In 2022, Netflix released the Korean version of its hit Spanish thriller series Money Heist, Money Heist: Korea – Joint Economic Area.
Money Heist: Korea – Joint Economic Area Poster
In one scene, actor Kim Ji Hoon‘s (also romanized as Kim Ji Hun) character, Oh Taek Su (also known as Denver), was changing the bandage on Yoon Mi Sun’s (Lee Joo Bin) wound. As their conversation got more heated, she suddenly kissed him. He returned the kiss, and it only got more passionate.
The two ultimately stripped and had sex, much to viewers’ surprise, as sex scenes in K-Dramas are rare, especially explicit, fully nude ones at that.
[Video could not be displayed]Lee Joo Bin (left) and Kim Ji Hoon (right) | Netflix
Now, Kim Ji Hoon is telling all about the behind-the-scenes process of the infamous scene. He guested on Jang Sung Kyu‘s Don’t Forget Your Breakfast Episode 8.
[Video could not be displayed]| Netflix
Jang Sung Kyu revealed he watched Money Heist: Korea – Joint Economic Area. This included Kim Ji Hoon’s steamy sex scene, so he brought it up. Ji Hoon revealed that it would be not only his first but his last sex scene we’d see.
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Jang Sung Kyu: I checked out your romantic bed scene.
Kim Ji Hoon: Right. That was my first and last.
Jang Sung Kyu asked Kim Ji Hoon about what filming the provocative scene was like. Ji Hoon explained that the original Spanish version of Money Heist was more intense.
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Jang Sung Kyu: How was that?
Kim Ji Hoon: On the original Money Heist, it was more intense. But we also… wanted to match the level. Filming the scene, both me and… my partner were fully prepared. There was no hitch.
Considering the actors appeared to be fully nude in the scene, Jang Sung Kyu wondered just how much they were covered. Kim Ji Hoon tried to describe it seriously but couldn’t help but laugh after describing the protective covering as a diaper. The actors also handled that entirely on their own without assistance from staff.
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Jang Sung Kyu: Well… They say they cover it. How do you do that?
Kim Ji Hoon: Well… We use pads and… we tape that… around our body… like a diaper.
Jang Sung Kyu: Does someone help you with that?
Kim Ji Hoon: I’m on my own.
Jang Sung Kyu’s curiosity didn’t end there. He wondered about one’s natural hormones that usually come from intimacy, such as a man’s erection.
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Jang Sung Kyu: But body can be high.
Kim Ji Hoon: Right.
Jang Sung Kyu: When physical change happens, can it pop out from diapers or something?
Kim Ji Hoon put that concern to rest. He revealed that it is “impossible” to have an erection while filming such a scene. An actor is probably too focused and stressed for that to ever be a possibility. Besides, there’s nothing sexy about a diaper!
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Kim Ji Hoon: Physically it would be impossible for any man. Personally, I have to take care of a lot of things for the bed scene. Not at all.
Jang Sung Kyu: Really?!
Kim Ji Hoon: It’s impossible.
Jang Sung Kyu: But when we watch that, two seem really focused on going to highlight.
No matter how realistic it might look on screen, like any other scene, it’s acting. The actors are concentrating more on their facial expressions than anything else.
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Kim Ji Hoon: It’s… not the facial expression with two of us alone in an isolated place. We’re acting. We cannot focus on being high but focus on facial expression or acting… like this. We are only focusing on acting.
Jang Sung Kyu: Really?
Kim Ji Hoon: Right.
[Video could not be displayed]| Netflix
Jang Sung Kyu asked if they had a sex director, likening it to a stunt coordinator. Intimacy directors and coordinators, a type of choreographer, is a real career. They are hired to work with actors who film sex scenes. However, Kim Ji Hoon revealed they did not have one for Money Heist: Korea.
An Intimacy Coordinator is a choreographer, an advocate for actors, and a liaison between actors and production for scenes that involve nudity/hyper exposed work, simulated sex acts, and intimate physical contact in tv or film.
— Intimacy Directors and Coordinators
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Jang Sung Kyu: But in the case of action movie fighting, a person like Du Hong Jung designs. Do you plan something for that? Is there a sex director?
Kim Ji Hoon: No. There’s no one. We agree on that.
Obviously, Kim Ji Hoon is in great shape. Yet Jang Sung Kyu noticed one more detail. Ji Hoon’s skin is flawless, even on his back. To the host’s surprise, Ji Hoon is low maintenance regarding his skincare.
Your browser does not support video.| 재밌는 거 올라온다/YouTube
Jang Sung Kyu: I saw Money Heist Korea scene and thought you take care of skin a lot. Your back was so clean… There were no pimples. How is it so soft?
Kim Ji Hoon: It’s the first question I get. You even watched that movie… But I don’t manage a lot. Since it’s hard to manage the back. I cannot go shop, and my back shoulder is kind of firm. So, I cannot touch this. So, the middle part would be so dry. I cannot touch, I cannot apply this.
Jang Sung Kyu: It’s innate.
Watch the full interview below.