Disney+ Reveals 2026 Korean-Driven Content Lineup

Disney+ revealed its South Korean original content schedule for 2026 during the 'Disney+ Original Preview' event at Hong Kong Disney...

Disney+ revealed its South Korean original content schedule for 2026 during the 'Disney+ Original Preview' event at Hong Kong Disneyland on the 13th, highlighting that its focus for the upcoming year is moving towards Korean productions. The event featured numerous top actors from major projects, significantly increasing excitement about the upcoming shows.

The first film in this lineup is director Woo Min-ho's latest movie "Made in Korea." Having created significant noir works with "Inside Men" and "The Man Standing Next," the director's new project has already attracted attention. Set in the political and espionage landscape of 1970s South Korea, it will be available on Disney+ on December 24th. Season 2 is currently being made and is expected to come out in 2026. Hyun Bin, who was present at the event, mentioned, "I selected this project due to the storytelling strength of the 1970s period. The depth of the script greatly impressed me." Jung Woo-sung shared, "Initially, I thought the character wasn't right for me, but I became deeply involved as I read more," while Woo Do-hwan added, "The opportunity to work with director Woo Min-ho is the main motivation."

The live-action version of the popular Naver Webtoon "The Remarried Empress" features Shim Min-a, Ju Ji-hoon, Lee Jong-suk, and Lee Se-young. Having amassed a global total of 2.7 billion views, fans are eager to see how the original story will be developed further. Shim Min-a mentioned at the event, "I understand the expectations from the original fans. I aim to explore the empress's emotional journey in a fresh way," while Ju Ji-hoon shared his motivation for selecting the project, stating, "The opportunity to showcase a Korean historical drama to an international audience was very appealing."

The new crime action production "Goldland" portrays an event where Park Bo-young, Kim Sung-cheol, and Lee Hyun-wook become involved with a gold bar smuggling group. Park Bo-young mentioned, "I will present a completely different style from my previous roles," while Kim Sung-cheol described the project, saying, "This is a work that truly highlights the distinctive speed and strength of Korean crime dramas through a Disney+ series." The return of "A Shop for Killers," which became wildly popular in its first season, is also receiving attention as Season 2 is released. Expanding the universe, Masaki Okada and Hyunri join the cast along with Lee Dong-wook and Kim Hye-jun. Lee Dong-wook stated, "We are now fully expanding the world that we couldn't fully display in Season 1," and Kim Hye-jun added, "The emotional depth of the characters has significantly increased in Season 2."

A romantic comedy adapted from a webtoon, "The Queen of the 21st Century," is scheduled to come out in 2026, featuring IU and Byeon Woo-seok. Another project named "Delusion" is also set for release in the same year. This mystery romance takes place in Gyeongseong during 1935 and revolves around a portrait commission, with Suzy and Kim Seon-ho in leading roles.

Among the 2026 selections, the most daring project was the Korea-Japan joint romantic comedy "Merry Berry Love." It follows a Korean designer (Ji Chang-wook) who begins a new life on a remote Japanese island after facing setbacks and gradually develops a bond with strawberry farmer Imada Mio despite initial misunderstandings. The narrative cleverly employs the language gap between the two characters as a storytelling tool, as they communicate in their respective mother tongues. Ji Chang-wook remarked, “I wanted to work in Japan. This collaboration turned out more intriguing than I anticipated,” while Imada Mio added, “I am excited to actually star in a Korean romantic comedy.” The film is being shot in both South Korea and Japan and will have an independent release next year.

The Manipulated," which started airing on the 5th, was also mentioned at the event. Ji Chang-wook stated, "As it is part of the same universe as 'Fabricated City,' I felt a strong sense of duty," while Doh Kyung-soo commented, "In my opinion, Disney+ is 'awesome.' We tried several new approaches during the production.

The travel-themed variety show "Are You Sure?! Season 2," which includes BTS members Jimin and Jungkook, started filming just one week following their completion of military service. The two, who were unable to attend the event, shared a video message stating, "Our first schedule after the military was a trip, which held deep emotional meaning," and "We wanted to offer viewers a relaxed journey with a friend." The show is scheduled to be released on December 3rd. Another variety program titled "Battle of Fates," in which 49 fortune-tellers participate in survival challenges, is also set to debut in 2026. Starring Jun Hyun-moo, Park Na-rae, Park Ha-sun, Shin Dong, and Kang Ji-young, the show aims to introduce fresh approaches to the variety format.

Luke Kang, who serves as the President of The Walt Disney Company's Asia-Pacific division, mentioned during the event, "Korean content is experiencing rapid growth not just across Asia, but also in the Americas and Europe," and "Disney+ will enhance its approach to extend creative energy into global franchises."