“Pachinko 2,” an epic that sparked a global craze, finally lands on South Korea’s prime-time TV lineup.
"From brutal survival to lived-in reality"… Season 2 explained by Lee Min-ho, Kim Min-ha, and Jeong Eun-chae
At 10:30 p.m. on the 18th, tvN’s period drama “Pachinko 2” will air for the first time on South Korean television. Based on author Min Jin Lee’s namesake novel, the series is a sweeping saga portraying the tumultuous lives of a fourth-generation Korean immigrant family that pursues survival and prosperity in an unfamiliar land. Released two years after Season 1 debuted in 2022, Season 2 also received overwhelming acclaim on the global stage.
Previously, tvN shook up the schedule for Season 1 and set a record high rating of 4.1%, driving an unusual box-office-style hit. Carrying that momentum forward, the network is set to kick off the premiere of Season 2 right away. At the production press conference, Lee Min-ho highlighted the contrast, saying, “If Season 1 was a story of brutal survival, then Season 2 is a denser account of life in the harsh era of World War II.” Kim Min-ha and Jeong Eun-chae also previewed the growth of characters who have changed even more independently over the flow of time, raising expectations for an even tighter narrative set against Osaka in 1945 and Tokyo in 1989.
A heavy resonance amid the horrors of war… The moving impact of Lee Min-ho and Youn Yuh-jung from “Pachinko”
Proven through global pre-releases, Season 2 earned rave reviews for its intimate depiction of how the massive disaster of war destroys ordinary everyday life. It is also said to have unfolded the loneliness of Sunja, a stranger, and the weight of her life with a more polished direction than in the prior work.
In particular, the deeper performances from the cast drive the story forward. Youn Yuh-jung delicately portrays Sunja in her later years, who once again faces inner turmoil due to her grandson Solomon’s problem. Kim Min-ha plays the tragic 10th-grade Sunja in a multidimensional way, remaining steadfast even in the midst of dire circumstances. Lee Min-ho fully delivers the role of Hansu, a man who persistently circles back to his lover until the end, unveiling a powerful acting transformation alongside the descriptor “Pachinko man.”
The best masterpiece swept up global awards, and the prime-time drama sensation is back
The “Pachinko” series, which swept up major awards around the world—including earning the Rotten Tomatoes Freshness Guarantee mark and winning the Critics Choice Award for Best Foreign Language Series—has readied itself to capture the hearts of domestic viewers once again. With the promise of painful history and heavy emotion, tvN’s “Pachinko 2,” which carries forward the hit momentum of Season 1, will air at 10:30 p.m. on the 18th.
