Summary

• The Worst of Evil is a successful Korean drama on Hulu that adds a strong noir streak to its complex story of police investigation.
• Wi Ha-jun, who plays gang ruler Jung Gicheul, felt a connection to the script and was intrigued by Gicheul's duality as a villain and his deep love for Euijeong.
• Wi Ha-jun had great chemistry with Ji Chang-wook (who plays Seungho) on set and appreciated his positive energy. The most challenging scene for Wi Ha-jun was Gicheul's final scene.

2023 has been a successful year for Hulu (and Disney+ in other countries) when it comes to international programming, with the recently concluded Korean drama The Worst of Evil continuing the streaming conglomerate's hot streak. Fresh off the heels of the acclaimed superhero series Moving and just before the highly-anticipated crime drama Vigilante, The Worst of Evil has a strong noir streak that adds layers to its complex story of police investigation.

Set in the 1990s, The Worst of Evil stars Ji Chang-wook as police officer Kang Junmo (Healer), who leaves behind his wife Yoo Euijeong (True Beauty's Lim Se-mi) in order to infiltrate one of Korea's deadliest gangs. Unbeknownst to him, the boss of Gangnam Alliance Jung Gicheul (Squid Game star Wi Ha-jun) was Euijeong's high school love and still carries a torch for her. The three are then thrown together in a web of lies and star-crossed love that plays out against the illegal drug trade in Korea, Japan, and China.

Screen Rant interviewed Wi Ha-jun about the connection he felt to The Worst of Evil's script, his approach to Gicheul's ambition as a gang ruler versus his deep love for Euijeong, and the joy of working with an established action hero like Ji Chang-wook. Note: This interview was conducted over email and answers have been translated from Korean to English.

Wi Ha-Jun Talks The Worst Of Evil

Screen Rant: What first drew you to The Worst of Evil and the role of Gi-cheul?

Wi Ha-jun: I wanted to capture different facets of my character as the leader of a crime gang—from his gravitas and charisma to his cold-bloodedness and viciousness—and wanted to portray these aspects in my own way. I was also intrigued by his duality as a villain who becomes so helplessly innocent in front of his first love, Eui-jeong, because it gave many layers to this character.

Considering his career, Gicheul seems very idealistic. What does his success mean to him, and when can he rest?

Wi Ha-jun: As mentioned in the later part of the series, I think success for Gicheul is to settle all of his illegal businesses, start a legitimate company based on the wealth he has accumulated, and build a happy, ordinary family with his first crush, Euijeong. I think he will only be able to find peace when he has achieved all of that.

Gicheul seems very different with Euijeong. How genuinely do you think he cares for her, and would he be willing to give up his lifestyle for her?

Wi Ha-jun: I believe that even before he reconnected with Eui-jeong, he wanted to leave his business with the gang once he built a solid foundation to start something legitimate. It just so happened that Euijeong came into his life again when he was already considering that possibility for himself, and he fell in love with her. Gicheul also thinks that love can change everything; because he believes that he needs to lead a straight and honest life for Euijeong, he simply expedited his plan to give up his current lifestyle.

"Seungho" and Gicheul have a fascinating relationship. How has your dynamic been with Ji Chang-wook on set?

Wi Ha-jun: My on-screen chemistry with Chang-wook could not have been better, and he shared such incredibly positive energy with me on set. He is always positive and fun to be around, but once the camera starts rolling, he is more committed and ionate about his performance than anyone, which positively influenced my mindset and attitude in many ways. I am so grateful to him, and I had a great time working on set thanks to him. I’m so happy that I got to know a great colleague and a friend.

What was your most challenging scene to play in The Worst of Evil?

Wi Ha-jun: The most challenging scene was the final scene for Gicheul. It was technically challenging, and I was so deeply immersed in the scene emotionally, grappling with a lot of thoughts and emotions. Most importantly, it was all the more difficult because I felt sad about having to say goodbye to Gicheul.

How do you prepare for some of your more intense action scenes? Have you learned anything from filming this drama that you can take into future action roles?

In The Worst of Evil, the focus for action scenes was not on the stunt techniques, but rather on making the action scenes emotionally charged and allowing those intense emotions to explode with the action moves. So, depending on the context, I tried my best to capture as much of his desperation and anger as possible in action sequences. Through this project, I gained many valuable friendships along with a positive mindset and the confidence that I can achieve anything.

About The Worst Of Evil

A husband and wife, both detectives, volunteer to participate in a dangerous mission to stop a drug trafficking organization.

All episodes of The Worst of Evil are now available to stream on Hulu.