Kang Ki Young brings his signature charm to the role of a disgraced doctor in 'Mary Kills People'
Note: The text contains major spoilers from the K-drama. Reader discretion is advised.
Kim Sung Kyun expresses his thoughts on starring in the Disney+ mystery thriller Nine Puzzles.
Nine Puzzles is a mystery thriller K-drama that follows Yun Yi Na (Kim Da Mi), a criminal profiler who was the sole witness of an unsolved case from ten years ago, and violent crimes Detective Han Saem (Son Suk Ku), who was the lead investigator at the time and continues to suspect her as the culprit. They delve into the secrets of a serial murder case that begins again with a mysterious puzzle piece.
Recalling how he felt the first time he read the script, Kim Sung Kyun said, "As I went over each episode, I became curious about what follows next and had the thrill of deducing who the culprit was. The director told me, 'Take a look at the character of Yang Jung Ho,' and when I did, I initially thought he was just a team leader, but there was something that felt strange about him. I was surprised and curious. When reading the script, I speculated that Yun Yi Na lost her memory and became a profiler, but when her memory returned, she realized 'I was the culprit' and maybe committed the crime to cover up her confusion. Initially, I suspected Yun Yi Na."
In the K-drama, Yang Jung Ho gives a false confession to protect someone he wants to protect. Kim said, "The part where Yang Jung Ho says, 'I killed them all,' was thrilling. It's like playing a mafia game — deceiving others is part of the fun, right? Being at the center of that kind of tension is something really exciting for an actor. The director told me not to act like the culprit on set. I think I did have that desire — to come off as suspicious in some way."
Kim Sung Kyun also shared that he had many concerns about the scene where Yang Jung Ho falsely confessed to killing everyone. "As an actor, you naturally have certain ambitions. The scene where the handkerchief was pulled out and shown — it was such a surprising moment even for me — I really wanted that scene to land well. I think we did several takes just for that scene. The handkerchief needed to unfold dramatically, but it kept staying folded and wouldn't open properly."
He added, "I also thought a lot about the nuance of the lines. When saying, 'I killed them. I killed them all,' I wondered whether I should deliberately make it sound cruel, or whether I should change my expression and act like a villain, like a real culprit. But the director told me, 'Just do it like Yang Jung Ho would.' He said, 'Let's stick to the character we've built,' and that there's no need to force anything."
Was he disappointed about not being the real culprit? "I actually feel a great sense of pride in the fact that Yang Jung Ho was misunderstood as the culprit and had such a close connection [to the case]. Even just playing a role of this depth feels more than I deserve. If the character had truly been the culprit, I think the emotional weight would've been overwhelming. I’m satisfied with the attention and suspicion Yang Jung Ho received."
He added, "The only disappointment is that Yang Jung Ho died. As for Lee Seung Joo (Park Gyu Young) being the real culprit, I think up until that point, people might have thought, 'No way, could it be?' But the moment with the handkerchief was probably when the certainty clicked."
Talking about whether he empathized with Yang Jung Ho, Kim said, "I wondered, 'Isn't Yang Jung Ho too altruistic? Doesn't he have an excessive sense of humanity? Is that even possible [for a person to have such characteristics]?' Yang Jung Ho is like a priest. Honestly, I couldn't really understand him. How can someone sacrifice so much for others and protect people like that? I tried very hard to understand. Although it's still hard to fully empathize, there are people who live altruistically — like priests or medical graduates who do volunteer work overseas. I think I tried to see him in that way and to understand him through that lens."
He also shared behind-the-scenes stories from the K-drama about the reed field action scene with Choi San (Hyun Bong Sik). "I was supposed to run fast, but the reeds kept catching my feet and I kept falling. It was frustrating. I wanted to do it perfectly, but I kept tripping over. I'm thankful that Bong Sik let himself be taken down. His body is like a rock. He's strong. He acted as if he was knocked out. He can easily subdue me with one hand; he's a good actor."
He joked, "Even though he's younger than me in real life, you can’t try to roughhouse with him. Even during D.P., he lightly hit me with his fist, but it hurt a lot. Even when he's gentle, it still hurts, so I figured if he hit me properly, I'd be done for. Even though he's younger, I still treat him with respect."
Expressing his feelings on responses by overseas viewers, he said, "Nowadays, having opportunities like this to show our work to international audiences is a blessing. Since I don't really talk with foreigners much, I can't fully sense it, but when I'm at the airport, some foreign staff at the security check recognize me and say, 'I know you.' I don't understand what they say after that, though. Recently, some people said they enjoyed watching Nine Puzzles. One person wearing a hijab said she liked it, so I realized a lot of people are watching it."
Regarding the possibility of a Season 2, he joked, "I don't think we're at the stage to discuss Season 2 yet. I don't know. Since my character is dead, it's not really my concern." "Season 2 would happen if people want it, right? I hope it goes in a good direction. Personally, this project has left me with many memories, and I hope the viewers can keep enjoying it like a toy they never get tired of — something they can have fun with for a long time, savoring it. I hope this remains a puzzle-like drama for them."
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