The first season of Pachinko ended with a devastating blow for the Korean immigrant family at the heart of the Apple TV+ series. Death, illness and imprisonment shattered their hopes and dreams, leaving viewers in tears and in suspense. Will there be a second season of Pachinko to follow their fate? The answer is yes, especially after the show won the Critics Choice Award for Best Foreign Language Series. Here is what we know so far about the next chapter of Apple TV+’s acclaimed drama.
Pachinko Season 2 Renewed?
Apple TV+ confirmed in April that Pachinko will return for a second season. “I’m overjoyed to be able to continue telling the extraordinary story of this unstoppable family,” said showrunner Soo Hugh. “I’m thankful to the amazing team at Apple and Media Res studio for believing and supporting this show and our passionate fans cheering us on. It’s an honor to continue working with this amazing cast and crew.” Hugh said the series is intended to span four seasons, but only Season Two has been greenlit so far.
The Future of Pachinko Season Two
The TV series Pachinko is based on the acclaimed novel by Min Jin Lee, which spans several generations of a Korean family. Season One only covered part of the book, so there is more to come.
We left Sunja, the family’s heroine, in Osaka in 1938, where she was making a living by selling her homemade kimchi at the market. Hugh, who plays her husband Isak, revealed that Season Two will skip ahead to World War II, where Sunja will face new challenges and hardships as the sole provider for her family. She will have to cope with food shortages, war dangers and the interference of Hansu, the rich and powerful father of her firstborn son, Noa. “It’s a continuation of her story from Season One… but it gets even harder, yet she still finds joy,” Hugh said. “She still finds joy.”
Theresa Kang-Lowe, one of the executive producers, hinted that Season Two will also explore the impact of the war and the occupation on the Korean community. She told Deadline, “The stakes get bigger and the drama gets more intense because you see how the occupation affects everyone in Korean-based families. In Season Two, the scope expands and the stakes get higher. I can’t say more than that, but I can say… we thought Season One was epic. Season Two goes to an even more epic level of scale.”
The second season of the show will delve deeper into the lives of Sunja’s sons, Noa and Mozasu, who grew up in Japan as Korean immigrants. The actor who plays Sunja, Min Jin Lee, told Deadline that the relationship between the brothers is “magical” and full of contrasts. “Noa is the intellectual, the bookworm, the one who wants to assimilate into Japanese society. Mozasu is the rebel, the gambler, the one who embraces his Korean identity,” Lee said. But their bond will be shattered by a tragic event: Noa’s suicide, which haunts Sunja and Mozasu for the rest of their lives. The show will explore how this trauma affects them and their families in different ways.
Another character who will have more prominence in season two is Kyunghee, Sunja’s sister-in-law and confidante. She helps Sunja run their successful kimchi business and becomes a strong and independent woman. Lee said that Kyunghee is one of her favorite characters in the story and that she can’t wait to see her shine on screen.
Meanwhile, in the present day, Sunja’s grandson Solomon faces a moral dilemma after making a deal with Mamoru Yoshii, a powerful and shady Japanese tycoon who controls the pachinko industry. Solomon’s actor, Jin Ha, said that his character will have to question his own definition of success and what he is willing to sacrifice for it. Lee added that Solomon’s deal with Yoshii is “a deal with the devil” that will have serious consequences in season two.
The Return of the Cast
The novel still has a lot to offer for the characters, and Hugh’s words suggest that they will all reprise their roles. However, one star has been causing some anxiety among the fans: Lee Min-ho, the K-Pop sensation who plays Hansu, the powerful businessman. Some feared that his hectic tour schedule might prevent him from coming back, but there’s good news: Lee’s manager has assured that he will be part of Pachinko Season Two. And he should be, because Hansu has a lot of story left to tell, as he gets more involved with Sunja and her family.
The Production Status
There’s no official release date yet, but the show is progressing. Pachinko will start filming the first half of the season in Toronto on February 1, 2023, and finish on April 21, 2023. The second half of the shoot will take place in Busan, Korea, from late April to late June 2023. Leanne Welham, who has directed episodes of His Dark Materials and Conversations With Friends, will helm four episodes of the season.
We don’t know when Season Two will hit the screens, but we’re hoping for a 20242024 debut. Stay tuned for more updates as we get more information.
