Finally, a detective series has appeared in Korea. After giving much laughter to 4.7 million Koreans four years ago, Detective K: Secret of Virtuous Widow has come back with a sequel, Detective K: Secret of the Lost Island. If there’s Sherlock Holmes in the West, Detective K rules the East. After the success of the 2nd installment, lead actor KIM Myung-min couldn’t hide his excitement in anticipation for the 3rd film.

 

Were you pressured at all due to the success of the previous film?
Detective K: Secret of Virtuous Widow was based on a novel. As we tried to transcribe the novel into a film, there were too many events we had to trim down to. However, the second film is more focused on the characters. Detective KIM Min who I played and SEO Pil played by OH Dal-su had to focus on solving the case and the drama became more concise and concentrated.

 

What are some of the pros of the Detective K series?
In the first Detective K, we received the trust of the audiences through the comedic characters. Even without an original story to base on, the stories we can come up with through these characters are endless. The plot of the series is clear. Two characters face a case and chase the suspect then finds a twist to the story. Of course there is a beautiful female character involved. In such a plot, there are so many ways stories could be told. The third film won’t be a problem.

I heard that the character KIM in the film is very similar to you as a person.
We’re not that different. Especially when we joke around we’re quite similar. Others also told me that we’re both a little peculiar too.

 

There are a lot of action scenes. It must have been physically tough to shoot. Did you get any injuries?
There are some cuts here and there, but nothing serious. There were a lot of bees on set and some staff got stung. When we were jumping and rolling, we got splinters and getting that out was the toughest part!

 

Your teamwork with OH Dal-su is near perfect.
After shooting the first film, we kept in close contact for the last four years. We often shared some drinks and thought about when the sequel will be made. We were prepared to become the best partners in crime.
 

Were there a lot of ad-libbing involved?
There wasn’t any. After talking to director KIM Sok-yun, we’ll only act what we agreed on. If there’s too much ad-lib, we know that it will ruin the film. However, once the director gives us a certain situation for the next scene, OH and I got together to discuss and brainstorm ideas on how we can act better.

 

As a lead actor in a series which are rare in Korea, are there anything you’d like to see with the Detective K series?
I hope this film series will be remembered by the film industry. Also, I hope to grow old with the audiences that watch the series. The film is an amalgamation of detective, comedy, and adventure. I hope that Detective K can become a genre of its own and that many people will like the film for years to come. I really hope we’ll be able to make the 3rd installment following the success of the 2nd film.