Yeon Sang-ho poses during an interview with The Korea Times at a cafe in Seoul, Tuesday. Courtesy of Netflix

Returning to the dystopian realm of "Hellbound" with its second season on Netflix, director Yeon Sang-ho continues to probe the human need for narratives to explain the inexplicable.

"There are many unknown things that we experience, like misfortunes, and we often attach meaning to them. But that meaning might be wrong, or it might not be, and it might be very far from the truth, but it's difficult for humans to know that. However, some people choose to believe that story," the acclaimed director behind "Train to Busan" said during an interview with The Korea Times at a cafe in Seoul, Tuesday.

"Choosing to believe that story is something that's very closely related to the autonomy that humans think they have. I think that's the core of 'Hellbound,' something that's been there since Season 1."

In Season 1, individuals are told the time and date of their death. When the time comes, supernatural creatures appear and brutally condemn the individual to hell. Then Jung Jin-su, chairman of the religious group New Truth, creates a fake narrative to make people believe.

In the new season, following the resurrection of Park Jung-ja (Kim Shin-rock), who died in Season 1, a politician creates a new narrative believing that it will make the world more stable and controllable. However, the story doesn't work as intended, when large-scale hellbound notices occur.

Yeon's works often delve into dark, dystopian worlds from early animated films like "The King of Pigs" (2011) and "The Fake" (2013) to films and dramas like "Train to Busan" (2016) and "Parasyte: The Grey" (2024).

The 45-year-old director said he needs darkness to show the light, as seen in Rembrandt's portraits.

"I think it came from my longing for humanism. My works such as 'The King of Pigs' might seem cynical, but they're actually very humanistic. I believe that in order to show humanity, a certain amount of darkness is actually necessary. I think that's the strength of dystopian works," he said.

Yeon envisions a rich and expanded universe for "Hellbound," comparable to "Gundam,"the popular Japanese franchise that features giant robots.

"I imagine a future where countless creators explore the world of 'Hellbound,' contributing their own stories and characters, just as we've seen with 'Gundam' and 'Star Wars.' I hope 'Hellbound' can transcend its current format and inspire various creative works, from comics to fan fiction," Yeon said.

The director is also planning to publish an anthology with a group of genre novelists, based on the world of "Hellbound."

"The authors are currently creating a collection of short stories where they imagine their own stories based on the world. I'm also considering ways to create spinoffs from these short stories or to adapt them into visual media as well."

When asked about the possibility of a third season, the creator suggested that it would only deepen the mystery and would not give answers to viewers who want to know why.

"Cosmic horror genre is rooted in the image of humans struggling in a world that humans can never fully understand. That's the nature of the genre. Many people will probably wonder why this isn't explained and feel frustrated. In fact, those emotions are the essence of the genre," he said. "When I was planning Season 2, I wanted the curiosity to grow, not shrink. If there's a Season 3, the already vast curiosity will grow only larger."