tvN’s new Saturday-Sunday drama "Mad Concrete Dreams", premiering March 14, follows a cash-strapped building owner who joins a fake kidnapping scheme to protect the two things he values most: his family and his property. With a starry lineup led by Ha Jung-woo, Im Soo-jung, Kim Joon-han, Jung Soo-jung, and Shim Eun-kyung, hype is already building ahead of the debut.
The creative team is just as intriguing. Director Im Pil-sung teams up with rising novelist Oh Han-ki for his first drama project. The duo breaks down everything from the concept to the on-set process with the cast who brought these characters to life.
Writer Oh Han-ki calls the title “ironic.” “This isn’t a guide on how to become a building owner. It’s about someone who achieves that dream many in Korea have―and then watches his life unravel,” he explains. “That’s why I made the protagonist, Gi Su-jong, a relatable everyman. Viewers will connect with how he struggles just to keep living as a building owner.”
Recalling the moment Ha Jung-woo signed on as Gi Su-jong, Oh says, “That’s when it felt like the real work began. The energy shifted. It was such a perfect fit, it’s like I must have written the script with him in mind from the start.”
Director Im Pil-sung highlights the show’s tonal balance. “The fake kidnapping that Gi Su-jong sets in motion keeps spiraling in unexpected ways. The characters’ colliding desires only tangle things further. We worked to blend suspense with a vein of dark comedy,” he says. “By staying in close communication with the actors, we focused on letting the story and its characters flow naturally on screen.”
The cast’s performances are a key draw. “Ha Jung-woo is the axis of 'Mad Concrete Dreams',” Im notes. “I can’t imagine anyone else as Gi Su-jong. He gave everything to the role―I felt a comradeship like we’d shot two films together.” On Im Soo-jung as Kim Seon, Gi Su-jong’s wife, he adds, “It’s a complex role, and she nails it. She portrays a mother colliding with harsh reality―confidently and with meticulous detail―powering the entire show.”
On Kim Joon-han as Min Hwal-seong, a character central to the drama’s core conflict: “He created a multi-dimensional figure who inspires both sympathy and anger. Viewers will find him incredibly entertaining.” About Jung Soo-jung as Jeon I-gyeong: “In the latter half, she delivers a powerfully unexpected performance. She’s an actor who makes you anticipate a major transformation and real depth.” Meeting Shim Eun-kyung as Yona, the main villain, was “a stroke of luck,” he says. “She shapes Yona’s mystery―and her innocent, mischievous malice―into something irresistibly compelling.”
Director Im and writer Oh close with a promise: “Watch an ordinary family man, Gi Su-jong, fight tooth and nail to save his small building as he slams into one unpredictable situation after another. Expect twists that defy prediction, top-tier performances, and a gripping journey driven by each character’s choices.”
"Mad Concrete Dreams" premieres March 14 at 9:10 p.m. on Saturday.
(SBS Entertainment News | Kim Ji-hye)
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