2PM’s Hwang Chan-sung has been cast as the lead in “Saigon Oppa,” a Korea-Vietnam co-production directed by Park Gyu-tae (“6/45”). He plays Min-ho, a K-pop star whose life becomes entangled with a Vietnamese dentist searching for his missing wife in Seoul. His co-stars are two well-known Vietnamese performers, Kieu Minh Tuan and Le Duong Bao Lam. The film is backed by Korea’s Film Line, Vietnam’s BHD, and WebTV Asia, and was selected for the Korean Film Council’s 2026 international co-production support program. Domestic filming is underway now, with production moving to Vietnam afterward; release is targeted for 2027.
A K-Pop Idol Playing a K-Pop Idol
2PM member and actor Hwang Chan-sung has been cast as the lead in “Saigon Oppa,” a new Korea-Vietnam co-production, continuing his run of acting roles with his biggest international project to date. His agency, El July Entertainment, confirmed on October 23 that Hwang will play Min-ho, a K-pop star, in director Park Gyu-tae’s follow-up to his 2022 hit “6/45.”
“Saigon Oppa” is a human comedy road movie about two Vietnamese husbands who travel to Seoul in search of their wives, both of whom left Vietnam hoping to meet their favorite K-pop star in person. Set against the culture and language gaps the two men run into along the way, the film works in themes of family, romance, and rediscovering forgotten dreams underneath the comedy.
The Role: A Star With Something to Hide
Min-ho, Hwang’s character, is introduced as exactly the kind of idol who draws screaming crowds and flashing cameras, the glamorous surface K-pop is known for worldwide. The story’s central tension kicks in when he gets unexpectedly tangled up with Thien Minh, a Vietnamese dentist who has flown to Korea to track down his missing wife. Beneath the stage presence, Min-ho is written as someone quietly wrestling with the choices that got him there, a performer whose polished public image doesn’t match what’s going on underneath it.
Hwang, who has spent years performing for fans around the world as part of 2PM, is bringing that same stage instinct into the role alongside the expressive range he’s built up as an actor over a string of television and film credits. One detail that stands out in early reporting on the project: Thien Minh plays guitar, and Min-ho sings, and the film is reportedly using that musical connection between the two characters as a way to bridge their very different worlds, despite the language barrier between them. It’s also a built-in excuse to put Hwang’s actual music background to direct use on screen rather than keeping his character’s “star” status purely in the background.
Vietnamese stars join Chansung
Kiều Minh Tuấn joins the project with a filmography that includes “Em Chưa 18” (2017), which broke Vietnam’s domestic-film box-office record at the time of its release. He has also appeared in Vietnamese adaptations of “Intimate Strangers” and “Luck-Key.”
Actor and comedian Lê Dương Bảo Lâm plays Bảo. He rose to prominence after winning the comedy competition “Cười Xuyên Việt” in 2015 and became familiar to television audiences through “2 Ngày 1 Đêm,” Vietnam’s version of “2 Days & 1 Night.”
Kiều Minh Tuấn and Lê Dương Bảo Lâm have already worked together on the reality show, giving the film an established comic pairing alongside Chansung.
For Chansung, the role offers an opportunity to draw on both his acting career and years of performing with 2PM, particularly in scenes that move between Min-ho’s public persona and private concerns.
Filming planned in Korea and Vietnam
“Saigon Oppa” is a joint production involving South Korea’s Film Line, Vietnam’s BHD and WebTVAsia. It was selected for the Korean Film Council’s 2026 international co-production support program.
Set against Seoul and Ho Chi Minh City, the project combines K-pop, travel and family comedy. Production is scheduled to move to Vietnam after the Korean shoot, with a theatrical release targeted for 2027.