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TV show ‘Stranger’ deals with prosecutor corruption in minute detail

May 30, 2017
Bae Doona and Cho Seung-woo, stars of tvN's upcoming TV series "Stranger" pose for the camera at a press conference on May 30, 2017, at the Imperial Palace Hotel in southern Seoul. (Yonhap)

Bae Doona and Cho Seung-woo, stars of tvN’s upcoming TV series “Stranger” pose for the camera at a press conference on May 30, 2017, at the Imperial Palace Hotel in southern Seoul. (Yonhap)

SEOUL, May 30 (Yonhap) — In recent years, there has been a flood of TV shows and movies that deal with corruption by prosecutors, such as “The King,” “Inside Men” and “Defendant.”

And now tvN, albeit better known for its hit fantasy-romance and time-slip dramas, is throwing out its attempt at the legal thriller genre, with a plot inspired by real life prosecutor graft scandals via “Stranger.”

“I’ve appeared in works with similar subject matters, such as ‘Inside Men,’ this new drama is totally different,” Cho Seung-woo, lead star of “Stranger,” said Tuesday at a press conference held at the Imperial Palace Hotel in southern Seoul.

Cho, who’s probably now more famous for his work in hit musicals, returns to TV for the first time in three years. He plays the cold-hearted loner prosecutor Hwang Si-mok, who joins forces with a female detective in uncovering a murder case that’s related to prosecutor corruption.

“Dare I say this is probably the first ever work that penetrates and expresses irregularities that may occur within prosecutor circles with such minute detail,” said Cho.

Cho suggested that “Stranger” is no ordinary work, a must-view TV program in respect to how it reflects the problems of society today with a level of unprecedented realism.

“It is a work that is needed in this day and age. While these works may strike the viewers as near-documentaries, I hope one day they are received as fictional fantasy works.”

Co-star Bae Doona returns to South Korean television for the first time in seven years. Recently, Bae had focused her career mostly in movies, appearing in last year’s “Tunnel” and “Jupiter Ascending” in 2015 directed by the Wachowskis.

“I wanted to return to television. I’m so glad to be working with a great cast,” said Bae, who plays Detective Han Yeo-jin in “Stranger.”

Bae appeared in the 2015 Netflix series “Sense 8″ as a fighter character. The actress said her then-experience helped her much when filming action scenes.

“I received seven to eight months of training to film ‘Sense 8.’ Perhaps my body remembers the training, but I’ve become better in pulling off action scenes. The stuff I learned from Hollywood helps out a lot.”

She also hinted that the plot is filled with twists and turns, saying that she had no idea who the culprit was until filming episode 14.

Bae Doona, star of tvN's upcoming TV series "Stranger," speaks to reporters at a press conference on May 30, 2017, at the Imperial Palace Hotel in southern Seoul. (Yonhap)

Bae Doona, star of tvN’s upcoming TV series “Stranger,” speaks to reporters at a press conference on May 30, 2017, at the Imperial Palace Hotel in southern Seoul. (Yonhap)