SEOUL – Actor Choi Woo-shik recently opened up about his character in the Netflix Korean original series “A Killer Paradox,” where he portrays a man with the disturbing ability to identify criminals, a talent he describes as a curse.
According to Yonhap News Agency, his character, Lee Tang, experiences a dramatic shift in his life after he inadvertently kills a man and discovers his unique ability to detect serious offenders. This leads Lee to a conflicted existence as he grapples with the moral implications of becoming a vigilante who targets criminals. “No one deserves to die,” Choi stated, expressing the moral dilemma faced by his character.
The series, which is adapted from Kkomabi’s popular Naver webtoon, follows Lee Tang’s journey from a student to a vigilante, alongside characters such as the tenacious detective Jang Nan-gam, played by Son Suk-ku, and the enigmatic ex-detective-turned-criminal Song Chon, portrayed by Lee Hee-joon. The show, which premiered last Friday, quickly climbed to the No. 2 spot on Netflix’s non-English TV series chart for the week of February 5, amassing 3.1 million views.
Choi highlighted the subtle physical transformations his character undergoes in the series, including changing his appearance to reflect his new vigilante identity, though these changes are less pronounced than those of his webtoon counterpart. Despite attempting to physically embody the transformation through weight gain and muscle build, Choi emphasized that the essence of Lee Tang remains unchanged amidst the external alterations. “After all, I didn’t want to express the change merely through a bigger body,” he remarked.
Reflecting on his career, Choi, who achieved his first leading role in the 2014 drama “Set Me Free,” shared insights into his personal and professional growth over the past decade. For Choi, the joy of acting and the chemistry with co-stars are paramount, although he admits to still checking the series’ rankings on Netflix. Expressing gratitude for his career, Choi voiced his hope for the success of “A Killer Paradox,” emphasizing the enjoyment he found in working closely with the cast.
SEOUL – Amid rising tensions over North Korea’s continued missile tests, South Korea’s top military officer has called for a robust response to any provocations from the North.
According to Yonhap News Agency, Joint Chiefs of Staff Chairman Adm. Kim Myung-soo emphasized the need for strong retaliation during a visit to the Drone Operations Command in Pocheon, located 52 kilometers northeast of Seoul. This statement came hours after North Korea launched multiple cruise missiles off its eastern coast, marking its fifth missile launch this year.
Adm. Kim underscored the growing significance of unmanned assets in modern warfare, drawing parallels with their utilization in the conflict between Israel and Hamas. He stated, “If the enemy undertakes a provocation, (we) must strongly punish them so that they are unable to make another provocation again.” His visit also included a stop at a nearby aviation unit under the Army’s Fifth Corps, where he urged troops to decisively engage any threats from the North.
These visits and statements by Adm. Kim come at a time of heightened alertness, with concerns over possible provocative actions by North Korea in conjunction with the upcoming birth anniversary of its late leader, Kim Jong-il. The establishment of the Drone Operations Command in September last year was a strategic move by the military to enhance its capabilities against asymmetric threats from the North, following an incident where five North Korean drones breached the inter-Korean border in December 2022.