Korean-American actor Ma Dong-seok (aka Don Lee) has achieved box office success with “The Roundup” Punishment” in South Korea. 

“The Roundup” Punishment” is the latest in “The Roundup” series and will be coming to the Philippine movie theaters exclusively at SM Cinemas on Aug. 14 via Black Cap Pictures. 

The film, shot in the Philippines and South Korea, garnered $79 million in box office receipts since it opened in April. 

“The Roundup” Punishment” (Black Cap Pictures)

“The Roundup” Punishment,” an action-comedy, touches on the controversies of online gambling, locally known as POGOs (Philippine Offshore Gaming Operators), as it sees the team of Ma Seok-Do (Ma Dong-seok) tracking down one of Korea’s dangerous criminals, Baek Chang-gi (Kim Moo-yul), who now operates an online gambling business in the Philippines.

All the four “Roundup” films achieved box office success in South Korea. 

When asked about the secret of the success of the films, Ma Dong-seok, who starred in “Train to Busan,” told Manila Bulletin that “it seems that audiences enjoy realistic and thrilling action.” 

“Over the years, as I have worked on films and action works, I have dedicated all of those experience and know-how I've gained to creating the universe and characters in this The Roundup series. I appreciate that lots of audiences enjoyed the results of our meticulous efforts. Ma Seok-do also appears to be well-liked for his thrilling pursuit of bad guys, realistic action, as well as his humorous traits. I am always grateful for this support,” he said. 

Ma Dong-seok said compared to the past three “Roundup” films, “The Roundup” Punishment” has heavier emotions. 

“For each series, we create different dramas and characters based on the criminal case we deal with. Positive changes naturally result from this process. It's not easy to consistently show the powerful and realistic action we pursue with the character Ma Seok-do in a different way each time,” he said. 

He added, “Unlike the lighthearted story in ‘The Roundup: No Way Out,’ this time the case has changed and the emotions are heavier. We aimed to focus on powerful boxing, rather than the rapid-fire action sequences shown in the previous series. The key is to design the drama and action to complement each other.”

Ma Dong-seok said while his character, Ma Seok-do, “couldn't go to the Philippines in person,” he wants to visit the country.

“The Philippines is such a beautiful place, and I definitely want to visit next time. I am good friends with Manny Pacquiao and would love to meet him in the Philippines,” he said. 

“The Roundup: Punishment” also stars Kim Mu-yeol as Baek Chang-gi, Park Ji-hwan as Jang Isu, and Lee Dong-hwi (“Reply 1988”) as Jang Dong-cheol.

Ma Dong-seok praised the three actors. 

“Baek Chang-gi was envisioned as a highly formidable villain, and Kim Mu-yeol was the only actor who came to mind. It’s surprisingly difficult to find actors who can perform high-level action sequences. There’s a difference between learning and performing action versus naturally being adept at it. While an actor trained in boxing can perform the role, executing realistic boxing action is challenging. In this context, Kim Mu-yeol is not only an excellent actor but also capable of handling complex action scenes,” he said. 

About Park Ji-hwan, he said, “Jang Isu in the first series was very charismatic and strong, but has become softer over time. I know someone who was once as fierce as Jang Isu but has softened with age. I thought Jang Isu might experience a similar change over time. While the Jang Isu from the first series could be very multifaceted, I wanted to effectively utilize the more softened Jang Isu. Park Ji-hwan, being a fantastic actor, delivered excellent performances, creating many entertaining scenes.”

“Jang Dong-cheol, played by Lee Dong-hwi, actually had more backstory in the script, but incorporating it would have turned the film from a crime action movie into a crime drama, so it was necessarily omitted. Lee Dong-hwi did a great job with what was available. His portrayal created a funny character in a surrounding environment that was otherwise tense and grim. I wanted to cast him to see a different side from what he had shown before, and he indeed delivered excellently,” he said. 

Among the roles he has played, Ma Dong-seok picked Ma Seok-do as his favorite. 

“I put my utmost effort and thought into every project and role, working tirelessly on each one. It’s really difficult to say that I favor a particular character from any one work. However, since ‘“The Roundup: Punishment’ is being released, I would say that Ma Seok-do is my favorite. Having a background in boxing and a desire to create a crime-free city, I believe Ma Seok-do is the character most similar to me,” he said. 

About the role he wants to portray in his next project, Ma Dong-seok said, “I don’t have a specific role that I particularly want to. I am always thinking about the projects. And I’m open to any role if it’s something that can entertain the audience.”

Ma Dong-seok said he will continue making “Roundup” in the future, saying he has achieved his career goals.  

“Ma Seok-do will continue to evolve and change with each series. Over time, he will become more experienced as a detective and showcase even stronger action. I am constantly contemplating how to achieve this. I hope you continue to look forward to it,’ he said. 

He added, “Fortunately, I have achieved the goals I set when I started my acting career. I am pouring everything I’ve accumulated from working on 120 films and dramas over the past 20 years into this ‘The Roundup’ series. It reflects my entire life. I want to create works that audiences will continue to seek out and enjoy for a long time. I am also working on various Hollywood projects and will be showcasing films in different genres. Please stay tuned and excited.” 

“The Roundup” Punishment” is distributed by Black Cap Pictures.