The Korea Herald

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Director says ‘D.P. 2’ focuses on narratives of individual soldiers

By Lee Si-jin

Published : July 18, 2023 - 15:04

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From left: Actors Kim Ji-hyun, Ji Jin-hee, Jung Hae-in, Koo Kyo-hwan, Kim Sung-kyun, Son Suk-ku pose for photos before a press conference at the Grand InterContinental Seoul Parnas on Tuesday. (Yonhap) From left: Actors Kim Ji-hyun, Ji Jin-hee, Jung Hae-in, Koo Kyo-hwan, Kim Sung-kyun, Son Suk-ku pose for photos before a press conference at the Grand InterContinental Seoul Parnas on Tuesday. (Yonhap)

While many viewers showed their support for “D.P.” series launched in 2021 for its realistic depictions of South Korean Army life and its controversial sides, the director explained that the upcoming "D.P. 2" focuses more on the narratives of the individuals.

Short for “Deserter Pursuit,” the series centers on the lives of Private Jun-ho (played by Jung Hae-in) and Sergeant Ho-yeol (played by Koo Kyo-hwan), to uncover the motivations behind soldiers' attempts to escape the army.

The first season of “D.P.” was ranked among Netflix’s top 10 TV shows in various countries for more than 3 months after its release, according to US-based streaming analytics firm FlixPatrol.

“We tried to be in a position to ask questions, rather than providing a solution or an answer to incidents (in the film),” Director Han Jun-hee said during press conference held at the Grand InterContinental Seoul Parnas on Tuesday.

“If you follow our story from the first episode, you can see that ‘D.P.’ presents a bitter story of Jun-ho. It is not about a specific group or organization,” the creator added.

Han emphasized that his upcoming series is an extension of the previous season though its title -- “D.P. Season 2” -- might give the impression that the project is off to a fresh start.

“The first season came to an end with an unfinished story. Though ‘D.P.’ starts with a new season, the upcoming series takes up where we left off,” Han said. “I wanted to continue the series by explaining how the shocking incident featured in the last episode of season 1 influenced the characters,” he said.

Director Han Jun-hee (Yonhap) Director Han Jun-hee (Yonhap)

"D.P. 2" (Netflix)
"D.P. 2" (Netflix)

Actor Jung Hae-in, who played one of the lead characters, Jun-ho, did not hide his excitement for the upcoming season.

“Jun-ho continued his military service and got promoted to private first class in army. And I am sure he went through a lot. ‘D.P. 2’ presents Jun-ho’s struggles and his deep contemplation about the situation that he is in,” Jung said.

Meanwhile, the director wanted to create “D.P. 2” as a six-part feature film, which brings a new genre, characters and settings in each episode.

“One episode will be like a noir series, while the next would be more like a music film,” the director said, feeling confident that he has put his utmost effort to entertain the viewers to the end.

“Tragic and unfortunate incidents continue nowadays, so I felt that presenting a series like ‘D.P.’ offers a chance to look back on such incidents." Han said.

“D.P. 2” will be available exclusively on Netflix on July 28.