Netflix today announced a new slate of best-in-class Korean shows - from reality to crime and sci-fi to romance, dramas and more.
“From K-pop and K-food, to K-zombie and K-content, we’ve seen how much people in different parts of the world love Korean cultures and stories. So we’re excited to announce these new best in class Korean stories for our members,” said Minyoung Kim, Vice President of Korean Content at Netflix. “It’s amazing to see how these Korea films and TV resonate with audiences around the world - from Korea to South-East Asia and the Americas. By making it easy for people to watch films and shows from other countries, we can help them build empathy and develop a shared understanding of the world”.
In 2019, ‘Crash Landing on You,’ a romance story about a couple from the two Koreas showed the popularity of K-content making the top 10 list in the Philippines, Singapore, Taiwan, and Thailand.
This year we’ll have even more best in class K-stories with ‘Kingdom’, which returned with its second season on March 13th. The K-zombie series has again become one of the Top 10 titles in almost every Asian country, and millions of people globally have already chosen to watch its second season - including many people who’ve never tried a show like this before. And that is just the beginning:
Rugal
Kang Gi-beom, once a promising police detective in the violent crimes unit, is suspected of murdering his own wife. His eyes are slashed with a razor after he witnesses her murder at the hands of the terrorist group ARGOS. Just when he thinks he has lost everything, he is approached by Choi Geun-cheol, the chief executive director of Rugal, a special organization dedicated to the sole purpose of eradicating ARGOS. Choi requests that Gi-beom receives an artificial eye transplant and joins Rugal. After miraculously surviving the risky transplant operation, Gi-beom is born again as a human weapon. He begins to take revenge on ARGOS for everything they have done to him.
PREMIERE DATE:
● Korea/APAC/All English Speaking Countries/Latin America - 03/28/2020
● Japan/Rest of the World - 05/24/2020
MAIN CAST: Choi Jin-hyuk, Park Sung-woong
Time to Hunt
In a hopeless dystopian city, Jun-seok is released from prison and plans his next step in life in order to start anew with his friends Jang-ho, Ki-hoon and Sang-soo. But their excitement for the plan is short-lived as an unknown man chases after them. Can these best friends get away from the hunt?
Time to Hunt was invited to the 70th Berlin International Film Festival for a special gala screening. It is one of the most anticipated Korean films of 2020, and marks the return to the screen of Yoon Sung-hyun, winner for Best New Director at the 32nd Blue Dragon Awards for Bleak Night. The film also brings together some of the hottest actors of the Korean film industry, including Lee Je-hoon (Architecture 101, Signal), Ahn Jae-hong (Be Melodramatic, Reply 1988), Choi Woo-shik (Okja, Parasite), Park Jeong-min (Svaha: The Sixth Finger, Dongju: The Portrait of a Poet) and Park Hae-soo (Prison Playbook, Persona).
PREMIERE DATE: 04/10/2020
MAIN CAST: Lee Je-hoon, Ahn Jae-hong, Choi Woo-shik, Park Jeong-min, Park Hae-soo
Extracurricular
Extracurricular is a story of high school students who have chosen a life of crime - and extreme risk - to earn money. Oh Jisoo ends up committing a serious crime because of his desire to apy for his college tuition on his own, whatever the means. Seo Minhee gets caught up in Jisoo’s crime, while Jisoo’s schoolmate Bae Gyuri also becomes involved in the same crime. Their bad choices come with irreversible consequences. There is no turning back. A life of crime and violence awaits them.
PREMIERE DATE: 04/29/2020
MAIN CAST: Kim Dong-hee, Jung Da-bin, Park Joo-hyun
The King: Eternal Monarch
The King: Eternal Monarch is a romantic fantasy drama that takes the genre to a whole new level. The series revolves around the relationships of people from two parallel universes. King Lee Gon seeks to seal the gateway between dimensions, while Jung Tae-eul, a police inspector, simply wants to protect other’s lives and their loves. The King: Eternal Monarch is written by Kim Eun-suk (Guardian: The Lonely and Great God, Mr. Sunshine, Descendants of the Sun), and directed by Baek Sang-hoon (Secret, Who Are You: School 2015 and Descendants of the Sun) and Jeong Jee-hyun (Search: WWW).
PREMIERE DATE: April/2020
MAIN CAST: Lee Min-ho, Kim Go-eun, Woo Do-hwan, Kim Kyung-nam, Jung Eun-chae
It's Okay to Not Be Okay
It's Okay to Not Be Okay is about an unusual romance between two people who end up healing each other’s emotional and psychological wounds. Moon Gang-tae, played by Kim Soo-hyun (My Love from the Star, The Moon Embracing the Sun), is a caretaker working at a psychiatric ward who does not even bother to believe in love. He seems to be carrying all the weight and pain in life, and devotes himself only to looking after his disabled older brother. Go Moon-young, played by Seo Ye-ji (Save Me, Lawless Lawyer), is a children’s book writer who is clueless about love. She is popular among all age groups, yet very antisocial and indifferent to others.
PREMIERE DATE: June/2020
MAIN CAST: Kim Soo-hyun, Seo Ye-ji
-- What’s In Production --
Twogether
Two top celebrities from Seoul and Taipei go on a trip to several cities in Asia to meet their fans and become friends.
PREMIERE DATE: To be announced later / In Production
MAIN CAST: Lee Seung-gi, Jasper Liu
The School Nurse Files
A newly appointed high school nurse discovers secrets and mysteries with her supernatural abilities for chasing ghosts.
PREMIERE DATE: To be announced later / In Production
MAIN CAST: Jung Yu-mi, Nam Joo-hyuk
Sweet Home
Hyun-soo, a reclusive high school student, moves into an old apartment complex called Green Home after the tragic death of his entire family. Feeling unable to make a living on his own, he realizes the residents at Green Home residents, including himself, are trapped and surrounded by monsters in various forms of distorted human desires, which are about to sweep away mankind.
PREMIERE DATE: To be announced later / In Production
MAIN CAST: Song Kang, Lee Jin-wook, Lee Si-young
-- What’s Streaming Now --
(*NOTE: In some countries, the titles mentioned below are coming soon)
Itaewon Class
Park Saeroyi bends to no one. He is determined to live his life, getting everything he set his eyes on. Jo Yi-seo is a sociopath with an IQ of 162. Her goal in life is already crystal clear until she meets her complete opposite Saeroyi. A group of youths, held together by their mutual stubbornness and bravado, start a “cool” revolt against an irrational world. Their story unfolds in Itaewon, a small neighborhood centered around a single street that seems to be a compact version of the entire world.
PREMIERE DATE:
● Korea/APAC/All English Speaking Countries/Latin America - Now Streaming
● Japan/Rest of the World - 03/28/2020
MAIN CAST: Park Seo-jun, Kim Da-mi
Hyena
Jung Geum-ja is like a weed. A twisted thing in this garden of lawyers. She will use every last sexy trick in the book to make money, no matter how evil the means can be. Yoon Hee-jae was born into the elites. He's a world-class lawyer with an ego to match. He is an orchid in full bloom. These two could not be more different, but they transform into hyenas at the service of their upper-class clients.
PREMIERE DATE:
● Korea/APAC/Japan/All English Speaking Countries/Latin America - Now Streaming
● Rest of the World - 04/18/2020
MAIN CAST: Kim Hye-soo, Ju Ji-hoon
Hi Bye, Mama!
Cha Yu-ri has been a ghost since she died 5 years ago. She left behind her husband Cho Gang-hwa and their child. To become a human again, Cha Yu-ri carries out a reincarnation project for 49 days. Cho Gang-hwa works as a chest surgeon. He got remarried after his wife passed away. Now his ex-wife Cha Yu-ri reappears in front of him, and he’s shocked and clueless.
PREMIERE DATE:
● Korea/APAC/All English Speaking Countries/Latin America - Now Streaming
● Rest of the World - 04/19/2020
MAIN CAST: Kim Tae-hee, Lee Kyu-hyung
Hospital Playlist
Hospital Playlist explores the chemistry between five friends who have stayed close to each other since they attended medical school together 20 years ago. They can practically read each other's mind just by looking into their eyes. The day-to-day lives of the people living, dying and just passing through the hospital where they all work is a microcosm of the world beyond. Song-hwa is the de-facto spiritual leader of the quintet. Seok-hyeong is a reclusive loner while Ik-jun is a self-described 'inside operator' who has excelled academically as well as socially. Jun-wan is an outstanding surgeon but is a miserable person. Jeong-won is always polite and caring at work, but in private he is a rather edgy character.
PREMIERE DATE:
● Korea/APAC/All English Speaking Countries/Latin America - Now Streaming
● Japan/Rest of the World - 06/04/2020
MAIN CAST: Cho Jung-seok, Yoo Yeon-seok, Jung Kyung-ho, Kim Dae-Myeung, Jeon Mi-do
