Netflix-topping ‘Money Heist: Korea’ K-drama remake explores reunification with North Korea, creator explains

Bringing ‘Money Heist’ to an Asian audience who may have missed the popular Spanish original is an exciting prospect, says creator and writer Ryu Yong-jae

The K-drama remake explores the theme of reunification of North Korea and South Korea, although Ryu doesn’t think ‘reunification will simply solve everything’

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Netflix K-drama Money Heist: Korea – Joint Economic Area adds the theme of reunification between South and North Korea to the original’s crime narrative. Photo: Netflix

Published: 7:15pm, 7 Jul 2022Updated: 6:25pm, 15 Jul 2022

By Lee Gyu-lee

Before Netflix’s non-English series Squid Game became a huge international hit, there was the Spanish original, Money Heist, which became a global sensation through the platform.

Ryu Yong-jae, the creator and writer for the Spanish series’ Korean remake, Money Heist: Korea – Joint Economic Area, says he feels excited to kick-start the Spanish series franchise and help introduce it to Asian countries.

The new series topped Netflix’s official non-English Top 10 chart during the week of its release in late June.

“The original Money Heist was already popular worldwide, but compared to the popularity, there were still a lot of people who didn’t see it … It was not that popular in Asian countries [compared to Europe and North America],” says Ryu.

“So I thought it would be nice if this series could lead people who knew about the famous original series yet have not seen it, and K-drama and K-pop fans, to look up the original after watching our series.”