Everything there is to know about “Money Heist: Korea – Joint Economic Area”: Cast, Synopsis, and more
As we gear up for the release of Korea’s Money Heist remake this June, let’s recount all the necessary information to fully enjoy this masterpiece series.
Upon the end of the Spanish series “Money Heist” in 2021, fans were left in deep regrets. However, Netflix quickly announced an extra series revolving around the character Berlin (Pedro Alonso), as well as a Korean adaptation of this exciting crime drama.
As K-dramas see popularity reaching an international scale, especially after the success of “Squid Game”, the Korean remake of “Money Heist” draws a lot of attention.
Following these are probably myriads of questions regarding this upcoming release, and the information in this article will answer all of them.
The release date of “Money Heist: Korea – Joint Economic Area”
While the Korean adaptation was announced back in November 2020, details only started to come out starting December 1st, 2021, in the Netflix event “TUDUM”. In addition, actor Park Hae Soo, who starred in “Squid Game”, also came out as one of Money Heist’s cast members.
“As an actor and a fan of the franchise, I’d like to thank the cast and the crew behind “Money Heist” for their wonderful masterpiece. Now, we are honored to give you the Korean version of it in 2022,” the actor said.
The first half of “Money Heist: Korea – Joint Economic Area”, is scheduled to air starting June 24th, 2022.
The trailer of “Money Heist: Korea – Joint Economic Area”
Alongside the filming schedule, an early trailer was released, which revealed the cast and the official title of the Korean series.
In this trailer, the Professor (Yoo Ji Tae) was shown in a room full of Korean traditional masks, often used in traditional theaters and performances.
These masks were put side by side with Money Heist’s iconic Salvador Dalí raised the question of what would be used in the adaptation, and put forth various questions about the series. These questions were only answered later on in May 20th, where the second trailer gave more insight into the plot.
It seems that “Money Heist: Korea – Joint Economic Area” is set in a unified Korea, where discrepancies between the rich and the poor are more severe than ever. Like the original series, “Money Heist: Korea – Joint Economic Area” will likely try to bind this realistic gap, despite its rather fictional setting.
Finally, in the latest trailer, the Professor has recruited Tokyo (Jeon Jong Seo) as well as the rest of the team. By the looks of it, “Money Heist: Korea – Joint Economic Area” will be just as exciting as the original.
Who is the cast of “Money Heist: Join the Economic Area”?
The star-studded cast of “Money Heist: Korea – Joint Economic Area” includes:
- The Professor (Yoo Ji Tae)
- Berlin (Park Hae Soo)
- Tokyo (Jeon Jong Seo)
- Moscow (Lee Won Jong)
- Denver (Kim Ji Hun)
- Nairobi (Jang Yoon Ju)
- Rio (Park Jung Woo)
- Helsinki (Kim Ji Hun)
- Oslo (Lee Kyu Ho)
Although the characters share the same names as the original Spanish version, actress Jeon Jong Seo noted in an interview with Dazed Korea that the characters will have distinct personalities.
Based on the official posters, the two task force operators are Seon Woo Jin (Kim Yun Jin) and Cha Moo Hyuk (Kim Sung O). Two of the hostages’ identities have also been revealed, Cho Young Min (Park Myung Hoon) and Yoon Mi Sun (Lee Joo Been).
What else is interesting about “Money Heist: Korea – Joint Economic Area?”
The title of the Korean remake has indicated the series would revolve around Korea’s socio economic conflict between two sides of the border. “Joint Economic Area” is a reference to a newly created fictional region where there is a border between North and South Korea in the real world.
The second teaser reveals that the new unified government takes this joint economic area as the basis to create a new economy with a new currency. Thus, a transaction similar to the one in the original version will happen, but only in that it is new money.
How many episodes are there in “Money Heist: Korea – Joint Economic Area”?
Season 1 will have a total of 12 episodes, with a duration of about an hour each. This is similar to the number of episodes in the first two seasons of the original. This season will be divided into two parts, each with 6 episodes.
Is Álex Piña involved in the Korean remake?
The man behind the original “Money Heist”, Spanish series producer and creator, Álex Piña, will take on the role of executive producer on the Korean remake.
“Korean creators have been developing their own language and audiovisual culture for many years. Like our series, they have managed to transcend cultural borders and attract thousands of viewers around the world. That’s why I find it interesting that the world of La Casa de Papel is so compelling that Korean creators want to adapt it,” said Álex Piña.
Instead of collaborating with Vancouver Media, “Money Heist: Korea – Joint Economic Area” is co-produced by BH Entertainment and Content Zium. Leading the cast and crew is director Kim Hong Sun, who is best known for “The Guest” and “L.U.C.A: The Beginning”. Screenwriter Ryu Yong Jae is in charge of the script.
