From left, actors Lee Joon, Um Ki-joon, Hwang Jung-eum, Lee Yu-bi, director Oh Joon-hyuk, actors Shin Eun-kyung, Jo Yoon-hee, Yoon Jong-hoon and Lee Jung-Shin pose during a press conference for the new thriller series "The Escape of the Seven: Resurrection," held at SBS headquarters in Yangcheon District, Seoul, Wednesday. Courtesy of SBS

The thriller series "The Escape of the Seven" is returning with a sequel, "The Escape of The Seven: Resurrection," after wrapping up its first season last November with a rather disappointing performance considering the series popular scriptwriter Kim Soon-ok, known for the hit series "The Penthouse: War in Life" (2020).

"It's season two, but we're off to a fresh start with the new title," the series' director Oh Joon-hyuk said during the press conference for the show at SBS headquarters in Yangcheon District, Seoul, Wednesday.

"The basic differentiation we tried to have [for the two seasons] is that season one was a buildup, whereas season two will have a satisfying development to the previous one's frustrating storyline as those who committed different wrongdoings meet harsh condemnation and revenge," Oh said. "In season two, I focused on delving into the emotions of each character individually."

The series revolves around seven people, including a mobile platform company CEO Matthew Lee (Uhm Ki-joon), drama producer Geum La-hui (Hwang Jung-eum), ex-gangster Min Do-hyuk (Lee Joon) and actor Han Mo-Ne (Lee Yoo-bi), who gets entangled in a game of lies and betrayal after the disappearance of Geum's biological daughter.

The new season, set to go on air Friday, will follow Min, who was thought to be dead, returning with a vengeance towards Matthew for ruining his life and revealing his true identity to everyone. With the revelation of the villain in the game, the group, each with their own wicked motive, set out to play another game of revenge.

The director, who co-led the first season, shared that he has taken in the previous season's feedback, mostly on its complicated and extremely absurd plot, in making the sequel.

"I made an effort to reflect the points of criticisms [in the new season] and tried to make things a bit more comfortable to watch," he said. "This series is like an assorted gift set, and many of our actors put in their best effort to film this series. If I were to compare this series to flavors, it's a combination of spicy, sweet and salty flavors."

A scene from the series "The Escape of The Seven: Resurrection" / Courtesy of SBS

Hwang plays the vicious, power-hungry mother who traded her daughter's death for her success. The actor, who is a mother herself, said it took her some time to get into the character.

"I've always been quite individualistic and only knew myself, but my life before and after having my child is different. I'm grateful to have two sons who taught me the meaning of sacrifice. So, it took me a lot of time to approach and understand the character of La-hui," she said.

"This is my first time playing such a strong antagonist. In season one, the director wanted me to portray my character as a fierce general, but in season two, you will see a different layer to La-hui as the story unfolds."

The actor is recently going through a personal issue, undergoing a divorce with her husband of eight years.

"We've poured our passion into the series preparing and filming for about two years so I felt sorry that my personal matters might cause trouble to the production staff and fellow actors," she said, emphasizing that she kept her private life separate from work while working on the series.

"First and foremost, no matter what happens, I have to focus on my profession as it requires a high level of concentration. I just put my mind to doing my job and got it done."