[Edaily Starin Choi Hee-jae Reporter] “A message for actor Tom Cruise? I’ll do my best so we can star in an action movie together someday. Please be sure to watch our movie. I love you, Tom! (Laughs)”

Actress Uhm Jung-hwa is set to reunite with audiences after six years with the sequel to “Okay Madam.” At the production briefing held on the 13th at CGV Yongsan I’Park Mall in Yongsan-gu, Seoul, Uhm Jung-hwa extended an invitation to Hollywood actor Tom Cruise and expressed confidence in the film’s upgraded action sequences.
Regarding what sets the sequel apart, Uhm Jung-hwa said, “Compared to the first film, the setting is more expansive, and there’s more action that makes use of that space, so it should be a lot of fun to watch.” She added, “We filmed intense action scenes with the villain, Choi Soo-young, and I’m really pleased with how they turned out,” noting, “I’ve come to love action even more.”
“Okay Madam 2” is a comedy-action film about Mi-young (played by Uhm Jung-hwa), a former legendary agent, and her family who embark on a luxury cruise only to get caught up in a cruise ship hijacking in the middle of the blue ocean. While the first film was set on an airplane, the sequel showcases spectacular action sequences on a massive cruise ship. It is also generating anticipation as Uhm Jung-hwa’s new action franchise.
Um Jung-hwa and Park Sung-woong once again team up as a married couple. Um Jung-hwa said, “We’ve become so close that it felt natural,” adding, “It was so much fun and enjoyable that it didn’t even feel like we were filming.” Park Sung-woong shared, “When we took a family photo during the test shoot, I could really picture the six years that had passed. It was such a warm and welcoming set.”
Returning after six years, *Okay Madam 2* reunites Um Jung-hwa, Park Sung-woong, Lee Sang-yoon, and Bae Jung-nam. Park Jin-joo, Ryu Woon, and Choi Soo-young have also joined the cast to add to the fun.
Park Jin-ju expressed her gratitude regarding her first collaboration with Park Sung-woong, saying, “He gave me complete trust. No matter what I did, he accepted it all.” She continued, “I did feel some pressure (to be entertaining), but I was really excited to come to this set,” and added with a smile, “From the very first shoot, seeing him make all kinds of funny faces, I quickly realized, ‘Oh, this is the kind of place it is.’”
The chemistry between Um Jung-hwa and “magician” Ryu-woon is another highlight to look forward to. Um Jung-hwa heightened anticipation by saying, “Just looking into Ryu-woon’s eyes made me smile,” and added, “While the chemistry among the actors was great, when filming with Ryu-woon, I felt my heart flutter—it was like magic.”
This film marks Ryu-woon’s screen debut. Ryu-woon said, “I was really nervous since it was my first movie.” He shared his thoughts on filming, saying, “I was a bit stiff at first because I was surrounded by such stellar senior actors, but they all talked to me and did their best to make me feel at ease, so I was able to relax a lot.”

Choi Soo-young took on her first action role in “Okay Madam 2.” Referring to Uhm Jung-hwa, she said, “It’s been about 20 years since I started my career, so doing action for the first time is particularly meaningful, and working alongside Senior Uhm Jung-hwa gave it a whole new significance.”
Choi Soo-young said, “She performs action scenes from start to finish, and watching her pull them off so impressively made me think, ‘I can’t be like that.’ So I even told her, ‘Senior, I’m sorry, but I’d like to do that one more time.’ She’s especially kind to me,” showcasing their chemistry.
In particular, Choi Soo-young takes on the role of Anya, the ruthless leader of a criminal organization, taking on the challenge of playing a villain. “There aren’t many female villains, so I was happy to be offered this role,” Choi Soo-young said. “I was eager to make the character anything but cliché.”
She continued, “While villains who are just scary and spine-chilling are good, I wanted to portray a character who actually finds the act itself fun,” adding, “I wanted to create a female villain who possesses both charisma and humor.” Choi Soo-young added, “I contributed many ideas for the costumes and wanted to bring out her natural, unpretentious charm.”
Released in 2020, “Okay Madam” proved a huge hit, drawing 1.22 million viewers despite the COVID-19 pandemic. Director Lee expressed his nervous excitement about returning with the sequel after six years. “During the first film’s release, as COVID-19 was spreading, some ticket reservations were canceled, and the actors were sad during their on-stage greetings,” he recalled.
He continued, “Still, audiences watched it a lot over the course of several days,” and joked, “It was also watched extensively via OTT services, so the revenue was quite substantial. Thanks to that, we were able to make the sequel.” Director Lee expressed his deep affection, saying, “Since so many people liked and supported the film, making a sequel was my wish,” and added, “It took six years. I’m both excited and deeply moved,” he said, expressing his deep affection for the project.
The original cast members—Park Sung-woong, Lee Sang-yoon, and Bae Jeong-nam—already expressed their anticipation for a third installment. They mentioned settings like submarines and trains, and even drew laughter by expressing their hope to “shoot overseas next time.”
At the end of the production briefing, the cast of “Okay Madam 2” made several promises tied to reaching 5 million viewers: taking on the challenge of performing Um Jung-hwa’s hit song “Festival,” treating 100 audience members to soju-beer (so-maek) made according to Park Sung-woong’s recipe, and attempting a synchronized dance routine.
“Okay Madam 2” opens in theaters nationwide on the 12th of next month.