Disney+ Reveals Exciting Upcoming Korean Originals for 2024
Disney+ is making waves in Asia with its strategic focus on Korean content. Building on the success of last year’s Korean hits like “Moving” and “Big Bet,” the streaming giant has announced an impressive lineup of seven new titles set to premiere in 2024. These additions complement previously-announced shows, including “Light Shop” (from the creator of “Moving,” Kangfull) and “Uncle Samsik” (starring the acclaimed “Parasite” actor, Song Kang-ho).
The orders come after Disney last year scaled back its commissioning in Southeast Asia, with numerous content and original 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.”
Disney+ Reveals Exciting Upcoming Korean Originals for 2024
Blood Free
Stars: Ju Jihoon (“Kingdom”) and Han Hyo-Joo (“Moving”)
Plot: A former bodyguard haunted by past failures is drawn into a high-stakes mission. His task? Protect the controversial CEO of a lab-grown meat company—a survivor of a life-altering attack.
Also Read: The Best K-Dramas on Netflix Right Now in 2024
Unmasked
Stars: Kim Hye-soo
Setting: Modern-day Seoul
Synopsis: A team of investigative journalists faces a career-defining challenge after airing a controversial story. Their mission: solve a 20-year-old cold case involving a vanished actor.
The Tyrant
Plot: A U.S. government agent races against time to recover a deadly virus stolen from the South Korean government. Global intelligence agencies collide in this high-octane action series.
Gangnam B-Side
Premise: A pariah detective returns to the fold when his daughter’s friend goes missing. As he delves into the seedy underbelly of Seoul’s Gangnam area, he uncovers secrets that threaten the city’s elite.
Disney+ Reveals Exciting Upcoming Korean Originals for 2024.
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 Kang-ho, 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 to transform a struggling post-war Korea into a prosperous country where everyone can afford three meals a day. Disney+ Reveals Exciting Upcoming Korean Originals for 2024.
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.
Starring Ju Jihoon (Kingdom), Lee Jungeun (Parasite), Park Boyung (Oh My Ghost), and Bae Seongwoo (Veteran), this is the latest series from Kang Full, the creator behind 2023’s breakout hit series Moving, Disney’s most-watched Korean original to date. Light Shop exists within the same storytelling universe as Moving, making the titles the start of a new Korean franchise for Disney. Disney+ Reveals Exciting Upcoming Korean Originals for 2024.
Renewals and More
Variety Show: “The Zone: Survival Mission” gets a third season, featuring Kwon Yuri, Yoo Jaesuk, former UFC fighter Kim Donghyun, and popular YouTuber Dex.
Previously Announced Titles: Keep an eye out for “Light Shop” (adapted from a hit webtoon) and “Uncle Samsik.”
Also Read: Netflix’s Exciting 2024 Lineup: ‘Squid Game’ Returns and Cameron Diaz Makes a Comeback
Disney+ is cementing its position as a hub for captivating Korean storytelling. Disney+ Reveals Exciting Upcoming Korean Originals for 2024. From espionage thrillers to crime dramas, these upcoming shows promise entertainment that transcends borders. Stay tuned for their premieres! 🎬🌟
