Pachinko 2 EXCLUSIVE: Kim Min Ha on how she hated and loved Lee Min Ho’s character Hansu (2025)

In an exclusive conversation with the stars of Pachinko season 2, Lee Min Ho and Kim Min Ha spoke about the romance between their characters. Read to know more.

Pachinko Season 2 stills: courtesy of Apple TV+

Pachinko season 2 managed to bowl over its viewers. With its nuanced storyline and fantastic acting portrayals, surrounded by new cast members and heightened audience interest, the show made itself known globally. From Lee Min Ho’s astonishing return as Koh Hansu to the brief heartbreak-carrying cameo of Steve Noh Sang Hyun, it all worked in Pachinko’s favor.

It also marked the comeback of Kim Min Ha as Baek Sunja, a stalwart woman living in the 1900s, was highly anticipated, and she delivered another impressive performance. Speaking in an exclusive chat about the love she shared with the characters of Lee Min Ho and Noh Sang Hyun, the actress delved into how they are forms of affection, just expressed differently.

She said, “Well, ultimately, it's all about the love. But the kinds of love were quite different for me. So for instance, for Isak, it's more like rational, more like beautiful, love with a lot of loyalty. And for the rest of her life, she thought that Isak was the one who saved her life. So it just continues with that love of full of warmth. I think loyalty would be a very great vocabulary for it."

"On the other hand, with Hansu, it's the form of love of destruction, I guess. When you think about love, it's not all about pink, bubbly, wonderful love. There's a kind of love that is so powerful that it almost destroys you and it makes you very painful. I think that's a form of love that I carry on with Hansu," she added.

She went on to say, "So that's why it carries on her (Sunja’s) hatred toward Hansu. She just wanted to delete him from her life, but she just failed it. I think it's that powerful. So the emotions that I carried with Isak and Hansu were quite different, but both very powerful. And also, I think it was an engine for Sanja for her to carry on her life.”

After a remarkable run of 8 episodes in the latest season, Pachinko season 2 came to an endon October 11, and with demands of a return but no confirmation from the makers, we wondered just what this show would be remembered as, in the minds of the two stars.

Delving into what meaning Pachinko held in their careers, the two lead actors of the show shared how the novel-inspired story has impacted their lives, with Kim Min Ha gleaming while answering, “10 years from now? I think I would feel the same way as I do right now. It's just a project that I love so much. I thought I was the luckiest girl ever in the world when I first met Sanja. *smiles* Because I've learned so many things, she gave me so many things. A lot of motivation as well. So I guess [when] 10 years have passed, I think I’ll feel the same way.

Meanwhile, Lee Min Ho pondered about it for a while, mulling over the many facets of his complex character, and said, “As I passed 30 years of age, I’ve tried not to pick projects based on how they impact my filmography. As for Pachinko, I thought about how in my thirties I needed a story that would provide me energy to carry on for another 10 years."

He added, "It’s a piece of work that I thought I needed to try out something new with, so the experience of being a part of this project as well as the deep emotions I’ve felt while working on this role made me mature as a human Lee Min Ho, and made me healthier. It’s more than just a line in my filmography but something I really needed in my career. So 10 years down the line, I think it’ll allow me to think about how I was able to be who I am thanks to it.”

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