‘Gyeongseong Creature’ to lead year-end, New Year drama releases

Netflix Korea on Sunday confirmed the premiere of the highly anticipated horror thriller, “Gyeongseong Creature,” in December.

The series will be split into two different parts, with the first seven episodes being presented as “Gyeongseong Creature Part 1,” and the remaining three episodes scheduled to be released Jan. 5.

With a star-studded lineup in terms of both its creators and cast, the thriller-action series is regarded as one of the year's must-see projects.

Helmed by director Jung Dong-yoon, who was behind the 2019 mega-hit Korean TV drama “Hot Stove League,” and “Dr. Romantic” (2016-2023) screenwriter Kang Eun-kyung, “Gyeongseong Creature” takes viewers back to the spring of 1945, one of South Korea’s darkest hours.

Set during the Japanese colonial period, the thriller series tells the stories of two young individuals fighting to survive against bizarre creatures born out of human greed.

Actor Park Seo-joon, who rose to stardom with “Fight for My Way” (2017), “What’s Wrong with Secretary Kim” (2018), “Itaewon Class” (2020) and most recently "The Marvels" released last week, plays a wealthy entrepreneur, Jang Tae-sang.

Though Tae-sang is a man who prioritizes money above all else, his principles are called into question after meeting Yoon Chae-ok, a sleuth renowned for her ability to track down anyone, even those who are dead.

Actress Han So-hee, who made her Netflix debut with “My Name” in 2021, stars as Chae-ok in “Gyeongseong Creature.”

Local drama fans shared their excitement about seeing two of their beloved stars perform together for the first time.

Veteran actors, including Kim Hae-sook of “Hospital Playlist” (2020), Claudia Kim of “Avengers: Age of Ultron” (2015) and “Fantastic Beasts: The Crimes of Grindelwald” (2018), Cho Han-cheul of “Reborn Rich” (2022) and “Squid Game” star Wi Ha-jun, will co-star in the show, unleashing a series of surreal monster stories set in Seoul in 1945.

Unlike many other Netflix projects, for which a plan to expand the series is made after the release of the original, "Gyeongseong Creature" announced the launch of the series' second season in November 2022, well ahead of the premiere of the first season, evidence of the streaming service's confidence in the show.

“Gyeongseong Creature Part 1” will be released on Dec. 22.