Made in Korea, the new Disney+ and Hulu series starring Hyun Bin and Jung Woo-sung, is not a direct retelling of one specific true story. Instead, this expensive new K-drama creates a fictional tale set directly inside the real and turbulent historical events of 1970s South Korea.
The series is now available for streaming. The first episodes were released on December 24, 2025, on Disney+ platforms worldwide and on Hulu in the United States.
The core of Made in Korea is its setting: a pivotal decade in South Korea’s modern history. The 1970s were a time of major political and social change, marked by fast economic growth under a strict government. The show uses this real historical backdrop as the stage for its fictional conflict.
The creators did not simply use the era as a distant setting. As actor Jung Woo-sung explained, the series breaks from tradition by placing its made-up characters right in the middle of actual historical incidents.
“‘Made in Korea’ takes on a bold attempt in really intertwining actual historical events, but also with these fictional characters that have been developed for the story,” said Jung Woo-sung.
This approach gives the story a feeling of authenticity while allowing the writers freedom to craft a dramatic plot. For the actors, it provided a unique creative opportunity. Jung Woo-sung noted that this method was a key reason he joined the project, calling the imagination behind it “extremely bold and provocative”.
The story follows two men on opposite sides of the law, both products of their ambitious and difficult time.
Hyun Bin plays Baek Ki-tae, a high-ranking agent with the Korean Central Intelligence Agency (KCIA). In the 1970s, the KCIA was the most powerful government organization in South Korea. By day, Baek Ki-tae is a sharp-suited government official. By night, he secretly runs smuggling networks to build his own wealth and power.
His rival is Jang Geon-young, played by Jung Woo-sung. Jang is a principled and relentless public prosecutor who is determined to expose corruption within the government and law enforcement. His investigation into smuggling operations brings him into direct and dangerous conflict with Baek Ki-tae.
Their personal battle is designed to reflect the larger themes of the era: greed, ambition, and the struggle for justice during a period of national transformation.
Bringing these 1970s characters to life required significant preparation from the lead actors. Hyun Bin underwent a major physical change to portray the intimidating presence of a KCIA agent.
He revealed he gained approximately 13 to 15 kilograms (around 30 pounds) for the role. “I wanted the imposing authority of the Korean Central Intelligence Agency… to be visible in the character’s very presence. This is the biggest I’ve ever been in my acting career,” Hyun Bin said. He also took Japanese language lessons because his character has many lines in Japanese.
For Jung Woo-sung, the preparation was more about character depth. He found that his role as Prosecutor Jang Geon-young offered “a lot of room” for creative design beyond what was in the script. He focused on the character’s many layers and even experimented with how the character’s laughter could reveal different aspects of his personality.
Made in Korea is notable not just for its story but also for its scale. With a reported production budget of around 70 billion Korean won (about $47 million) spread over two seasons, it is among the most expensive K-dramas ever made.
The series is directed by Woo Min-ho, a filmmaker known for acclaimed historical movies like The Man Standing Next and Harbin. This is his first streaming series. He approached the project with a filmmaker’s eye, stating, “I hoped it would achieve a level of completion beyond my previous works and I approached each episode as if I were making a film”.
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Hyun Bin, who worked with Director Woo before on the film Harbin, confirmed this cinematic quality. “In Season 1, it consists of six episodes, and each episode will feel like cinema,” he said.
To recreate 1970s South Korea accurately, the production filmed in multiple locations. The team shot for about a month in Kobe, Japan, because its preserved port city scenery matched the period look of Busan. Additional filming took place in Thailand.
Made in Korea is a major part of Disney’s investment in Korean storytelling. The Walt Disney Company has built a lineup of over 155 Asia-Pacific original titles in recent years.
The confidence in the series is so high that a second season has already been confirmed and is in production. It is expected to be released in the second half of 2026.
The show premiered with its first episodes on December 24, 2025. It is available globally on Disney+ and on Hulu in the United States.
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