Bibi, left, and Ji Chang-wook in a scene from 'Gangnam B-Side.' Photo from Disney+ Korea's X account

 

After working together on “The Worst of Evil,” K-drama heartthrob Ji Chang-wook and singer-turned-actress Bibi are teaming up again for another thrilling crime series on Disney+. This time, the duo has developed a more comfortable rapport.

“When I first met him [during filming for ‘The Worst of Evil’], I was very shy. So it was really difficult for me to approach him,” Bibi said of Chang-wook during a recent press conference for their latest project, “Gangnam B-Side.”

“But now, we had good teamwork, we knew what to do so it was nice to work with him,” she added.

In “Gangnam B-Side,” which premieres on November 6, Bibi plays Kim Jae-hee, a well-known figure in the Gangnam club scene whose mysterious disappearance triggers the unfolding drama. Her absence draws in a detective, broker and prosecutor who each embark on a search to uncover her whereabouts.

Chang-wook, meanwhile, portrays Yoon Gil-ho, a broker in the Gangnam underbelly who has lived a tough life.

“He carries on a very tough life to survive. Due to his relationship with Jae-hee, he starts tracking Jae-hee down to find her and really struggles,” Chang-wook said of Gil-ho, adding that the character “faces many points of transformation” throughout the series.

Notably, the main cast also includes Jo Woo-jin (from “Happiness” and “Narco-Saints”), who plays the driven detective Kang Dong-woo, and Ha Youn-kyoung (“Extraordinary Attorney Woo” and “See You In My 19th Life”) as the ambitious prosecutor Min Seo-jin.

Ji Chang-wook at the press conference for 'Gangnam B-Side' in Seoul, October 30, 2024. Photo courtesy of Disney+Speaking about his reunion with Bibi, whose real name is Kim Hyeong-seo, Chang-wook had high praise for his co-star: “Back then, the way she interpreted her character [in ‘The Worst of Evil’] was quite refreshing and fun. Her actions and behavior were very encouraging for me.”

“Meeting her once again for ‘Gangnam B-Side,’ because Hyeong-seo was already part of the cast, I thought that she was a good match for Jae-hee and I wanted to know how she interpreted that character. I thought it would be really fun to work with her,” he said.

Chang-wook added that Bibi “showed a different set of charms through Jae-hee.”

In “The Worst of Evil,” which was released in September 2023, Chang-wook played a police officer who infiltrates a criminal organization that Bibi’s character is involved in. The duo captured K-drama fans’ attention with an intense kiss scene.

Bibi, whose real name is Kim Hyeong-seo, at the press conference for 'Gangnam B-Side' in Seoul, October 30, 2024. Photo courtesy of Disney+

During the press conference, director Park Noo-ri shared that Bibi, who recently topped South Korean music charts with her single “Bam Yang Gang,” was the first of the four main cast members to join the project.

“I saw her in an audition program and it was very impressive. I heard the news that she was seriously starting to act so I requested the role for her. When she read out a few lines, on the first word, I knew that she was the right Jae-hee,” Park said.

The director said she finished the “Gangnam B-Side” script envisioning Bibi as Jae-hee.

Explaining her decision to cast Chang-wook, Park admitted that both she and her mother are avid fans of the actor. In response, Chang-wook revealed that he had previously worked with Park’s mother, who portrayed his character’s mother-in-law in “The Worst of Evil.”

“I really made sure to watch all of the titles he starred in and really wanted to have the chance to work with him,” Park said.

“As a fan, I really wanted to see this villainous side of him and I thought Yoon Gil-ho, who is straddling between his good and bad side, would be a perfect fit for him to really bring out a new side of him,” she said.