Won Hyun Joon recently sat down with Newsen at the PRAIN TPC headquarters for an interview following the conclusion of SBS’s Agent Kim Reactivated. The drama is a father-centered revenge action series that follows an ordinary dad who becomes the most dangerous man in the world to rescue his only daughter.

In the series, Won Hyun Joon plays Kang Guk Cheol, the head of the Special Missions Directorate, whose code name is Mole Cricket. Kang Guk Cheol is a man driven by an unwavering belief in protecting national security.

Premiering on June 26, Agent Kim Reactivated opened with a nationwide rating of 9.5%. It quickly climbed to 15.7% for Episode 2, 18.8% for Episode 3, 21.6% for Episode 4, 20.5% for Episode 5, 22.3% for Episode 6, 21.9% for Episode 7, 23.1% for Episode 8, 21.5% for Episode 9, before ending on a high note with 23.0% for the finale.

Won Hyun Joon recalled, “After my first meeting with the director, I was offered the role. I’m not sure if those were exactly the director’s words, but I was told that after So Ji Sub was cast, I was the second actor to join the project. They told me to do my best because they were counting on me. I definitely felt a lot of pressure, but I was grateful to be part of the drama.”

Speaking about So Ji Sub, the actor he shared the most scenes with, Won Hyun Joon said, “I’ve been a fan of his since I’m Sorry, I Love You. Meeting him on set for the first time was a dream come true. He’s an even more solid and dependable person than I imagined. He always helped create a comfortable atmosphere on set. Not only did he focus on his own performance, but he also made sure his scene partners felt comfortable and found the right rhythm together. During filming, I found myself feeling grateful in so many unexpected ways.”

Won Hyun Joon explained that the director gave him plenty of creative freedom. “The director didn’t give me many specific instructions after reading the script. He simply told me to interpret the character in my own way. Since Mole Cricket plays an important role in Agent Kim Reactivated, I spent a lot of time thinking about how to naturally blend the character into the story.”

He also revealed that he deliberately avoided reading the original webtoon before filming. “Whenever I work on projects adapted from webtoons, like Low Life, I intentionally avoid reading the original source. I only looked at the basic introduction to Mole Cricket before approaching the script. At first, I didn’t think I physically matched the character because of my build. After discussing it with the production team, we decided to keep the character’s appearance as written while I focused on faithfully portraying his personality through the script.”

According to Won Hyun Joon, Kang Guk Cheol is portrayed as an emotional and highly strung character. “Viewers probably noticed that he’s constantly yelling or getting angry whenever he appears. That was already written into the script. But I never thought of Mole Cricket as a villain. He’s simply someone driven by a strong sense of duty and patriotism. His only goal was to pursue Manager Kim because he believed he posed a threat to national security. As for the rest of the character, I think he naturally came to life thanks to the chemistry I built with So Ji Sub, Choi Dae Hoon, who played Seong Han Soo, and Yoon Kyung Ho, who played Park Jin Cheol. I’m truly thankful to them for helping shape Mole Cricket.”

Finally, Won Hyun Joon pointed to one particular scene that best introduced his character. “There’s a moment early on when Mole Cricket visits Chairman Joo Kang Chan’s house and confronts the security guards, saying, ‘I’m carrying out an official duty.’ I think that line is where viewers first really get to see who Mole Cricket is.”

Sources: Naver