Korean DNA powers US spy series Butterfly starring Daniel Dae Kim and Kim Tae-hee 

SEOUL – American spy thriller Butterfly, which heralds South Korean screen icon Kim Tae-hee’s Hollywood debut, fuses Korean sensibilities with American storytelling.

Available on Prime Video, the series follows David Jung (Daniel Dae Kim), a former US intelligence operative who faked his death years ago and who now seeks to reconnect with his daughter Rebecca (Reina Hardesty), an assassin.

Daniel Dae Kim, who took on the dual roles of executive producer and lead actor for Butterfly, said during a press conference in Seoul that the show is “a little bit like” him, describing the series as a hybrid of American blockbuster energy and a deeply personal Korean-rooted perspective.

Reflecting on Butterfly’s dual heritage, the 57-year-old actor remarked on the production’s commitment to Korean talent.

“Usually, when American productions come here, they bring all their heads of staff from America and the only Korean people are the lower-level crew members. But here, for us, we did all of our heads of departments as Koreans because I felt that if we’re going to tell a story in Korea with Koreans, then we need Korean staff.”

He added that the series explores subtle cultural nuances that neither “Korean Koreans” nor white Americans typically experience, using these small details to enrich the narrative.

“I wanted to talk about a lot of different things about what it felt like to be Asian, Asian-American and, in Reina’s case, half-Asian.

“I felt like the way to do that was to talk about an American character coming back to a place where he looks the same, but isn’t quite the same as everybody else. And I like the idea that that parallels my own life because I was born in Busan but went to America when I was very young, but it never meant that Korea left my heart.”

Kim also highlighted the timing for the series as crucial, noting the global popularity of Korean culture. “If we wanted to try to do this five or 10 years ago, I don’t think there was as much interest in Korea. Even though I would want to make this story, the studio wouldn’t buy it. And so it was the right timing to tell a story that was very important to me.”

For Kim Tae-hee, who plays David’s wife, Butterfly offered a “unique” opportunity to explore a more grounded, everyday character.

“This particular project was especially fresh and new for me because it’s a collaboration between Korea and the US. On the other hand, the character I play here is, in a way, more ordinary and typical than any I’ve done before – it’s just a regular Korean woman,” said the 45-year-old actress, who is the wife of K-pop star Rain.

“For me, being able to stand in front of the camera in an unstyled, natural way was a completely new experience. Personally, that felt very refreshing, though I’m not sure how viewers will perceive it.” THE KOREA HERALD/ASIA NEWS NETWORK