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Hallyuwood

Interview: Park Bo-gum, Kim So-hyun, Lee Sang-yi on Prime Video's K-series 'Good Boy'

At A Glance

It ranked No. 1 in the Philippines following its premiere

BANGKOK - Korean stars Park Bo-gum, Kim So-hyun and Lee Sang-yi drew loud cheers as they launched the global premiere of their new Korean series “Good Boy” in Bangkok, Thailand.

Prime Video held the star-studded affair on May 31 at the IconSiam mall’s Icon Cineconic in Bangkok, which saw the three stars walk the blue carpet, talk about the series in a press conference, interact with fans, and grace the screening.

“Good Boy,” which premiered on Prime Video on May 31, is a series packed with action and comedy, and tells the story of former medal-winning athletes who turned police officers to fight criminals. It also stars Heo Sung-tae, Tae Won-seok and Oh Jung-se.

In an interview with Manila Bulletin at the posh Four Seasons Hotel Bangkok at Chao Phraya River, Park Bo-gum, Kim So-hyun and Lee Sang-yi talked about their roles and how OTTs like Prime Video helped in spreading Hallyu (Korean Wave) through dramas and shows to global audience.

Korean stars (from left) Park Bo-gum, Kim So-hyun and Lee Sang-yi during the interview with Manila Bulletin for Prime Video's "Good Boy" at the Four Seasons Hotel Bangkok at Chao Phraya River on June 1 (Prime Video)

The poster for Prime Video's "Good Boy" (Prime Video)

Korean stars (from left) Park Bo-gum, Kim So-hyun and Lee Sang-yi at the press conference for Prime Video's "Good Boy" in Bangkok on May 31 (Jonathan HIcap)

In the series, Park Bo-gum is a former medalist in boxing, Kim So-hyun in shooting and Lee Sang-yi in fencing. The three, together with former athletes Heo Sung-tae and Tae Won-seok, all police officers, are grouped to form a special team to investigate a hit-and-run case and fight dark forces in their city.

Training for ‘Good Boy’

For their roles as athletes in “Good Boy,” Park Bo-gum, Kim So-hyun and Lee Sang-yi trained for the sport they represent in the series.

“As an ex-boxer, I have to train for six months, two hours each a day and also I have to do weight training as well,” said Park Bo-gum.

In a previous interview with a Korean media outlet last March, Park Bo-gum said, “At first, I received the script for ‘Good Boy’ while I was in the military and chose it first. After that, they offered me [a drama project] and the ‘Good Boy’ team waited for me. Since they are completely different roles, I thought that many viewers would be able to see a new charm of Park Bo-gum. Both works had interesting scripts and charming characters, so they were a challenge for me.”

Kim So-hyun also underwent training for half a year for her role.

"I also trained for six months. I tried my best to follow the coaches' instructions as closely as possible, since they were all former athletes themselves. I wanted to practice accurately so that I could score accurately. I thought that this would help me develop natural posture and movements so I tried to train as similarly as possible to the athletes," she said.

Lee Sang-yi said, "We underwent training at around the same time before the drama started filming. I trained for over six months and after that, since I was playing a police officer, I prepared a lot for action scenes using a baton starting from episode 1."

The training paid off. Episode 1 alone showed intense action scenes of Park Bo-gum and Kim So-hyun.

Kim So-hyun (Prime Video)

Park Bo-gum (Prime Video)

Lee Sang-yi (Prime Video)

Tae Won-seok (Prime Video)

Heo Sung-tae (Prime Video)

If they were given the chance and ability to compete for a medal, the three stars said they want to participate in various sports.

"I would like to try archery. I support the future of Korean archery and would like to train with the team members," said Park Bo-gum.

"When I hear ‘archery,’ I feel like I want to try it. But actually... pistol shooting. (In the role) I used to be a rifle shooter, but I think pistol shooting would be different yet equally appealing. So I'd like to give pistol shooting a try," said Kim So-hyun.

Lee Sang-yi said, "I don't know if there are any international competitions but I really want to try a triathlon. I want to see how much stamina I have."

Reunion and chemistry

“Good Boy” reunited Park Bo-gum and Kim So-hyun after 10 years. They previously worked as emcees at the 2015 KBS Drama Awards.

"I was very happy. I was truly happy to be able to work together and I received a lot of help thanks to So-hyun’s excellent portrayal of the character Han-na. Because of that, I was able to focus well on Dong-ju’s emotions while acting. So I hope that if I have another opportunity in the future, we can meet again in a good production," according to Park Bo-gum.

Kim So-hyun said, "Yes, I was also very happy and I don't think I've had many opportunities to meet people I've worked with twice. So, I'm very glad to be in the same frame again after 10 years. And I think it will be a very special experience for us and our fans. I'm also very happy to be able to meet again through ‘Good Boy.’"

Korean stars (Park Bo-gum, Kim So-hyun and Lee Sang-yi at the press conference for Prime Video's "Good Boy" in Bangkok on May 31 (Jonathan HIcap)

(fFrom left) Park Bo-gum, director of Prime Video in Southeast Asia, Middle East and North Africa David Simonsen, Kim So-hyun, SLL president and CEO of production Park Joonsuh, and Lee Sang-yi at the press conference for Prime Video's "Good Boy" in Bangkok on May 31 (Jonathan HIcap)

Korean stars (from left) Park Bo-gum, Kim So-hyun and Lee Sang-yi at the press conference for Prime Video's "Good Boy" in Bangkok on May 31 (Jonathan HIcap)

Park Bo-gum greets the media at the blue carpet event for Prime Video's "Good Boy" in Bangkok on May 31 (Jonathan Hicap)

Korean stars (from left) Park Bo-gum, Kim So-hyun and Lee Sang-yi wearing the "Good Boy" branded elephant pants at the press conference for Prime Video's "Good Boy" in Bangkok on May 31 (Jonathan HIcap)

Park Bo-gum greets the media at the blue carpet event for Prime Video's "Good Boy" in Bangkok on May 31 (Jonathan Hicap)

Korean stars (from left) Park Bo-gum, Kim So-hyun and Lee Sang-yi at the press conference for Prime Video's "Good Boy" in Bangkok on May 31 (Jonathan HIcap)

David Simonsen, director of Prime Video in Southeast Asia, Middle East and North Africa, speaks at the press conference for Prime Video's "Good Boy" in Bangkok on May 31 (Jonathan HIcap)

The press conference for Prime Video's "Good Boy" at IconSiam in Bangkok on May 31 (Jonathan Hicap)

Korean stars (from left) Park Bo-gum, Kim So-hyun and Lee Sang-yi at the press conference for Prime Video's "Good Boy" in Bangkok (Jonathan HIcap)

Lee Sang-yi and Kim So-hyun (Jonathan HIcap)

The three said their chemistry on and off the set was great.

"This is something all three of us can agree on. The atmosphere both on and off set was good. I felt that it was a blessing to be able to work not only with the staff but also fellow actors who I had great chemistry and connection with," said Park Bo-gum.

Lee Sang-yi said, "In my case, it's a project we poured so much into, I truly hope it will be widely loved. So during this promotional schedule, rather than like trying to promote myself I just genuinely wanted to do my best to let more people know about this precious work both in Korea and abroad - like now. I think these things are proof of our chemistry and our relationship. We were really perfect."

"To summarize what these two actors have stated, I believe that meeting ‘Good Boy’ was equivalent to meeting 'good people,'" said Kim So-hyun.

OTTs help spread Hallyu

In recent years, streaming platforms like Prime Video have helped Korean content, especially dramas, reach a worldwide audience.

“Good Boy” is available on Prime Video in more than 240 countries and regions. The series ranked No. 1 in the Philippines following its premiere.

In the 2025 Overseas Hallyu Survey conducted by Korea’s Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism and the Korean Foundation for International Cultural Exchange, the Philippines registered the highest average monthly consumption time of Korean cultural content with 24 hours followed by Thailand (20.1 hours).

According to the MCST, respondents were asked which Korean cultural content reached the threshold of “mainstream popularity,” or being widely known to the general public and related products were sold in their country. Korean food took first place with 53.7 percent followed by music (51.2 percent), beauty (50.8 percent), and dramas (49 percent).

"These days, Korean pop culture is becoming more widely known through K-pop, and Korean dramas are also spreading around the world through platforms such as OTT with diverse themes and settings. Many people seem to be curious about Korean works and locations. So as actors, we are eager to greet them with even better works. Above all, we hear that many people are studying Korean through our works. So we also try to pay close attention to our lines and other aspects when joining a project," said Park Bo-gum.

Kim So-hyun said, "I think you spoke very well on behalf of everyone. But anyway, I am very grateful that people are so interested in Korean culture itself. I also received a lot of love from Thai fans through ‘Who Are You : School 2015’ drama. And I can feel that various aspects of Korean culture, such as Korean food are gradually becoming more known overseas. I will do my best to create better content in the future."

"I think it is because there are so many creative attempts that such diverse works can be produced. Various opportunities and creativity," said Lee Sang-yi.

“Good Boy” is now streaming on Prime Video.