The scream that came out of my mouth when I saw this photo of Steven Yeun and Gong Yoo in Paris at Pharrell’s latest LV presentation … 

 

It was feral. And I have no shame in saying this because these are two kings of Korean descent, both of them acclaimed actors on television and in film, both of them stylish as f-ck, and both of them with GREAT HAIR. 

 

Stop it. It’s too much cool in one photo. It’s too much easy unconscious swagger. Too much charisma and talent and looks. This picture is breaking my brain. And some of this footage is making me so happy because, to go back to what I was saying in today’s open about western media coverage and awareness, Gong Yoo’s reception at the show yesterday illuminates what many of us already know about the popularity of Korean entertainment – and this is not just limited to music, but also television series, films, etc. 

Listen to the crowd’s reaction to Gong Yoo in Paris. 

 

He is the star of multiple major projects that have had global impact. Train to Busan, of course. And then there’s Goblin, at one time the biggest K-drama on the planet, with millions of people watching worldwide. His performance in Goblin is iconic, it is memed all the time, not just on Asian social media but any social media period. But also… obviously…. Squid Game. 

 

Gong Yoo is the recruiter aka the Slapper. This is the most-watched series in Netflix history and the recent gossip about Squid Game is that they actually filmed seasons two and three concurrently. Netflix will not confirm that that is indeed what’s happened but the speculation now is that what they’ve just shot will be split into two seasons, or two halves, not unlike Bridgerton season three, or more comparatively, another popular K-drama, The Glory, which was also released in two parts last year. 

It is anticipated, for now, that part one will drop in December with part two following at some point in the first quarter of 2025. And Gong Yoo is confirmed to be in it. In fact, his name appeared last in the teaser credits, perhaps due to his star power but also, perhaps, because his role might expand. We still don’t know all that much about the organisation that runs the game, so presumably this upcoming season will give us more insight about the Front Man and also the Recruiter. 

 

Now I’m thinking about the press tour. Remember, Squid Game was a surprise when it came out, and it was early in the pandemic so nobody was doing much promotion for the first season. This time around will be so much different, I can’t imagine they’ll go light on the marketing, especially if the actors are willing. And if they do go light, it’s also a bad look. How do you not take it full throttle on promoting the second season of your most successful show ever that happens to feature an all-Korean cast?! 

And in that cast are three of the most successful Korean actors of all time: Lee Jung-jae, Lee Byung-hyun, and Gong Yoo. If the assignment was to make a Korean film and TV industry Avengers, those three would 100% be on the team. If all three of them are on that press tour, some of us may never recover. Especially if it’s Gong Yoo because this man… is a whole meal. 

 

For the uninitiated, let me just show you a video that Gong Yoo fans are probably too familiar with (what? Not me!) that might explain, just a little, what we’re dealing with. It’s the BTS from a photo shoot he did a few years ago. It’s over four minutes, but it won’t feel like it by the time you’re done. When you’re done you’re going to be mad it’s over and you’ll restart from the beginning. You want to know why those women in Paris were losing their sh-t yesterday? Watch this, and then imagine him in a rom-com, all swoony and sensitive and loving. After that, start looking for where you can stream Goblin. I’ll be here when you come out of that cave in a few days.