A dream cast. A legendary American series as the source material. A director who gave us “The Glory.” K-drama fans, this one is going to be worth the wait.
“The Koreans” K-Drama — Everything We Know So Far
| Detail | Info |
|---|---|
| Drama Title | The Koreans |
| Based On | The Americans (US spy drama) |
| Setting | Seoul, South Korea — 1990s |
| Director | Ahn Gil Ho (The Glory) |
| Writer | Park Eun Kyo (Made in Korea) |
| Lead Cast | Lee Byung Hun, Han Ji Min, Lee Hee Joon |
| Premiere | 2027 (scheduled) |
| Genre | Spy thriller / Period drama |
The Cast & Their Characters
“The Koreans” is a fully reimagined Korean adaptation of “The Americans,” weaving together spy genre thrills with themes of belief, love, and life — set in Seoul in the 1990s within a middle-class apartment complex. The premise alone is electrifying, but the casting makes it unmissable.
Lee Byung Hun — plays Kim Myung Joon, an elite North Korean spy who has concealed his identity while living in South Korea for more than a decade, expected to deliver a detailed and layered performance conveying the character’s expansive story.
Han Ji Min — plays Yoon Hwa Kyung, a North Korean spy settled in South Korea as Kim Myung Joon’s carefully disguised wife, expected to bring the character’s emotional journey to life with her signature nuance. Backyard Drunkard
Lee Hee Joon — plays Cha Ki Seok, a counterintelligence detective who previously worked in violent crimes and moves in next door to the couple — adding a layer of gripping tension to the story. Backyard Drunkard
Why This Drama Is Already Generating Buzz
The creative team behind “The Koreans” is genuinely elite. Director Ahn Gil Ho helmed “The Glory” — one of Netflix’s most-watched Korean dramas ever — while writer Park Eun Kyo brings sharp cultural storytelling through “Made in Korea.” Together, they’re adapting what many critics consider one of the greatest spy dramas in television history.
The original series The Americans ran from 2013 to 2018 on FX, earning widespread critical acclaim for its psychological depth and Cold War tension. Transposing that concept to the divided Korean peninsula of the 1990s adds a layer of raw, deeply personal stakes that could make this adaptation even more powerful than the original.
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