Hallyu Spotlight: 5 things about Disney+’s criminal action series The Worst of Evil

Many action drama series have been released recently, such as Moving (2023) and Han River Police (2023).

And the criminal action genre now seems saturated, leaving viewers spoilt for choice.

But it appears that the possibilities of this category have yet to be exhausted.

The Worst of Evil (2023), Disney+’s latest criminal action drama, stars A-list actors Ji Chang-wook and Wi Ha-joon. It is directed by Han Dong-wook, the man behind the 2014 romance drama Man In Love.

The series follows Park Jun-mo (Ji Chang-wook), an undercover police officer investigating the biggest drug crime in Korea. The centre of this drug ring is the Gangnam gang, whose leader is Jung Gi-cheul (Wi Ha-joon), a former DJ.

Here are five things to know about The Worst of Evil before you catch on Disney+.

1. A touch of nostalgia

True to the noir genre of the series, the drama brings viewers nostalgia as it develops in the 1990s.

When asked about how he added nostalgia to the drama, Director Han Dong-wook said: “I focused more on the emotions of the characters. If you felt any nostalgia, it is all thanks to the set directors”.

The retro elements, however, clearly shone through in the trailer and each episode of the series.

2. The Worst of Evil’s buzzword is style

Style was a keyword that was repeatedly mentioned in the series’ press conference, held on Tuesday (26 Sep).

Aside from focusing on the set design, set directors also put special emphasis on each character’s style. The colour brown was the theme of Park’s outfits. On the other hand, checkered patterns were the focal point of Jung’s.

Needless to say, viewers can look forward to the fashion and set design in the drama which gives a retro yet charming vibe unique to the show.

3. Complex emotions in each character

One might think the fight scenes are the crux of any action drama. But director Han Dong-wook begs to differ.

Instead of simply filming the action scenes well, he focused a lot on how emotions can be best portrayed in those scenes.

“Fight scenes are not purely about action but [there is] a lot of underlying emotions,” director Han said. He also added that another aspect he focused on was subtly expressing the true emotions of each character.

4. Tension-filled love triangle

The leads in The Worst of Evil share a complicated relationship. Yoo Eui-jung, an elite police officer played by Im Se-mi, is Park’s wife but also Jung’s first love.

This love triangle is sure to bring some extra spice to the drama.

On the romantic entanglement, Wi said, “Gi-cheol might come off as robot-like in the drama, but it was done on purpose. You would only notice his emotions expressed during dialogues with Eui-jung. He felt as if he is back to his younger self whenever he meets [her].”

Im also discussed with the director how her character, Eui-jung, should feel towards Gi-cheol.”Is it pity? Affection?” she said.

5. Wi Hajoon is evil sexy in the series

Wi is famous for displaying different types of alluring appeals in each of his dramas.

He played a mysterious role in Little Women (2022) and an undercover cop in Squid Game (2021).

Wi was asked about the type of sexy he would be showing in the 12-part series.

It’s “the worst type of sexy, or evil sexy,” the 32-year-old actor replied.