Netflix’s wildly popular Spanish crime drama La Casa de Papel, also known as Money Heist, is getting a South Korean remake. Which is Money Heist: Korea –Joint Economic Area.
Announced in December 2020, the upcoming adaptation promises to breathe new life into the familiar plot of the beloved Spanish series – namely, the heist of the royal mint and the national bank – but with a new setting on the Korean peninsula.
As you wait for the first season of the Money Heist remake, here’s everything you need to know about the show so far.
Money Heist: Korea –Joint Economic Area Release Date
On December 1, Squid Game actor Park Hae-soo, who plays Berlin in the upcoming remake, announced in a Netflix video that the South Korean remake of Money Heist will premiere sometime in 2022. In January 2022, Netflix confirmed that the remake would be titled Money Heist Korea: Joint Economic Area.
There is a possibility that the remake will be delayed due to the coronavirus pandemic, which caused the production of several Korean dramas to be postponed last year. In August 2020, Variety reported that Netflix was complying with government regulations and halting production on all of its Korean shows, although it did not specify which series were affected.
Money Heist: Korea –Joint Economic Area Cast: Who’s In It?
In late March 2021, Netflix revealed the cast for the first season of the South Korean remake. The cast will feature Yoo Ji-tae (Healer, Mad Dog) as the Professor, the mastermind behind the heist. Park Hae-soo ( Squid Game ) will play Berlin, the Professor’s right-hand man and law enforcer of criminals.
Jun Jong-Seo ( The Call , Burning ) will play a Tokyo troublemaker, while Lee Won-Jong will play a bank robber – and father figure – of Moscow. Moscow’s son Denver will be played by Kim Ji-hoon (Flower Of Evil), while single mother Nairobi will be played by model/actress Jang Yoon-ju (Korea’s Next Top Model).
The rest of the gang is rounded up by actors Kim Ji-hoon (The 12th Suspect) and Lee Kyu-Ho (Healer) as the Helsinki and Oslo brothers, respectively.
The task force in charge of investigating the gang’s crimes will feature Kim Yun-jin (Lost) as Seon Woo-jin and Kim Sung-o (A Korean Odyssey) as Cho Moo-hyuk. The two main hostages are Park Myung-hoon (Parasite, Crash Landing On You) as Cho Young-min and Lee Joo-bin (Find Me In Your Memory) as Youn Misun.
On May 31, 2021, Netflix announced that the role of Rio, Tokyo’s lover, had been changed from Park Jung-woo (Love Playlist) to Lee Hyun-woo (The Beauty Inside). Park had to quit filming due to scheduling conflicts with another drama series, Fly High Butterfly.
Lee Hyun-woo said in a statement through his agency: “I am happy to be able to greet viewers through a drama for the first time in a while. I will do my best to create a cool, memorable character, and an engaging production for those anticipating the Korean remake of Money Heist.”
Money Heist: Korea –Joint Economic Area Plot
While the details are not yet available, the first season of the remake is expected to follow the same plot as the original La Casa de Papel, but is set on the Korean Peninsula. So, it’s likely the series will focus on the attempted theft of South Korean banknotes. Every gang member in the Korean remake carries the same name as the character in the Spanish series.
In a July 22 feature interview with Dazed Korea magazine, Jun Jong-Seo (who plays Tokyo in the upcoming remake), revealed that while each gang member in the Korean remake will carry the same name of the Spanish original, they will all take on different personalities.
“They have the same name and very different personalities and character adaptations. The thief who robs the bank is the main character, but there is humanity in it,” he said.
How Many Episodes Will Money Heist: Korea –Joint Economic Area Have?
The first season of the Money Heist remake will include 12 episodes, Netflix has confirmed, with each episode lasting about an hour. While the runtime of each episode is similar to its Spanish original, the first season of the Korean remake will include three more episodes than the Spanish series when its first season aired in 2017.
Where To Watch Money Heist: Korea –Joint Economic Area?
The upcoming Korean adaptation of Money Heist will be streamed exclusively on Netflix and available to watch globally.
The current four seasons of the Spanish original series is also available on Netflix, with the upcoming fifth and final season expected to premiere later this year.
Money Heist KoreanMoney Heist: Korea –Joint Economic Area Trailer
Netflix released a teaser trailer on January 18. It starts with the Professor standing in front of the wall carrying some traditional Korean masks and the iconic Salvador Dali masks from Spain. He reached out to select one mask, though the camera moved before the viewer could see which mask was selected.
The teaser then switches to revealing Seon Woojin (played by Kim Yunjin), the head of the Crisis Negotiation team in the control room. The teaser trailer ends with the reveal of each member of the heist and their code names.
The teaser also confirms that the remake will be titled Money Heist: Korea – Joint Economic Area.
