Pachinko's Sunja Begins Osaka Move

tvN has canceled the broadcast of the drama 'Signal 2,' which was scheduled for June, and has decided to replace it with the Apple TV+ original series 'Pachinko.' This decision was directly influenced by the controversy surrounding actor Jo Jin-woong's involvement in 'Boyhood' and his subsequent retirement announcement. tvN has yet to release an official statement following Jo Jin-woong's retirement, leading to the cancellation of the highly anticipated 'Signal 2.'

'Signal 2' is the sequel to the highly popular 2016 drama 'Signal' and completed filming in August of last year. tvN had planned to air it in June of this year, marking the 10th anniversary of the original's broadcast and the 20th anniversary of the channel's launch. However, the broadcast was canceled due to allegations of Jo Jin-woong's involvement in juvenile crime that surfaced in December of last year. The production company also faces difficulties in airing the completed work, which involved substantial production costs and manpower, and tvN has been unable to decide on its broadcast.

Filling the void left by 'Signal 2' is 'Pachinko,' a historical drama based on the best-selling novel of the same name by Korean-American author Min Jin Lee. It has already been released as an Apple TV+ original series and has received critical acclaim and recognition for its quality overseas. The drama chronicles the lives of four generations of a Korean immigrant family who lived in Japan and the United States from the Japanese colonial period to the 1980s. It features three languages: Korean, Japanese, and English, and realistically depicts the dialect and identity struggles of Zainichi Koreans (Koreans residing in Japan).

'Pachinko' Season 1 begins in Yeongdo, Busan, in the 1910s, and intercuts between two timelines, extending to Tokyo in 1989. It tells the story of Sunja, a girl from the Yeongdo fish market, who immigrates to the slum of Ikaino in Osaka, Japan, and lives amidst discrimination and poverty. The present-day timeline follows Sunja's grandson, Solomon Baek, as he pursues success in Tokyo after studying abroad in the United States. Season 2 is set in Osaka in 1945 and Tokyo in 1989, depicting Sunja's efforts to protect her two sons during World War II, her relationship with the re-emerging Koh Han-su, and Solomon's comeback from a crisis.

The role of Sunja, the protagonist of 'Pachinko,' is played by Yu Na (childhood), Kim Min-ha (young adulthood), and Youn Yuh-jung (old age), portraying the character's entire life. Lee Min-ho plays Koh Han-su, Noh Sang-hyun plays Baek Isaac, and Jin Ha plays Solomon Baek. The cast also includes other acclaimed actors such as Jung Eun-chae and Kim Sung-kyu.