Ju Ji-hoon, Ha Jung-woo K-Drama Thrillers Set Rakuten Viki Debut
Rakuten Viki is doubling down on its lineup of Korean thrillers, with two new series debuting on the platform in March in the Americas, Europe and Oceania.
Corporate greed, political corruption and showbiz sleaze collide in “Climax,” a Viki Original starring Ju Ji-hoon (“The Trauma Code: Heroes on Call,” “Kingdom”) as Bang Tae-seop, a prosecutor who weaponizes his position in a ruthless bid for power. The series takes a “Succession”-style scalpel to the Korean elite, centering on a couple whose shared hunger for status pushes them into increasingly dangerous territory. Ha Ji-won (“Empress Ki,” “Secret Garden”), Nana (“Mask Girl”), Oh Jung-se (“It’s OK to not be OK”) and Cha Joo-young (“The Queen Who Crowns,” “The Glory”) round out the cast.
The darker register of comics is from “Mad Concrete Dreams,” a Viki Exclusive in which Ha Jung-woo (“Along with the Gods: The Two Worlds”) faces mounting financial ruin. He plays Gi Su-jong, a building owner on the verge of losing everything to bankruptcy, whose precarious situation turns into a full-blown catastrophe when a fake kidnapping plan devised by his friend Min Hwal-sung (Kim Jun-han, “Hospital Playlist”) goes seriously wrong. Shim Eun-kyung, a Japanese Academy Award winner (“The Journalist,” “Blue Hour”), Im Soo-jung (“All About My Wife”), and Krystal Jung (“Police University,” “Crazy Love”) also star. The darkly comedic crime thriller is positioned as a must-see for fans of “Parasite.”
“With the success of our recent titles like ‘Dear “As we continue to expand this category, we look forward to offering current and new Viki fans access to some of the hottest, most highly anticipated Korean thrillers.”
“Mad Concrete Dreams” premieres March 14; “Climax” follows on March 16.
Viki, which reaches more than 100 million registered users in more than 190 countries and territories, can be viewed for free with ads, or ad-free via the Viki Pass Standard and Viki Pass Plus subscriptions. The platform can be accessed via connected TVs, desktop, mobile and streaming devices. It is part of Rakuten Group.
