Lee Kwang-soo Goes Full Villain in ‘Goldland’! Solidifying His Dark Side After ‘Bad Relationship’ and ‘Sculpture City’

Released on the 29th of last month, Disney+ ‘Goldland’ is a desire-driven thriller. It follows the story of Kim Hee-joo (Park Bo-young), an ordinary customs officer who comes into possession of 150 billion won worth of gold bars stolen by a smuggling ring and fights desperately to keep them for herself.

While Ahn Gyu-seok is the actual mastermind of evil, the most brutal character is the action leader, Park Ho-chul. He doesn’t even blink when tearing off someone’s ear or strangling them to recover the gold. Lee Kwang-soo went all out for the role, even adding “tooth gems” (gold decorations) to his teeth for a visual transformation. Combined with his tall frame, sharp gaze, and rough breathing, he completely dominates the screen as “Director Park.”

Lee Kwang-soo shared, “This is my first time playing a character who is good at fighting, so I worked really hard on the action scenes.” He further explained the character’s depth, saying, “There are many types of desire, but this is my first time portraying such a heavy one. I believe I can show a different side of desire than I have before.”

In the first episode, Lee Kwang-soo personally performed the car chase scene where Park Ho-chul pursues Hee-joo. Park Bo-young recalled, “Lee Kwang-soo actually broke the glass with his forehead at the time.” Director Kim Seong-hoon added, “I wanted to show just how tenacious Director Park is. Even though it’s an early action scene, we put a lot of effort into filming it.”

Fans are reacting strongly to his transformation. Comments include, “Lee Kwang-soo is so scary that I’m going back to watch videos of him being friendly with Park Bo-young,” “I didn’t know Lee Kwang-soo was this good at acting,” and “This is a whole new level of evil.”

Director Kim Seong-hoon noted, “I wanted to show Lee Kwang-soo exactly as he is. He’s an actor who can be simple and fragile, yet vicious at the same time.” He continued, “With his unique physique and raw action, he creates a threatening presence and shows the peak of cruelty as the series’ ultimate antagonist.”

Writer Hwang Jo-yoon also praised the performance, stating, “With Lee Kwang-soo’s casting, he has evolved from the chatty villains of his past to a truly scary and charismatic villain.”