The pursuit of wealth, power and survival takes center stage in Gold Land, the Disney+ Korean thriller from director Kim Sunghoon, who says the series explores how greed can transform people in unexpected ways.

The drama stars Park Bo-young and Kim Sung-cheol and marks the streaming series debut of acclaimed screenwriter Hwang Jo-yoon, best known for Oldboy and Memoir of a Murderer.

At the heart of the story is Kim Hee-ju, played by Park Bo-young, a woman whose life spirals out of control after she becomes caught up in a smuggling operation and finds herself in possession of an enormous fortune in gold bars.

“In Gold Land, Hiju finds herself with 150 billion won worth of smuggled gold bars, and she wants to have all of the gold to herself,” Kim said.

The director revealed that the staggering amount was carefully chosen to reinforce one of the drama’s central themes.

“People think I should explain the number. It is because it brings out greed in people,” he said.

“We chose 150 billion won because the gold had to feel big and heavy, reflecting the size of desire.”

According to Kim, Gold Land is ultimately less about the gold itself and more about the people willing to risk everything to possess it.

“A person is not just good or evil. Sometimes good becomes bigger, sometimes evil becomes bigger,” he said, explaining the moral complexity of the drama’s characters.

As Hiju becomes the target of dangerous criminals, viewers will also encounter a cast of characters whose desires and motivations shape the story’s twists and turns.

Without revealing major plot details, Kim singled out two key figures in particular.

“Tokyo is a person slowly falling into desire,” he said.

He also teased the importance of another character, adding, “Chin Man is a critical character to the ending of the story.”

The filmmaker said the series examines what happens when people reach their breaking point while chasing what they want most.

“We wanted to show a character at the dead end of life as a result of greed,” he said.

Known for directing projects such as Chief Detective 1958 and Confidential Assignment, Kim described Gold Land as a fresh addition to the noir genre.

“This is a very refreshing, fast-paced noir genre with drama and heartwarming elements,” he said.

He also promised audiences will see familiar actors in a different light.

“The actors are very different in this drama — you will see new sides of them,” Kim said.

Park Bo-young stars as Hiju, a woman desperately trying to outrun her past, while Kim Sung-cheol plays Woogi, a member of the criminal organization pursuing her.

Gold Land aired its finale on 27 May.