6 Things We Learned About 'Sweet Home 2': Song Kang’s Last Project Before Military Enlistment, More Monsters

If you were one of the 22 million paid subscribers worldwide to watch the show in the first 4 weeks of Sweet Home’s release in 2020, you’ll realise its name is an oxymoron in comparison to its plot in a world where monsters and humans collide.

Based on the eponymous webtoon, the apocalyptic horror Netflix original series appeared in the Netflix top 10 in more than 70 countries and propelled Song Kang to stardom. He took on the role of Cha Hyun Su, a suicidal high school boy who tries to survive a ‘monsterisation’ apocalypse along with a group of his fellow apartment residents. He later gains the powers of the infected after merging with the beast inside him and becoming a superpowered being.

We sat in on the virtual press conference of Sweet Home S2 which picks up three years after the first instalment where we learned some titbits about the upcoming K-drama.

1. New Talent & New Characters

The highly anticipated Season 2 of Sweet Home will air on 1 December with 8 episodes while Season 3 is also in production and will air sometime in 2024. Both seasons were filmed back-to-back for 13 months, starting from February 2022 up until March 2023. The narrative continues with the residents of Green Home Apartments venturing beyond their base and seeking refuge at a baseball stadium.

Some new characters will be joining the cast: actors Jinyoung, Yoo Oh-seong, Oh Jung-se, Kim Moo-yeol, and Kim Si-a join Sweet Home Season 2 as multi-faceted characters that defy the simple good-versus-evil dichotomy in a world overrun by monsters.

2. This will be Song Kang’s final project before his military service

Song Kang has been on a roll since S1 was released but unfortunately, it is also time for fans to bid farewell to the heartthrob for a few years. During the press conference, the 29-year-old revealed that this would likely mark his last project before enlisting for military service.

"It is my natural duty, so once I finish up promotion schedules for 'Sweet Home 2', I will fulfil my (mandatory) duties and return in good health,” he said. If you can’t get enough of him, you can also watch Song Kang’s ongoing K-drama alongside Kim Yoo-jung on Netflix.

3. Song Kang Kept a Diary to Prepare for His Role

“Sweet Home' is a very meaningful project for me, one of the projects which made me who I am today. To prepare for season 2, I looked internally, keeping a diary on the character 'Hyun Soo'. Since the story deals with fantastic creatures, there is some distance from the real world, so I reflected on that aspect as well as on Hyun Soo's thoughts and emotions,” Song Kang shared.

When asked about his shirtless scenes in the show, Song Kang replied, “I think my palms are sweaty…I did put in a lot of effort for that scene. I did a lot of back work so I did a lot of exercise for my back. I was satisfied because it looked great. I am an introvert and I’m shy but thanks to the director, I feel much less shy now.”

4. Lee Jin-wook Told Song Kang To Stop Working Out

Veteran actor Lee Jin-uk (who you may also have spotted in Doona recently acts as Sang-wook who finds his body overtaken by Eui-myeong, who believes that monsters are superior to humans.

The actor jokingly said to Song Kang, who is known for working out 3-4 hours a day, “I told Song Kang to stop working out because I needed to match his energy.” In the trailer, both actors are seen showing off their killer physiques and we can’t wait to see more *hehe*.

5. Ko Min-Si Went to Action School

Actress Ko Min-si, portrays Lee Eun-yoo, who becomes a warrior in Season 2, persistently searching for her older brother after parting ways when leaving Green Home. The actress revealed that she went to action school for the role and practised every day until she nearly cried.

“About three months prior to shooting, I went to action school to do training…there were a variety of action scenes. I thought that I wasn’t the cowardly type but that wasn’t the case. I thought, when is it going to end.”

6. There will be new monsters

In Season 1, some viewers lamented about the lack of monsters in the latter episodes but that’s all about to change. Spectacular scenes of the battles between new monsters and special ‘infectees’ were completed through the hard work and dedication of numerous teams including VFX and stunt.

“The monsters begin to evolve in Season 2,” explained director Lee Eun-bok, “With good and evil monsters co-existing, as well as monsters with diverse desires newly appearing.” Season 2 made full use of CGI production to digitally create the overall build of the creature, allowing for more flexible movements.

“During pre-production, we broke down each creature’s physical appearance, movements, aggressiveness, tendencies, and history to create details such as their gait, main weapons, and weaknesses so that the action sequences would reflect these elements,” explained stunt coordinator Kwon Taeho.

Actor Yu Oh-seong (best known for the 2001 movie ‘Friend’) said, “I’ve been working as an actor for (over) 30 years, but this is the first time I’ve been in such a big show.”

We can’t wait to catch this K-drama which is surely set to be another blockbuster hit!

Watch the trailer here:

Watch Sweet Home Season 2 on Netflix on 1 December 2023.