
Song Kang-ho said the title “Uncle Samsik” is “very Korean, uniquely Korean title.”
“I think at the time, people were desperate to find food to eat. That's the time that they lived in it, though it's a very turbulent time. I think it’s very uniquely Korean and there are many sentiments that are unique to Korean culture and Korean history as well. And when we think about the historical background of the show I think, it's just a background, it's the backdrop and we have these fictitious characters and through them, we can shed light on how we are living the worlds today. “It gives a lot of food for thought. It's a drama series that will give you a lot of food for thought, ” he said.
Byun Yohan said the writing and Song Kang-ho made him do the series.
“I love the writing of director Shin and, of course, I'm a big fan of Kang-ho and it was his, this is his debut work for a series so I had to be in it. When I was reading the script I felt like I was pulled into that era, into the 60s. I was like, how can director Shin write like this? It was so sophisticated and so grounded as if he was living in the 60s and we had this wonderful cast so there was no reason to say no,” he said.
Tiffany, a member of Girls’ Generation, plays the role of Rachel Jung, the director of the Albright Foundation.
“I also love the script. I love the narrative and I was reading the script, I felt like it was well like a music hall note. I could feel the tempo, I could feel the rhythm and there are many characters in the show, but all the characters have their own individualities. And it's going to be really fun to see what their desires are and what they want, so it's going to be really fun. It was an honor for me to be part of the show that is the debut work of Kang-ho,” she said.
Disney+ will release five episodes of “Uncle Samsik” on May 15 and two episodes will be released every Wednesday.
Song Kang-ho at the press conference for "Uncle Samsik" (Disney+)
Byun Yohan at the press conference for "Uncle Samsik" (Disney+)
Seo Hyun-woo at the press conference for "Uncle Samsik" (Disney+)
Joo Jin-mo at the press conference for "Uncle Samsik" (Disney+)
Oh Seung-hoon at the press conference for "Uncle Samsik" (Disney+)
Jin Ki-joo at the press conference for "Uncle Samsik" (Disney+)
Tiffany Young at the press conference for "Uncle Samsik" (Disney+)