Jin Chang-kyu, the PD of 'Treasure Island', expressed his feelings about wrapping up the show with its highest viewership ratings and thanked the actors who participated.
The SBS Friday-Saturday drama 'Treasure Island' (written by Lee Myung-hee, directed by Jin Chang-kyu), which ended on the 14th, depicts the life-and-death revenge battle of Seo Dong-joo (played by Park Hyung-sik), who hacks into a political slush fund of 2 trillion won, risking everything to fight against the absolute evil Yeom Jang-seon (played by Heo Jun-ho) who killed him and to bring down that world.
Starting with a viewership rating of 6.1% (Nielsen Korea, nationwide), 'Treasure Island' garnered attention with its storytelling that vividly portrays human desires, captivating direction, and the overwhelming acting skills of the cast, ultimately achieving a final episode rating of 15.4%.
When asked if he expected 'Treasure Island' to be a hit, PD Jin Chang-kyu replied, "I had no expectations at all," adding, "The story is quite complex, and I thought the dark tone might be hard for people to enjoy these days. It seems that the power of writer Lee Myung-hee's script and the performances of various actors with different charms centered around Park Hyung-sik captured people's attention."
As PD Jin Chang-kyu mentioned, 'Treasure Island' features actors who showcase overwhelming acting skills and presence. Park Hyung-sik, who has played kind and delicate characters in many works, transformed his gaze and embarked on a desperate quest for revenge, while Heo Jun-ho portrayed the endlessly greedy Yeom Jang-seon, who has both money and power, with rich expressions.
"Working with actors who deeply understand the script and characters makes the director both nervous and exhilarated. I think our set was like that. We discussed our views on the scenes and found the best path among them. I also tried to think more to not fall behind. I want to express my gratitude to the actors who created the world of 'Treasure Island.'
In particular, Park Hyung-sik, who played Seo Dong-joo, gained attention for performing intense action, underwater swimming, high-pressure water torture, and gunfire without a stunt double. Regarding this, PD Jin Chang-kyu praised Park Hyung-sik's performance, saying, "He was passionate every moment, and I liked his effort to do better. The torture scenes and the action scenes in the sea were so excellent that I felt no other actor could have done better."
He mentioned that the most memorable scene was the ending of episode 3. This scene features Heo Il-do (played by Lee Hae-young) shooting Seo Dong-joo in the middle of the sea while holding a note with a password to the slush fund vault. After realizing that the password in the note was incorrect, Heo Il-do stands in front of the vault with an expression that is hard to tell if it's laughter or tears, shouting, "Resurrect!"
PD Jin Chang-kyu recalled, "I remember discussing with Lee Hae-young how to express the line 'Resurrect!' which we have never uttered in reality. I was so pleased to see an expression during the rehearsal that I could never have imagined."
So, what message does PD Jin Chang-kyu want to leave for the viewers as 'Treasure Island' comes to an end?
"There is a message I heard while talking with the writer, but what I felt while filming this work is that it shows the 'foolishness of humans who wander in search of treasures far away while overlooking the treasures right in front of them.' It's a story about people who are so focused on what they don't have that they lose what they do have. Ultimately, I think the message our work wants to convey is 'Let's live with strength while preserving human values.'
[Lee Da-kyum, Star Today Reporter]
