Jung Woosung Returns to Acting One Year After Admitting to Child Out of Wedlock: "Can't Discuss Personal Changes"

Disney+ "Made in Korea" Premieres on December 24

Actor Jung Woosung. Photo by Yonhap News

Actor Jung Woosung is returning to acting about a year after acknowledging the birth of a child out of wedlock.

On December 15, at the production presentation for the Disney+ original series "Made in Korea" held at the Grand InterContinental Seoul Parnas in Gangnam-gu, Seoul, Jung Woosung was asked whether changes in his family situation had affected his work. He responded, "Today is a gathering of many actors for the sake of the project," adding, "It's difficult to discuss personal changes at length." Actor Jung Sungil, who recently made headlines for his divorce, also answered a similar question by saying, "There was absolutely no problem with the project."

In November last year, Jung Woosung acknowledged that he was the biological father of a child born to model Moon Gabi. At the time, his agency stated, "He is indeed the biological father, and discussions are ongoing to determine the best way to raise the child." At the Blue Dragon Film Awards ceremony that same month, Jung Woosung said, "I will bear all criticism. As a father, I will fulfill my responsibilities to the end." Later, reports emerged that Jung Woosung had registered his marriage with the woman he was dating, but his agency commented only, "This is a matter of the actor's private life."

This production presentation marks Jung Woosung's first official public appearance since the controversy. In "Made in Korea," he plays Jang Geonyoung, a prosecutor at the Busan District Prosecutors' Office. Jang Geonyoung is a character who relentlessly pursues a particular individual within the power and crime structures of the 1970s, standing at the crossroads where personal convictions clash with the national system.

"Made in Korea" is set in 1970s South Korea and foregrounds the era's close intertwining of state power and crime. The story revolves around Baek Kitae (played by Hyun Bin), who leads a double life as a National Intelligence Service agent by day and a smuggler by night, amassing wealth and power, and his conflict with prosecutor Jang Geonyoung, who persistently pursues him.

Jung Woosung described Jang Geonyoung as "a person of tenacity who stubbornly sees his mission through to the end within his own professional values," adding, "When I first encountered the project, I felt it was a courageous and provocative piece of imagination."

Actors Jung Woosung (left) and Hyun Bin. Photo by Yonhap News Agency

Hyun Bin, who plays Baek Kitae, is taking on his first leading role in an OTT series with this project. Baek Kitae is a character driven by a desire to enter the center of power, marked by personal shortcomings, anxiety, and a sense of responsibility as a family man. Hyun Bin explained, "Of all the roles I have played, this is the character with the strongest ambition."

The series is directed by Woo Minho, known for films such as "Inside Men," "The Man Standing Next," "The Drug King," and "Harbin." Director Woo stated, "'Made in Korea' is not a spin-off of 'The Drug King.' Rather than being an extension of a specific work, it is a project that uses the 1970s as a narrative space." He added, "Instead of recreating actual events, the focus was on capturing the atmosphere and structure of the era."

Season 1 of "Made in Korea" consists of six episodes in total. Episodes 1 and 2 will be released on December 24, followed by episodes 3 and 4 on December 31, and episodes 5 and 6 on January 7 and 14 of next year, respectively.