[Exclusive·Limelight] "Yon-sama Fever 20 Years Ago, Tears of Zainichi Korean Met Then Created 'Pachinko'"

Lee Dong-hoon 'Pachinko' Co-Chief Producer & Entermedia Content CEO
Contributing to the Japanese Hallyu Boom Led by Bae Yong-joon "Recognizing Discrimination and Persecution Faced by Zainichi Koreans"
"Even Korean Americans Cry Watching the Drama... A Story That Resonates with Americans"
"'Pachinko' Is the Result of Our Grandmothers Helping Together with One Heart"

Lee Dong-hoon, CEO of Entermedia Contents, is the co-executive producer of Apple TV+’s “Pachinko.” Before dedicating himself to production, he managed an entertainment agency. He served as CEO of BOF, established by actor Bae Yong-joon in 2004, contributing to the Korean Wave boom in Japan.

The so-called “Yonsama” craze was intense. At the time, Dai-ichi Life Economic Research Institute in Japan estimated the economic effect at about 2 trillion won. The cultural impact was even greater. It cracked the wall between Korea and Japan. When I met Lee on the 18th at Asia Economy, he recalled, “I could feel it when I met Korean residents in Japan. They held my hands tightly and cried, thanking me. They said there was no need to hide the fact that they were Korean anymore. I could imagine how much discrimination and persecution they had endured.”

That memory significantly influenced the dramatization of “Pachinko.” It gave him confidence that even with unfamiliar subject matter and a low proportion of English, it could deeply resonate with Americans. The prediction proved true. “Pachinko” is regarded as a success both artistically and commercially. It is already considered one of the best dramas of the year, presenting new possibilities for the expansion of Korean culture. Lee, who laid the groundwork by remaking the drama “The Good Doctor” in the U.S., said, “It is now influencing the American production market as well.” He added, “Now, even if more than half of the dialogue is in Korean, there is interest. Various proposals are coming in. Of course, the biggest gain is forming a consensus. Many Americans are curious about the lives of Koreans.”

Donghoon Lee, Co-Chief Producer of "Pachinko"

- What role did you play in the drama “Pachinko”?

“I was involved from the opportunity stage. I assembled the production team and managed the script translation. It was not easy because there were many dialects such as Jeju, Busan, and Osaka. The historical and cultural verification work was equally challenging. Historians Shim Yong-hwan and Han Hong-gu worked very hard.”

- The original novel of the same name was already popular in the U.S. Was pitching (investment attraction) easier because of that?

“It became a bestseller and gained significant attention after being recommended by former U.S. President Barack Obama. Many companies participated in the pitching. Executive producer Soo Hoo (Heo Su-jin) interestingly announced plans up to season 4. Thanks to that, fierce competition broke out, and Apple TV+ proposed to invest in all eight episodes without a pilot. They were attracted to the immigrant story. The CEO of the production company Media Res is also Jewish. I heard they were deeply moved by stories such as the rice meals that Sunja (Kim Min-ha, Youn Yuh-jung) longs for.”

- It’s a story about a Korean family unfamiliar to Americans.

“Most people don’t know much about Korea, especially the Japanese colonial period. The language is different too. Since it had never been dealt with before, the Apple TV+ executives were a bit anxious. Korean-American producers Soo Hoo and Teresa Kang Low worked hard to dispel concerns. Michelle Lee, a Korean-American in charge at Apple TV+, also helped a lot. Seeing that passion, I think the production was concretized.”

- Some say it would have been even harder to make in Korea.

“That’s right. Korean works dealing with the diaspora are limited to small films or documentaries. It’s a minor subject. Overseas, it can be major because many people have experienced immigrant lives. It’s necessary to approach it from a different perspective. Novels currently vying for adaptation rights have not received attention in Korea. Outside, their value is being reappraised. I want to continuously share that with people worldwide.”

- Have you felt the high popularity in the U.S.?

“Almost all Korean Americans cried. They said they cried thinking their grandmothers might have lived lives like Sunja. Didn’t the Trump administration harass immigrants a lot? It seems they are also releasing the frustration and sorrow they experienced then. Americans seem attracted to stories that the whole family can empathize with. Recently, the drama market has become fixed on genre works, making it hard to see such dramas. I’m proud that Korean history is naturally conveyed. People around me say it’s good to learn about the sad history of the Japanese colonial period. Fiona Gubelmann, an actress in ‘The Good Doctor,’ rented a small theater and watched episodes 1, 2, and 3 with friends. After watching, she called via video and thanked us, saying it opened her eyes.”

- Domestic viewers probably also opened their eyes. The realistic expressions such as dialects from the Japanese colonial period enhance authenticity.

“We tried to deliver unrefined dialects as they are. The actor who spoke the most difficult dialect was Jung Woong-in. With help from actor Byun Jong-soo, he elegantly showed the thick Jeju dialect, which is hardly used nowadays. Other actors also went through similar processes to maximize realism. Korean subtitles had to be inserted. Jin-ha said she was even mistaken for Japanese. She spoke Tokyo standard language and Osaka dialect, and had to leave gaps in Korean and English, so it was tough. The overall framework was provided by writer Jeong Han-sol. There is no line that hasn’t been verified and revised by him. He even checked whether the lyrics ‘Eheradiya’ were actually used in the ‘Fisherman’s Song.’ The revised lyrics are ‘Enoya Yano-ya, Eyanoyano Eogiyacha.’ It sounds like Japanese at first, but it is the result of adjusting the rhythm and intonation to fit the period.”

- There must have been many difficulties in filming due to the spread of COVID-19.

“We had to conduct actor auditions via video call. It took about four months. Filming in Korea was not easy either. The entire production team could only start after about ten days of quarantine. The first scene filmed was Jin-ha dancing in the rain at BEXCO in Busan. After quarantine was lifted, she rolled noisily on the floor and her leg gave out during filming.”

- What was the most memorable scene during filming?

“It was the scene where Kim Young-ok and Youn Yuh-jung dramatically meet and talk. There is quite a bit of footage that didn’t make it into the final cut. Watching them calmly exchange greetings brought tears to my eyes. The production team knows what history these two have experienced. Maybe because of that, the atmosphere on set was quite heavy. The dog wandering around the living room peed during filming, so we could barely laugh (laughs).”

- You must have a special affection for “Pachinko.”

“My maternal grandmother sold sujebi (hand-pulled dough soup) in Osaka during the Japanese colonial period. She supported the independence movement with the money she earned then. She lived a life similar to Sunja’s. I feel lucky to have grown up under the care of such a person. My grandmother passed away on Christmas in 2005. Since then, I had never seen her in a dream, but the night before the first shoot, she appeared with white hair. She smiled as if she was the happiest person in the world and hugged me tightly. After waking from the dream, I told the production team at the filming site that our work would be blessed. In fact, all processes went smoothly. Filming was never postponed. When we filmed in Yeongdo, Busan, in October, the weather was so warm that I wore a short-sleeved T-shirt. I believe our grandmothers helped us with one heart. I plan to take responsibility and work hard on filming the next season.”