(From left) Kim Soo-hyun, Kim Hye-soo and Park Eun-bin are among the Korean stars at the Singapore showcase. Photos: Handout
Disney+ Hotstar is ramping up its expansion in the Asian streaming market with a strategic focus on Korean original content.
At the recent 2024 Disney APAC Content Showcase in Singapore, the streaming giant announced it will be bringing multiple Korean titles to its platform next year.
Among them are The Murky Stream, The Manipulated, Tempest and Made In Korea.
Executive vice president of Disney APAC Original Content Strategy Carol Choi highlighted that stories produced in Asia Pacific have become “a staple in general entertainment consumption”.
A second season of 'Moving' is currently in development.
“They are world-class productions, with growing global resonance and deep passionate fandoms worldwide,” she said.
Since launching in Asia in 2021, the streamer has rolled out over 130 originals from the region, several of which have achieved critical acclaim and commercial success.
A standout example is Moving, the most-watched Korean original series on the platform in 2023. Building on the success of Moving, a second season is currently in the works.
Lighting up the screens
The Singapore showcase saw many top South Korean celebrities taking the stage to discuss their projects for the upcoming year.
Moving creator Kang Full opened up about his latest drama Light Shop, which premiered on Dec 4, admitting that it’s both exciting and pressuring.
(From left) Kangfull, Ju Ji-hoon, Park Bo-young and director Kim Hie-won at the 'Light Shop' press conference in Singapore.
“I definitely feel the weight of expectations. Moving was a genre piece with a relatively low barrier to entry, but Light Shop dives deep into horror,” the 49-year-old said.
Kang added that Light Shop allowed him to explore themes he couldn’t fully develop in the eponymous webtoon he created 13 years ago.
The story follows a group of strangers, each carrying their own traumatic past, whose lives intersect when they are drawn to a mysterious light shop at the end of an alleyway.
Ju Ji-hoon takes on the lead role in Disney+ Hotstar's latest K-drama 'Light Shop'.
It also marks the directorial debut of actor Kim Hee-won, who previously starred in Moving.
Lead actor Ju Ji-hoon shared his joy of working with the production team and praised Kim for his exceptional direction of the series, which also stars Kim Seol-hyun and Park Bo-young.
“He has high standards and was meticulous throughout the production process,” the 42-year-old said.
At the deep end
Another Moving star set to take the lead in yet another Disney+ Hotstar project is Ryu Seung-ryong, who will be starring in the crime series Low Life.
Set in the 1970s, the upcoming title will see Ryu playing an uncle who’s willing to take on any job with his nephew to make ends meet.
During the showcase, the 53-year-old revealed that he got the role after sliding into director Kang Yun-sung’s Facebook DMs.
Ryu Seung-ryong (right) plays Yang Se-jong's on-screen uncle in 'Low Life'.
“Around the time I was filming Moving, I watched Kang Yun-sung’s Big Bet (2022 to 2023) and was instantly impressed.
“Since I didn’t have his contact, I sent him a message on Facebook and he asked if I wanted to join Low Life, to which I quickly agreed,” he added.
Meanwhile, actor Yang Se-jong shared that he did extensive research on 1970s culture to fully prepare for his role as Ryu’s on-screen nephew.
“I watched many YouTube videos on the drinking culture, fashion and hairstyles of the 1970s,” the 31-year-old said.
From hopeless romantic to lawbreaker
One of the biggest stars to take the stage was actor Kim Soo-hyun, fresh off the hit K-drama Queen Of Tears (2024).
Known for his melodramatic and romantic roles, Kim is set to take on a whole different character as he plays a counterfeit goods kingpin in the upcoming comedy Knock-Off.
The 36-year-old will star opposite actress Cho Bo-ah, who portrays his police officer ex-girlfriend.
Kim Soo-hyun stars opposite Cho Bo-ah for the first time in 'Knock-Off'.
“The series is filled with many interesting characters, all with their distinct personalities. I played a kind and warm-hearted person in Queen Of Tears, but in this drama, my character is cold and realistic, only focused on surviving,” he said.
Cho also spilled some details about Kim on set, noting that he was friendly and skilled at creating an immersive atmosphere that helped her get into character.
“This is my first time working with him, but his gaze, tone of voice, and the atmosphere he creates make it impossible not to get fully immersed in the moment. Everything flowed comfortably thanks to him,” the 33-year-old said.
An extraordinarily thrilling journey
Following the success of Extraordinary Attorney Woo (2022), actress Park Eun-bin is ready to swap her legal expertise for medical skills as she plays a medical school prodigy in the 2025 drama Hyper Knife.
The plot revolves around a med school genius who starts working as a shadow doctor in an underground surgery clinic after getting banned from the operating room by her ex-mentor.
Park Eun-bin stars as a medical school prodigy in 'Hyper Knife'.
On her first Disney+ Hotstar project, Park, 32, joked: “I’m happy to meet a Disney character I love.”
She added that the peculiar mentor- mentee dynamic portrayed is one of the highlights of the show, saying: “They’re bound by a shared history yet hold deep hatred for each other. The tension allows them to recognise their similarities, making their bond all the more compelling.”
Meanwhile, award-winning actor Sul Kyung-gu said he took time adjusting to his character as it was his first time playing a neurosurgeon.
Sul Kyung-gu sought the guidance of a neurosurgery professor in preparation for his role as a neurosurgeon.
To give a convincing portrayal, Sul sought the guidance of a neurosurgery professor, who taught him how to properly handle surgical instruments.
“Whenever we filmed the surgery scenes, he’d be there to monitor my performance and give feedback. My hands are huge! It’s difficult to handle the tweezers,” the 57-year-old laughed.
Cracking the case
If you’re a fan of investigative dramas, you don’t want to miss out on Unmasked and Nine Puzzles.
Led by popular actress Kim Hye-soo, Unmasked follows an elite team of investigative journalists, determined to solve a 20-year-old cold case involving a top actor.
During the showcase, Hye-soo, who portrays the passionate team leader Oh So-ryeong, revealed that she tore her right thigh muscle while filming in the cold.
“I thought we could continue filming my face since I only injured my leg, but that wasn’t possible. We had to redo everything,” the 54-year-old said.
Actress Kim Hye-soo tore her right thigh muscle while filming a running scene in 'Unmasked'.
Hye-soo’s co-star Jung Sung-il also shared an unforgettable memory from set, and it involves a rat.
“A rat fell on my head during filming. I thought it had fallen off, but then the director told me it’s still there,” he said.
The 44-year-old jokingly added: “It was so funny and we actually kept it in the drama, so yeah, you can catch Remy (from the 2007 movie Ratatouille) in Unmasked.”
Meanwhile, actors Son Suk-ku and Kim Da-mi are set to solve a string of grisly murders in the upcoming series Nine Puzzles, playing a detective and criminal profiler respectively.
(From left) Actors Kim Da-mi and Son Suk-ku with director Yoon Jong-bin at the press conference for 'Nine Puzzles' in Singapore.
Both stars revealed that they had gained weight while filming, thanks to the catering prepared by the production team.
“Whenever I’m filming, I make an effort to maintain the same weight throughout the production, but I gained weight this time around as I couldn’t resist the good food at catering.
“I managed to lose weight after going for healthier snacks like walnuts,” said Son, 41.
Director Yoon Jong-bin then chimed in, saying he actually removed the catering, drawing laughter from the crowd.
“I also told the production to stop preparing so much sugary food as I could see the actors gaining weight,” he quipped.
