'Money Heist: Korea' Part 2 Will Put Negative Comments To Bed, Nairobi Actress Promises

“Money Heist: Korea – Joint Economic Area” received mixed responses following its release in June, but Jang Yoon Joo, who stars as the alluring and cunning Nairobi, isn’t too bothered by all the negative feedback.

In an interview with Soompi, the 41-year-old model and actress explained that with the popularity of the original “Money Heist” (“La Casa de Papel”), they were not surprised by criticism of the South Korean remake.

“These days, people choose the content they view. Each person has a different perspective, and now they choose what they want to watch and listen to. The original ‘Money Heist’ series was already popular, so we all expected negative responses even if we were to perform well. Because of this, I’m not too caught up in the negative feedback,” Jang said. “I also feel that all opinions should be respected and accepted.”

However, fans should look forward to the release of “Money Heist: Korea” Part 2 as Jang teased that there are still more exciting things to come and that she expects the upcoming six episodes to receive a “better response” than the first batch.

Part 1 of the Netflix series did not reveal much when it came to Nairobi’s backstory except for her being an expert in forgery — unlike in the original Spanish series where her narrative was well-loved by many fans. But Jang assured fans that the upcoming episodes will explore different sides of the characters.

“It’s not the end though! There is an upcoming narrative. It hasn’t been revealed, but you’ll be able to see lots of different facets, so I hope you all look forward to it,” she told the outlet.

Prior to landing her role as Nairobi, Jang started out as a model in 1997 at 17, eventually becoming one of South Korea’s most successful models. She then pursued acting and appeared in supporting roles in the South Korean movies “Three Sisters,” “Citizen” and “Veteran,” making Nairobi her first lead role.

Taking on a huge role while being new to the acting scene may come with a lot of pressure, but she was more than happy to accept the challenge. “I was glad to take on the role because it was the only role, I got to wear makeup for out of all my previous roles. I thought that this time, I should really employ the strengths I developed through my modeling work as well as the image I’ve built up throughout my career,” she said.

Asked about her experience working with a star-studded cast, Jang revealed that she was "always in awe” with Park Hae Soo, who plays Berlin. She also shared that she likes working with other actors because there is “much more synergy produced” compared to when she is performing alone.

“Even on the set of ‘Money Heist: Korea – Joint Economic Area,’ there were many times we would say, ‘Should we try this?’ It was really fun and necessary. At times like that, the ensemble comes alive. Even from a viewer’s perspective, it will be a better production to watch,” she said.

Jang went on to thank her fans from all over the world who have sent her many supportive messages since the release of the series.

No official release date has been announced for “Money Heist: Korea – Joint Economic Area” Part 2, but it’s expected to return by the fourth quarter of 2022.