Disney+ has unveiled a slate of Korean originals, as the streaming platform opts for a more targeted strategy in Asia.
Bolstered by successful Korean tentpoles last year like Moving and Big Bet, the streamer has ordered seven new titles to premiere in 2024, in addition to previously-announced shows including Light Shop, from Moving creator Kangfull, and Uncle Samsik, starring Parasite actor Song Kang-ho.
One of the biggest titles in the Disney+ announcement is Blood Free, which stars Ju Jihoon (Kingdom) and Han Hyojoo (Moving). It follows a former bodyguard haunted by the failures of his past. After following several leads, he finds himself recruited to protect the CEO of a controversial lab-grown meat company, who is also a survivor of the fateful attack that changed his life.
Unmasked stars Kim Hyesoo and is set in modern-day Seoul. The series follows a team of investigative journalists who are fighting for their careers after broadcasting a controversial story. With time running out, the team are given an impossible task if they want to save their jobs – solving a 20-year-old cold case involving a famous actor who disappeared without a trace.
The Tyrant follows a U.S. government agent as he tries to recover a deadly new virus stolen from the South Korean government. The action series will see global intelligence agencies battle against nefarious parties to prevent the virus spreading across the world.
Crime drama Gangnam B-Side follows a pariah detective who returns to the fold after his daughter’s friend goes missing. The latest in a long line of women to go missing in the Gangnam area of Seoul, the detective delves back into a world of vice, drugs and corruption to uncover something that threatens to topple some of the city’s wealthiest elite.
Disney+ has also renewed variety show The Zone: Survival Mission for a third season, with Kwon Yuri and Yoo Jaesuk returning alongside new hosts — former UFC fighter Kim Donghyun and popular YouTuber Dex. Together, the group will face increasingly complex challenges.
Other 2024 titles that were previously announced by the streamer include Light Shop, which is an adaptation of the hit webtoon of the same name. It will star Ju Jihoon (Kingdom), Lee Jungeun (Parasite), Park Boyung (Oh My Ghost), and Bae Seongwoo (Veteran) and follows a group of strangers, each struggling to come to terms with a traumatic event in their past.
Another tentpole title is Uncle Samsik, which stars Song Kang-ho, and Byun Yohan. The drama, set in 1960s Korea, follows an idealistic politician and a mysterious political fixer named Uncle Samsik who operates in the shadows. They form an uneasy partnership with the goal of transforming a struggling post-war Korea into a prosperous country.
The orders come after Disney last year scaled back its commissioning in Southeast Asia, with numerous content and originals staff exiting its regional basis as part of the global staff cuts Bob Iger set out. However, similar to Prime Video, engagement in Korea has been such that development and production will continue there, and likely increase. In Disney’s case, it is also expected to continue to order content out of Japan as well.
“The new Korean originals announced today really builds on the positive momentum and success of our APAC content slate last year,” said Carol Choi, Executive Vice President of Disney’s original content strategy for the APAC region. “We will continue to scale our creative ambition with a curated collection of APAC originals, centered on quality storytelling and top talent, in collaboration with the region’s most exciting storytellers.”
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