The mystery series marks yet another detective role for Son Suk-ku
Disney+ is set to roll out its latest Korean original, "Nine Puzzles," a stylized mystery thriller that follows a tenacious detective and a profiler shrouded in suspicion.
Due to significant spoiler concerns, Disney+ and the creative team are keeping story details under tight wraps. What has been disclosed so far centers on Yi-na (Kim Da-mi), a profiler who finds herself under suspicion by detective Han-saem (Son Suk-ku) in connection with a decade-old unsolved case.
The series marks yet another detective role for Son, following his turns in Disney+’s "Casino" and Netflix’s "A Killer Paradox." Speaking at a press conference held Wednesday in Seoul’s Jongno-gu, the actor described Han-saem as “a very tenacious detective,” adding, “He believes this is the one case he couldn’t solve, and he’s been obsessively chasing it for ten years.”
Son emphasized a grounded approach to the role, steering away from attempts to differentiate this portrayal from previous detective characters.
“If you try too hard to make it different from your previous work, you can end up making a wrong move, so I just approached it in a way that suited the situation. Before being a professional, I’m a person first, so I approach each project that way,” he said.
Han-saem also sports a distinctive aesthetic, most notably his frequent use of beanies, coats and visible tattoos. Son acknowledged the unconventional wardrobe choice, noting, “I wear beanies often in real life, but it’s an unusual accessory for a detective. The director even double-checked if it would violate dress code regulations. It’s a unique choice that actually helped my performance, so I kept wearing it throughout.”
Behind the camera is director Yoon Jong-bin, best known for films such as "Beastie Boys," "Nameless Gangster: Rules of the Time" and "Kundo: Age of the Rampant." With "Nine Puzzles," Yoon ventures into serialized streaming content with a project that blends mystery with stylistic flair.
“'Nine Puzzle' is fundamentally a mystery drama. It is a story about two uniquely distinctive characters uncovering the truth behind a serial killer and the forces lurking in the background. It’s a shame I can’t reveal much due to the nature of the work,” Yoon said. “I had a strong desire to take on a new project, and since the story itself was so compelling, I had high hopes that it would be an exciting project.”
Yoon also spoke about the series’ heightened visual language.
“After reading the script, I wondered whether something like this could happen in real life, or whether such characters could actually exist. From a realism perspective, those doubts are valid. So I felt the tone needed to be elevated to a world that straddles the line between reality and unreality — a more cartoon-like world. It was important to convey early on through the art direction, costumes and sets that this world is somewhat removed from reality.”
The 11-episode series will premiere with episodes 1 through 6 on May 21, followed by two new episodes dropping every Wednesday thereafter. Director Yoon acknowledged that the accelerated release strategy may spark speculation among viewers.
“The release format spans over three weeks, and with six episodes coming out in the first week, people will inevitably start speculating about the culprit, and that’s not something the production team can control,” he said. “Although predictions will likely continue during the three-week period, viewers should be careful not to spoil things for others.”
yoonseo.3348@heraldcorp.com
