Gold bars, betrayal and pilots – these are the three interesting themes explored in upcoming Disney+ crime-thriller K-drama Gold Land. Screenwritten by Hwang Joyoon (Old Boy), the story features a star-studded cast including Park Boyoung, Kim Sung Cheol, Lee Hyunwook and Lee Kwangsoo.
What Is The Story Of Gold Land?
The plot of Gold Land follows Kim Heeju (Park Boyoung), a naive but determined customs officer working at the airport.
All seems well: she’s moved away from her backwater town, secured a reputable job and even has a pilot boyfriend Lee Dokyung (Lee Hyun Wook).
However, everything goes downhill for Heeju when she is given forced custody of KRW 150 billion in gold bars.
Stuck with a ton of (dubiously sourced) gold bars, Heeju is forced to go on the run and navigate the trouble that comes with them, in the form of loan shark Woogy (Kim Sung Cheol) and violent gangster Park Hocheol (Lee Kwangsoo).
Heeju has no choice but to return to a place she worked so hard to escape while being honest to her own ambitions.
The 10-episode K-drama is full of action, twists and explores the great – and dangerous – lengths people go to feed their greed.
A Time Of Firsts
Gold Land marks many firsts for the cast. While Park Boyoung is an award-winning actress known for her bubbly personas in Strong Girl Bong-soon and Oh My Ghost, this is her first time working on a crime series.
Heeju makes uncharacteristic decisions in the show, ones that made Park question whether the character was for her.
“Director [Kim Sunghoon] explained that everyone has their own desires… if I looked closely I would see that that was true for myself as well… That was what ultimately convinced me.” Park shared, working hard during filming to capture the subtle details of Heeju’s feelings before and after each decision.
Gold Land is also Kim Sung Cheol’s first partnership with director Kim Sunghoon.
“I was really excited to work with him… What I loved about working with him was how clear his directions were.” Kim noted, having worked with the director for the entirety of last year on the show.
His character – loan shark Woogy, who pursues Heeju – is kept rather aloof. Kim portrays him as unserious, while expertly masking something else behind his facade.
Lee Hyun Wook shared that he was excited for the opportunity to film outside of Asia for the first time (no spoilers on where).
“It took a long time to get there, but when I arrived, I felt like I’d stepped into a picture.” Lee recounts, sharing that the crew also shot in many amusement parks in Korea, like Seoul Land, which “made the experience even more fun”.
Playing Heeju’s pilot boyfriend Dokyung, Lee describes him as the “most realistic character in the series”, who is “very upfront about what he wants”.
However, Lee sees Dokyung as someone with a heart. “I think he [Dokyung] loves Heeju. The reason why he behaves in ways that seem driven by greed and desire are precisely because he needed money for her”, the actor interprets, exploring the fascinating premise.
You recognise Lee Kwangsoo for his playful personality on Korean reality shows, but expect a different side of him as Park Hocheol.
“This was my first time playing a character who is such a skilled fighter.” Lee shared. The actor also sneak-peaked an action scene in a later episode that was filmed in a single take, something he’s “particularly excited” to share with audiences.
Lee aimed to portray his character as “some driven by insatiable ambition and desire”, committing to stunt training and over six hours of makeup for special effects and tattoos.
Park Hocheol is ruthless and quick to violence, and Lee portrays him well – so much so that Park Boyoung admitted she found him “terrifying”.
Despite their decades-long friendship off-screen, Park “always felt like running away from Hocheol… He had such a menacing and overwhelming presence that it genuinely scared me.”
Fans can look forward to the thrilling and multi-faceted characters in the series, thanks to the expert acting by the cast.
Bonus: What Can Viewers Look Forward To In Gold Land?
Park Boyoung: Imagine if you came into possession of gold bars worth KRW 150billion, what would you do? The series features a lot of diverse and fascinating characters, so make sure to tune in!
Kim Sung Cheol: I spent most of last year filming Gold Land… It was also a new challenge for me to portray this character, and I hope it will be an interesting addition to my filmography!
Lee Hyun Wook: Gold Land offers so much, from exploring the various desires of different characters and their psychological shifts, to moments filled with tension and suspense. I think it will be an incredibly exciting experience for viewers!
Lee Kwangsoo: This series features such diverse and distinctive characters… from action to love, friendship, and family, so no matter what genre you like, I think once you start, you won’t be able to stop.
Where Can I Watch Gold Land?
Gold Land is streaming exclusively on Disney+ from 29 April 2026.
If you enjoy crime K-dramas, check out 34 more crime K-dramas or immerse yourself in the suspenseful storylines of these 26 mystery thriller K-dramas.
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