Korean actor Ryu Seung-ryong, who starred in the hit series “Moving,” will be returning with “Low Life,” coming to Disney+ on July 16.

During a press conference in Seoul, Ryu Seung-ryong, Yang Sejong, Lim Soojung, Kim Euisung, Kim Seongo, Kim Jongsoo, Lee Donghwi, Jung Yunho, Lee Sangjin, Kim Min and director Kang Yunsung discussed the upcoming Korean series.

Set in 1970s Korea, “Low Life” follows Oh Gwanseok (Ryu Seung-ryong) and Oh Heedong (Yang Sejong), an uncle and nephew who’ve spent the best part of their lives chasing get-rich-quick schemes.

When they learn that an ancient treasure ship has been discovered off the coast of Korea, the two will race against time and other opportunists to recover the sunken treasure and claim the lives they’ve always dreamt of.

“Low Life” will have 11 episodes with a three-episode premiere on July 16, followed by two episodes every week with the two-part finale set on Aug. 13.

Ryu Seungryong described his character Oh Gwanseok as “a tough guy who’s willing to do anything for money.”

“Low Life” is based on the webtoon “Pain” by Yoon Tae-ho which was inspired by a real incident in South Korea in 1975.

Ryu Seung-ryong said he always wanted to work with director Kang Yoonsung.

“So when this opportunity came, I was truly excited. And of course, I was thrilled to join such a talented cast and crew. Not just the people here today, but so many exceptional actors and staff worked on this project. I was honestly really looking forward to it,” he said.

Director Kang Yoonsung replied, “I’ve been a huge fan of Seungryong ever since his appearance in ‘Kingdom.’ I always wondered if the day would come when I could work with him—and now that dream has come true, which makes me so happy. Working with all the actors here was an absolute joy. Watching each of them shape their characters was one of the most exciting parts of this project.”

Yang Sejong, whose acting credits include “Dr. Romantic” and “Doona!,” described his character Oh Heedong as someone who “grew up following his uncle around, and they’d do some petty theft together. His father ran away when he was young, so Heedong has come to see his uncle as a father figure. It was such a fun role to play. And every moment on set with the senior actors felt meaningful and new. It was a truly happy filming experience.”

Actress Lim Soojung, who plays the role of Yang Jungsook in “Low Life,” said her character “is the mistress of Heungbaek Industries. She funds Oh Gwanseok’s crew in their treasure-hunting endeavor. Throughout the story, she keeps her true desires deeply buried, rarely showing them. But eventually, those desires start to leak out—slowly, then all at once. She becomes someone who will stop at nothing to get what she wants.”

She added that she is happy to work again with Ryu Seung-ryong

“I also feel deeply honored. And even though our characters are completely different from our last project together, I hope audiences will look forward to this new kind of chemistry between us,” she said.

Actor Kim Euisung, who is Professor Kim in the drama, said, “I play a dangerous man from Busan named Professor Kim—he’s the kind of person who stirs the pot and heightens the sense of danger.”

Actor Kim Jongsoo, who is President Song in the series, said, “Well, he’s not depicted in the original webtoon, but in our story, he’s a pottery and antiques expert from Hamgyeong Province who’s built a reputation for himself in Insa-dong. He catches the scent of money coming from the waters off Shinan and hires Gwanseok to investigate, and that’s how it all begins. Though, he never actually steps foot on the site himself.”

Lee Donghwi, who rose to fame through the hit drama “Reply 1988,” is Shim Honggi in “Low Life.”

“So my character was born and raised in this town—what we call a ‘true local.’ He grew up there, and eventually became a police officer serving in the same area. He’s been living a relatively quiet life until a major commotion breaks out. That incident brings in people from all over the country, and as a police officer, he has to face them and uphold his duty. That sense of responsibility gets portrayed in a rather heartfelt way,” he said.

Jung Yunho, who is part of the K-pop group TVXQ, plays the role of Beolgu in “Low Life,” said, “Yes, as Donghwi mentioned earlier, my character Beolgu is cousins with Honggi. I’m a gangster from Mokpo—hot-tempered and notorious in the neighborhood as a bit of a troublemaker. But once he hears about the treasure, he aligns himself with Professor Kim, and that’s where the story unfolds. That said, while Beolgu has a rough edge, he’s not just all fire and rage—there are also some unexpectedly warm and charming moments, so I hope you’ll look forward to that.”

For his role, Yunho said, “I went back to Mokpo after a long time to study the local dialect, and also spoke a lot with the director. We worked on his external image—like fashion and visual details—but also on the deeper emotional connections between characters, which are really compelling.”

He said Ryu Seungryong told him, “‘Yunho, this is no joke. You better come fully prepared.’ From day one, the lessons were no joke. Thanks to that, I was able to have fun and enjoy the shoot while staying focused.”

Kang Yoonsung said working with an ensemble cast was a new experience for him.

“There are actually about ten more characters not present here today. Working with so many actors to shape each of their unique personalities—it was a new experience for me. It made me realize just how fun and rewarding it can be to build a drama in this way,” he said.

In directing a series with a big cast, Kang Yoonsung said, “Rather than sticking strictly to how the characters were described in the script, I paid close attention to the actors themselves—their personalities, their mannerisms. If a character naturally shifted when performed in an actor’s own voice and rhythm, I just went with it. That became our baseline.”

He added, “Every character is shaped by the actor playing them. There were a lot of moments that ended up being different from what I originally imagined, but I leaned into that. If the dialogue didn’t fit, I’d just adjust the lines to suit the actor’s style. That was my approach.”

Kang Yoonsung wrote “Big Bet,” another Disney+ series, from scratch but with “Low Life,” he followed the storyline of the webtoon.

“With ‘Big Bet,’ there was no original script—I wrote it all based on research. So I had the freedom to take the story in the direction I wanted. But ‘Low Life’ is based on an existing work, so I had to respect the original. My approach was to stick to the core storyline and fill in the gaps. I spent a lot of time developing the characters in more detail, which extended the writing process. It took about a year and a half overall. And after the final script was ready, I worked closely with the cast to refine each character further, which really enriched them,” he said.

The cast hoped that people will love “Low Life.”

“It was scorching last year when we filmed this, but despite the heat, we had a passionate, joyful, and fulfilling experience. Though it was tough for us, I hope ‘Low Life’ will be a refreshing, healing journey for you this summer,” said Ryu Seung-ryong.

Yang Sejong said, “Everyone—from the staff to the director and cast—gave their all to this production. I hope you enjoy it.”