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| From left, actors Kwon Hae-sung, Lee Hwang-eui, Jeong He-in and Kim Ah-ra and director Lim Chang-jae pose during a press conference for the comedy drama series "DMZ Daeseong-dong," held in Seoul's Dongjak District, Wednesday. Courtesy of D'Live |
By Park Han-sol
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| A poster for the upcoming four-part drama series, "DMZ Daesung-dong" / Courtesy of D'Live |
The village has remained the most secluded community across the Korean Peninsula for nearly seven decades, fortified by heavily armed soldiers and barbed-wire fences, due to its proximity to its northern neighbor.
This year, the DMZ's most isolated village, which has become a window to reflect on the ideological tensions between the two Koreas, will come to the fore in the upcoming drama series, "DMZ Daeseong-dong" (direct translation).
The four-part action comedy drama series begins with a rather unlikely premise: the spontaneous defection of North Korean soldier Yoo Chi-heon, who comes across a lottery ticket from the South with winning numbers worth 52 billion won ($40 million).
Starring Kwon Hae-sung as Yoo, the soldier in the North's Reconnaissance Battalion responsible for patrolling the DMZ, and Jeong He-in as Park Hyo-ju, the commander of the South's platoon at the Joint Security Area (JSA), the show aims to highlight conflicts as well as unique exchanges that take place between the two neighboring nations.
Filming is set to begin next month, with several major scenes scheduled to be shot in the actual settlement of Daeseong-dong, according to its production house, Media Production.
"Daeseong-dong continues to be supervised and protected by the military to this day. A sense of tension permeates every inch of the village," the show's director Lim Chang-jae said during a press conference held in Seoul's Dongjak District, Wednesday.
"Not many are acutely aware of its existence … but it's a quandary still left for Korean society to resolve."
He expressed hope that the lighthearted tone of the drama's fictional narrative can provide a renewed perspective on the reality of Korea's division.
"DMZ Daeseong-dong" will premiere on streaming platforms via D'Live's OTT'v this December at the earliest.
