While Netflix's South Korean-produced television originals get the bulk of the industry attention in the United States, Disney+ has been quietly building an impressive slate of South Korean originals which have done very well in the Asian Pacific markets.
To be fair to American audiences, Disney doesn't always make it easy for viewers to find their South Korean originals.
In the U.S., the shows have been split between Disney+ and Hulu, depending on the type of show and the adult nature of the action. And many of the shows premiere in the U.S. with English-language subtitles but no English-language audio dub, which further limits the possible audience.
But many of the Disney+ originals have been top-notch, which is why it's good news to learn the service has just announced an expanded line-up of South Korean originals, including a season 3 renewal of reality show The Zone: Survival Mission.
Newly announced scripted originals include the action series The Tyrant, the action-thriller Blood Free, the mystery series Unmasked, and the crime drama Gangnam B-Side. These join the previously announced scripted originals Light Shop, created by webtoon creator turned screenwriter Kang Full, and the period drama Uncle Samsik.
Here are the loglines for all of the currently announced Disney+ South Korean-produced originals:
Blood Free
Starring Ju Jihoon (Kingdom) and Han Hyojoo (Moving), Blood Free follows a former bodyguard haunted by the failures of his past. After diving down a rabbit hole of tangled 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.
Gangnam B-Side
This crime drama follows a pariah detective pulled back into the game 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 will delve back into a world of vice, drugs and corruption to uncover something that threatens to topple some of the city’s wealthiest elite.
Light Shop
An adaptation of the hit webtoon of the same name, Light Shop follows a group of strangers, each struggling to come to terms with a traumatic event in their past. Going about their daily lives, each individual is mysteriously drawn to a light shop that sits at the end of a seedy alleyway. Guarded by a vigilant shopkeeper, the light shop could hold the key to the strangers’ pasts, presents and futures. It stars Ju Jihoon (Kingdom), Lee Jungeun (Parasite), Park Boyung (Oh My Ghost), and Bae Seongwoo (Veteran).
The show is from Kang Full, whose previous Disney+ series Moving was one of the streamer's most-watched Korean originals. Light Shop is set within the same storytelling universe as Moving, making the titles the start of a new Korean franchise for Disney.
The Tyrant
The Tyrant follows a U.S. government agent as he tries to recover a deadly new virus stolen from the South Korean government. With everything at stake, this action-packed series sees global intelligence agencies battle against nefarious parties to prevent the virus spreading across the world.
The Zone: Survival Mission – Season 3
The popular Disney+ Korean variety has been renewed for its third season with Kwon Yuri and Yoo Jaesuk returning alongside new hosts – former UFC fighter Kim Donghyun and popular YouTuber Dex. Together, the foursome will get up to more hijinks than ever before as they try to survive an increasingly complex range of challenges.
Uncle Samsik
Starring Parasite star Song Kangho, and Byun Yohan (Mr. Sunshine), Uncle Samsik is a societal drama set in 1960s Korea that follows an idealistic politician, and a mysterious political fixer called Uncle Samsik who operates in the shadows. Together the pair form an uneasy partnership with the goal of transforming a struggling post-war Korea into a prosperous country where everyone can afford three meals a day.
Unmasked
Set in modern-day Seoul, Unmasked follows a crack 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 – solve a twenty-year-old cold case involving a famous actor who disappeared without a trace. Unmasked stars Kim Hyesoo (Under The Queen’s Umbrella).