Netflix is banking on the global popularity of Korean titles for 2023, and not necessarily just movies and TV series.
Included in its much-awaited slate are reality shows and documentaries top-billed by the leading Korean stars of today.
‘Physical:100’
Now streaming
Directed by Jang Ho-gi, Physical: 100 is an extreme survival entertainment program that sets the stage for an intense competition among 100 men and women who pride themselves on their physiques, regardless of age or sex.
‘Siren: Survive the Island’
Release Q2
Siren: Survive the Island by Lee Eun-kyung is a combat survival entertainment show where 24 women of top combat power and strategic thinking form six teams divided by career groups and fight one another. Entitled “Siren,” which means both “warning sound” and “beautiful temptress,” this show involves women with extraordinary physical capabilities and skills for strategies, including police officers, firefighters, bodyguards, stuntwomen, military women, and athletes.
‘19/20 (Nineteen to Twenty)’
Release Q3
19/20(Nineteen to Twenty) tracks the fresh and youthful lives of a Gen Z group in their last week of being 19. These youngsters on the cusp of adulthood create unexpectedly vivacious and nostalgic moments throughout the show. Lyuhyun, Kim Ji-eun, and AKMU’s Lee Suhyun participate as emcees.
‘Zombieverse’
Release on Q3
In Zombieverse, participants must complete quests to survive in Seoul, which has been turned into a zombie world. The art team from All of Us Are Dead and the zombie action choreographer from Kingdom work behind the scenes.
‘The Devil’s Plan’
TBA
Devil’s Plan, helmed by Jeong Jong-yeon, is a mind game survival entertainment show that awards up to 500 million Korean won to its winner. Participants, including celebrities, influencers, and others, begin with the “devil’s” suggestion to take off their social masks and reveal their true identity.
‘In the Name of God: A Holy Betrayal’
Release on 3 March
In the Name of God: A Holy Betrayal is an eight-episode true-crime documentary that explores the self-proclaimed ‘messiahs’ in modern Korean history.
‘Yellow Door: Looking for Director Bong’s Unreleased Short Film (WT)’
Release on Q4
Yellow Door: Looking for Director Bong’s Unreleased Short Film (WT) is a documentary tracing the quest for the Oscar-winning director Bong Joon-ho’s unreleased short film, Looking for Paradise. This 22-minute film was screened for some 10 members of cinephile club Yellow Door on Christmas, 1992, and has never been seen since.