‘Descendants’ first K-drama to air simultaneously in Korea, China

A local broadcaster said Tuesday that its new television series would premiere simultaneously in Korea and China in February.

Titled “Descendants of the Sun,” the drama features top hallyu stars Song Joong-ki and Song Hye-kyo in the lead roles. Set in a fictional Asian country that suffered a major disaster, the story follows the romance between a young soldier named Yoo Si-jin (Song Joong-ki) and a doctor named Kang Mo-yeon (Song Hye-kyo). The series was written by Kim Eun-sook, who also wrote a number of hit hallyu dramas, including “Lovers in Paris,” “Secret Garden” and “The Heirs.”

Unlike most Korean dramas, the series has been completed before airing. The 12 billion won ($10 million) drama series reportedly finished filming last month.  

In Korea, “Descendants of the Sun” will air Wednesdays and Thursdays on KBS2 starting on Feb. 24. In China, the series will be available through the video streaming website iQiyi.

By Won Ho-jung (hjwon@heraldcorp.com)