Kim A-Joong Must Solve A Mystery And Find The Ghost In ‘Grid’

Kim A-joong plays detective Jung Sae-byeok in the Disney+ sci-fi thriller Grid. As a detective her character is used to unraveling mysteries, but the kind of mystery she faces in this series is on another level.

Grid is a thriller about a mysterious being known as “The Ghost” that created a “Grid” shield that saved humanity from an impending solar wind crisis. The being disappears without a trace until it reemerges 24 years later, inexplicably coming to the aid of a murderer. Various groups try to track down the being for differing purposes.

“The Ghost’s secret, as well as the clashing beliefs and motives of the pursuers of this enigmatic being, will be the focal point of the story,” said Kim.

Jung Sae-byeok is Kim’s first small screen role since 2017 when she starred in the tvN series Live Up To Your Name. In the interim she appeared in the 2019 action comedy film The Bad Guys: Reign of Chaos with Ma Dong Seok, Kim Sang-joon and Jang Ki-jong. Her award-winning career as an actress has been evenly divided between film and TV.

“When it comes to choosing my next project, I don’t prefer one medium over the other,” said Kim. “I just go for whichever story captures my attention at the time. I’m just grateful to be known as a talent who can do both films and TV/OTT series.”

Kim’s character in Grid faces not only the difficulties of solving a crime, but potentially saving the world. While it’s hard to know how that responsibility might feel, Kim spent time getting to understand the life-and-death pressures a detective might face. 

“It’s important to have a thorough understanding of your character’s personality before you portray it and occupation is one of the key things to consider,” said Kim. “I visited a police station to get the feel of the work environment and the sense of duty and pressure homicide detectives must deal with. I interviewed real-life detectives as well and for a limited time, I got to vicariously experience their struggles and day-to-day living. There weren’t that many action scenes, but I did receive action and shooting training. You can check out my performance when the series airs.”

While Kim may play a detective in this series, she is perhaps best known for her roles in romantic comedies. She debuted in the 2005 romance film When Romance Meets Destiny, which won her a Baeksang Arts Award for Most Popular Actress. In the comedy film 200 Pounds Beauty, she played an overweight girl who undergoes cosmetic surgery and that role earned her the Best Actress award at the 2007 Grand Bell Awards. She co-starred with Hwang Jung-min in the romantic comedy The Accidental Couple, with Ji Sung in My PS Partner, and with Joo Won in Steal My Heart. In 2017, she starred in the time-slip romantic comedy Live Up to Your Name alongside Kim Nam-gil.

She admits to being a fan of the romantic comedy genre.

“I am a fan of all the love stories around us, including those in the romantic comedy genre,” she said. “To me, it is the most meaningful and significant kind of story to tell.”

For several years, Kim has been an advocate for the stories women want to tell, serving as a spokesperson for the Seoul International Women’s Film Festival (SIWFF). From 2015 to 2016 she served as an honorary ambassador to promote the festival and has worked as a member of the event’s executive committee since 2017. Equality in the film industry has been a topic of global concern and the actress feels it’s important for women in the industry to band together.

“Owing to this, Seoul Women’s Film Festival also saw growing public interest and participation, as well as variety in the submissions,” said Kim. “More importantly, it is rewarding to see the waning of the prejudice that used to be prevalent in the industry that ‘women-focused narratives will never go mainstream.’ I am also proud to have been part of the effort to introduce more of those talented women filmmakers. I am also thankful to the young creators for their profound insights and open-mindedness that transcend all kinds of boundaries.”

Grid, which also stars Seo Kang-joon, Kim Mu-yul, Kim Sung-kyun and Lee Si-young was released by Disney+ in the APAC region on Feb. 16. As yet there is no release date confirmed for other regions.