Pachinkoreturns for a much-anticipated Season 2, and it’s ready to bring viewers on another emotional rollercoaster through history. Based onMin Jin Lee’s bestselling novel, this Apple TV+ favorite tells the sweeping story of love, survival, and resilienceacross four generations of a Korean family living in Japan. Through the eyes of Kim Sunja (Kim Min-ha), the series follows her journey from the early days of the Japanese annexation of Korea in 1915 to her life as a grandmother in 1989 Japan.
Season 2 ofPachinkopicks up where we left off, with Sunjamaking tough choices for her family’s survivalin war-torn Osaka in 1945, while her grandson Solomon (Jin Ha) embarks on a new chapter in 1989 Tokyo after losing his corporate job. With 11 international awards already in its pocket - including a Critics Choice Award and a Peabody Award -Pachinkocontinues to impress with its deeply moving story.
Prepare to dive back into the epic saga. Without further ado, here’s everything we know so far about Season 2 ofPachinko.
‘Pachinko’ Season 2 Review: One of TV’s Best Shows Triumphantly Returns
As Season 2 expands outward and again rearranges the story’s structure, it finds even greater resonance.
When Is ‘Pachinko’ Season 2 Coming Out?
Season 2 ofPachinkopremieres globally on Friday, August 23, with one episode,followed by one episode weekly every Fridaythrough October 11. Season 2 has a total of eight episodes.
Is There A Trailer for ‘Pachinko’ Season 2?
Set to a haunting cover ofColdplay’s “Viva La Vida” byRoséof Blackpink, the trailer forPachinkoSeason 2 opens in 1945 Osaka - a city devastated by World War II and the looming defeat of Japan. With much of Osaka destroyed by American bombings, matriarch Kim Sunja(Min-ha) has fled to the vast countryside with her family, seeking temporary refuge from the horrors of war. In this distant place, she reunites with Koh Hansu (Lee Min-ho), the man she fell in love with fourteen years ago in her hometown of Yeongdo, Busan, Korea. While Sunja has sworn to never love her old flame again, it seems like the two are constantly pulled into each other.
Meanwhile, in 1989 Tokyo, Sunja’s grandson, Solomon (Ha), struggles with his career. After the failed deal in Season 1 - largely due to his own actions - the former Shiffley’s businessman is desperately seeking employment. And with only three months worth of savings in his bank account, Solomon would do anything to find a job, even shamelessly going back to his superior. Despite his uncertain future, the now-elderly Sunja (Youn Yuh-jung) encourages him to never forget who he is. As his former colleague stands by his side, there’s a hint that sparks may ignite between the two former rivals.
Who Are the Cast in ‘Pachinko’ Season 2?
Yuh-jung stars as the elderly Kim Sunja in 1989. Meanwhile, Min-haplays the young adult Sunja in 1945. In Season 1, Sunja is introduced as the daughter of a boarding house owner in Yeongdo, Busan. Living in a Korea annexed by Japan, Sunja has been both a witness and recipient of the discrimination caused simply because of her ethnicity. When a personal tragedy strikes Sunja, she leaves Yeongdo to salvage what’s left of her and her mother’s honor and begins a new life in Osaka with her husband. However, life in the much more modern Japanese city is far from easy, especially for a native Korean like Sunja.
Ha plays Solomon Baek, the grandson of Sunja and the son of Baek Mozasu. Unlike his grandmother, Solomon enjoyed a life of wealth and privilege thanks to his father’s successful pachinko business. Educated at international schools and Yale University, Solomon was on the verge of being promoted to Vice President when the deal he promised to close went sideways. With no job prospects lined up for him anymore, Solomon looks into other alternative career paths that his father might not be happy with.
Min-ho stars as Koh Hansu, the Zainichi Korean fish broker from Osaka who Sunja fell in love with as a young woman. Despite their passionate romance, sadly Hansu isn’t able to fulfill Sunja’s wishes for a marriage. Smart, forward-thinking, and good with numbers, Hansu originally came from humble beginnings as the son of a bookkeeper. But whena massive earthquake strikes his home in Yokohama, Hansu decides that the only way to survive is to claw his way up to success by any means necessary.
Other cast members returning toPachinkoSeason 2 areJung Eun-chaeas Kyunghee, Sunja’s beloved sister-in-law,Soji Araias Baek Mozasu, Sunja’s second son and Solomon’s father,Anna Sawaas Naomi,Solomon’s Harvard-educated co-worker, andJimmi Simpsonas Tom Andrews. Newly joining the cast this season isKim Sung-kyuas Kim Chang-Ho. Based on the book, Chang-Ho is a close confidante of Hansu who helps Sunja and her family escape Osaka during the peak of the war.
What Is ‘Pachinko’ Season 2 About?
Check out the official Apple TV+ synopsis forPachinkoSeason 2:
“Based on The New York Times bestselling novel of the same name, Pachinko is a sweeping and deeply moving story of love and survival across four generations, told through the eyes of a remarkable matriarch, Sunja. In season two, the parallel stories pick up in Osaka in 1945, where Sunja is forced to make dangerous decisions for her family’s survival during World War II, and in Tokyo in 1989, which finds Solomon exploring new, humble beginnings.“
Based on the synopsis and trailer alone,PachinkoSeason 2 primarily follows the Book 2 storyline from Lee’s novel. As Japan faces impending collapse due to World War II, civilians flee the cities in search of safety. With Osaka on the verge of destruction, Sunja encounters Hansu for the first time in fourteen years since their time in Yeongo, Korea. Despite her lingering resentment toward him, Sunja reluctantly agrees to follow Hansu’s order and move her family to the countryside. With the help of Hansu’s trusted associate, Chango-ho, they find refuge in a farmhouse owned by one of Hansu’s acquaintances.
Another possible subplot is the growing attraction between Kyunghee and Chang-ho. When tragedy strikes Kyunghee’s husband, Baek Yoseb, Chang-ho steps in to help with the farmhouse duties alongside Kyunghee. Although she insists their relationship is sibling-like, it becomes clear that Chang-ho has deeper feelings for her. Meanwhile, Solomon’s plot, which is based on Book 3 of the novel, may explore new ways to support himself financially after losing his lofty corporate job. One potential path could be joining his father’s pachinko business, despite Mozasu’s opposition. Determined to forge his own path, Solomon finds a way to become involved in the family enterprise.
What Happened in ‘Pachinko’ Season 1?
Pachinkotakes place across two timelines, one set in 1915-1930s Yeongdo, Korea, and the other in 1989 Tokyo and Osaka, Japan. The story begins with Sunnja’s challenging birth, as her mother, Yangjin, faces difficulty conceiving. Despite societal pressures favoring male children, Sunja’s father, Hoonie, adores and encourages her independence. After Hoonie’s death, Yangjin and Sunja run Hoonie’s boarding house together.
In the 1930s, a grown-up Sunja meets Koh Hansu and they begin a secret romance. Sunja becomes pregnant, but Hansure reveals he is already married. Heartbroken, Sunja rejects his financial help. Soon after, she meets Protestant minister Baek Isak, who, knowing his days are numbered due to illness, proposes marriage to protect Sunja’s honor. The two move to Osaka, where Sunja gives birth to her first son, Baek Noa. Life becomes even harder when Isak is arrested by Japanese authorities, leaving Sunja to support her family by selling kimchi.
In the 1989 timeline, Sunja’s grandson, Solomon Baek, is a businessman in New York struggling to get the promotion he deserves. He returns to Japan to close a major deal but ultimately chooses empathy over success, advising a Korean elderly woman not to sell her land, which costs him his job. Solomon reunites with his estranged childhood sweetheart, Hana, who is dying from AIDS. Despite Solomon’s efforts to help, Hana passes away, leaving him with painful lessons about identity and belonging.
Who Is Making ‘Pachinko’?
Pachinkois brought to live for Apple TV+ by the studio Media Res. Executive producerSoo Hughalso serves as the show’s creator and writer. Joining the executive producer board are Media Res’Michael EllenbergandLindsey Springer, as well asTheresa Kangfor Blue Marble Pictures. DirectorsLeanne Welham,Arvin Chen, andSang-il Leejoin the team for Season 2.
