Disney+ today announced that it has begun production on The Koreans – an upcoming reimagining of the critically acclaimed FX series The Americans created by Joe Weisberg, showrun by Joel Fields and Weisberg, and starring Keri Russell and Matthew Rhys.

Set during the wave of democratization and cultural modernization that swept across South Korea in the early 1990s, The Koreans will follow a middle-class family hiding a treasonous secret. While seemingly ordinary citizens in the eyes of their friends, neighbors, and even their children, both parents are actually elite North Korean spies working to bring down the South from within. Highlighting the stark difference between these two formerly united countries, the series will follow the spies as they wrestle with conflicting feelings of patriotism, loyalty, identity and love, while a ruthless Korean counterintelligence agent draws ever closer to discovering their identities.

Starring Lee Byunghun (Squid Game, No Other Choice), and Han Jimin (Heavenly Ever After, Love Scout), The Koreans is directed by Ahn Gilho (The Glory, Stranger) and is produced by IMAGINUS (Tempest, Typhoon Family, Can This Love be Translated?) and Studio AA (Tempest).

Adapted by Park Eunkyo (Made In Korea, Mother) from FX’s The Americans, the original series went on to win the Golden Globe for Best Television Series – Drama in 2019 and was named AFI TV Program of the Year for five consecutive seasons from 2014-2018.

Thrilling, suspenseful and smuggling in a wealth of adrenaline-fueled action sequences, The Koreans is the latest series to be announced as part of the slate of upcoming Korean content coming to Disney+. Fans of high-octane thrillers can sign up to Disney+ today to enjoy immediate access to Made In Korea, about a KCIA agent with an illicit secret; Tempest, about a diplomat and a special agent racing to uncover the truth behind an attack that threatens the stability of the Korean peninsula; and The Tyrant, about rival governments fighting to recover a dangerous weapon. 

Disney+ fans can also look forward to the return of other popular Original series including: A Shop For Killers Season 2 and Made In Korea Season 2, as well as newly announced titles Perfect Crown starring IU and Byeon Wooseok, Portraits of Delusion (working title) starring Suzy and Kim Seonho, and The Remarried Empress starring Shin Mina, Ju Jihoon, Lee Jongsuk, and Lee Seyoung.

Set to release exclusively on Disney+, stay tuned for more information about The Koreans coming soon.

Prime Video today announced the upcoming premiere of Absolute Value of Romance, a youthful Korean coming-of-age series arriving exclusively on April 17. Blending awkward teenage moments with bittersweet humour, and heartfelt storytelling, the series follows a young aspiring writer navigating high school, friendship, and relationships.

The drama features a talented ensemble cast led by Kim Hyang Gi (Cashero, At Eighteen, Along with the Gods: The Two Worlds), alongside Cha Hak-yeon (Oh My Ghost Clients, Bad and Crazy), Kim Jae-hyun (Twenty-Five Twenty-One), Son Jeong-hyuk (You Are the Apple of My Eyes), Kim Dong-gyu (Dating Class), Kim Sohee (Fragile), and Singaporean actress Gladys Bay.

Absolute Value of Romance follows an ordinary high school student, Yeo Eui-ju, who leads a double life as a secret web novelist dreaming of success. When four charming new teachers arrive at her school, they become her unexpected muses. Their presence turns both her everyday life and her writing upside down.

Leading the cast is Kim Hyang Gi, one of South Korea’s most beloved young stars, who takes on the role of Yeo Eui-ju, an ordinary high school student who is average in every way and tries to keep a low profile at school. But at night, she secretly becomes a writer, posting daring adults-only novels online. Despite her enthusiasm, her work barely gets any views. Though highly observant and empathetic, she has always been hopeless when it comes to real-life romance. However, her life as a writer takes an unexpected turn when four handsome new teachers arrive at her school.

Cha Hak-yeon of K-pop boyband VIXX portrays Ga Woo-su, a gorgeous yet cold-looking man with piercing eyes who rarely smiles. Born and raised by a family of renowned mathematicians, he was a math prodigy with extraordinary memory, who taught himself to calculate numbers even before learning how to speak. However, when a life-changing incident occurred where he nearly lost his vision, he gave up on studying abroad and instead chose to become a math teacher. A new beginning at a high school and this one student, Eui-ju gets on his last nerves.

Kim Jae-hyun of rock band N.Flying portrays Noh Da-ju, a Japanese teacher and a gifted polyglot fluent in multiple languages. Always playful and sometimes mischievous, Da-ju is the ‘life of the party’ at school. Born to a wealthy family, he has been friends with Woo-su since elementary school. Nevertheless, they still squabble over everything as they’re so different as a person. However, deep in their heart, they truly care for each other like brothers.

Son Jeong-hyuk portrays Jung Gi-jeon, a luge athlete who retired due to a severe injury and became a sports teacher. Despite his masculine appearance, he is clumsy and warm on the inside, which makes him even popular among the students. Now, he has a new goal—turning Eui-ju, whom he sees as an exceptional talent in running, into his next sports prodigy.

Kim Dong-gyu portrays Yoon Dong-ju, a Korean teacher. Warm-hearted and innocent, Dong-ju’s charm is quite the opposite of his friends. Although he’s the eldest in the F4 group, he is often mistaken for the youngest because of his baby face. Treating his students with respect, he always uses honorifics and never loses his temper.

The cast also includes Kim Sohee as Choi Go-ya, a stylish and romantic-at-heart student who has been Eui-ju’s best friend for three years, and Gladys Bay as Jenny, an exchange student from Singapore who radiates positive energy wherever she goes.

Created and directed by Lee Tae-gon (Hello My Twenties!, Hello My Twenties! 2, True to Love) and written by Lee Min-ju, the series is produced by Coupang Play, Mediacorp, Good Wave Inc, and Borderless Film.