3 Big Things to Watch Out For in Money Heist: Joint Economic Area

A band of thieves from North and South Korea come together to severe inequality by stealing a large sum of money. In this adventurous and thought-provoking drama, we are invited to explore the 'Joint Economic Area'

There are many things to watch out for in the upcoming Korean remake of the Spanish Netflix series La Casa de Papel. Besides bringing talented actors such as Yoo Ji-tae (PROFESSOR), Kim Yunjin (Seon Woojin), Park Hae-soo (BERLIN), Jun Jong-seo (TOKYO), Lee Won-jong (MOSCOW), Park Myung-hoon (Cho Youngmin), Kim Sung-o (Cha Moohyuk), Kim Ji-hun (DENVER), Jang Yoon-ju (NAIROBI), Lee Joobeen (Yun Misun), Lee Hyun-woo (RIO), Kim Ji-hoon (HELSINKI), and Lee Kyu-ho (OSLO) together, the show sheds light the pressing problems the nation faces in the present time.

The Korean peninsula is on the verge of unification, and a band of robbers in Hahoe masks (Korean masks used to perform ancestral rites or to drive away evil spirits) roams around Unified Korea Mint (UKM), the place where the first step toward a peaceful unification will take place. North and South Korea establish the Unified Korea Mint and are printing one common currency as the groundwork to build a stable joint economy

Realising that “only the rich get richer,” The PROFESSOR gathers his troops and plans an unprecedented heist–stealing money that has yet to exist.

In case you missed it: First Look: Netflix’s ‘Money Heist’ Korean Remake Reveals Title and Teaser

Below are reasons why people should watch out for this new drama:

1. Korea Reimagined

Above (Photo: Tehran Times)

Money Heist: Joint Economic Area provides a glimpse of North and South Korea on their way to reunification. In the process, both nations seek to print one common currency as a groundwork to build a stable joint economy.

"The themes of a common currency and a mint built in the Joint Security Area (which divides North and South Korea today) are the premise of the series, which adds the Korean flavour and excitement to the original story," said the writer Ryu Yong-jae.

2. Familiar Names

Above Park Hae-soo as 'Berlin'

Above The cast of Money Heist Korea come together in a press conference

Above Kim Ji-hoon as 'Helinski'

Audiences are expected to see familiar faces on their television screens. Some names that many viewers can easily recognise are Yoo Ji-tae, Kim Yunjin, Park Hae-soo, and Jun Jong-seo.

Yoo Ji-tae, who captivated cinephiles around the world with Old Boy, the film which won the Grand Prix at the 57th Cannes International Film Festival and ranked 30th in the BBC's 100 greatest films of the 21st century, will play PROFESSOR, leading the crime with intelligence and precision.

Kim Yunjin, the famed global star of Lost and Mistress, plays Seon Woojin, a level-headed and wiry negotiator.

Park Hae-soo, or 'Player no. 218' from Squid Game, returns as BERLIN–a man of untouchable charisma and insanity. Park's BERLIN is a strong character who controls hostages with fear and promotes division.

Jun Jong-seo, for her part, made an impressive entrance into the film industry with Burning, which won the International Critics' Federation Award for Competition at the 71st Cannes International Film Festival. She plays the role of TOKYO, who is an unconditional follower of PROFESSOR.

3. Social Commentaries

Above (Photo: Getty Images)

The series will take a subtle jab at Korea's most pressing issues. As the story progresses, audiences will see every character's story and what led them to join the heist. Fans will surely empathise with BERLIN, the escaped prisoner of North Korea's Gaechon concentration camp, TOKYO, who dreamt of living the 'Korean Dream' and escaped from the North, only to "taste the bitterness of capitalism," RIO, a teenage criminal, and more.

"I added depth to the characters through in-depth interviews with the actors. We talked a lot to find out what made each character so desperate to survive," he added. "I wanted to spark curiosity from the characters' hidden pasts". Writer Ryu Yong-jae said.

NOW READ

Netflix: 'Money Heist: Korea - Joint Economic Area Part 1' Premieres June 24

Exclusive: Ursula Corbero Says Bella Ciao To 'Money Heist' & Tokyo

Netflix: A Side-by-Side Comparison of the 'Money Heist: Korea - Joint Economic Area' Characters and Their Spanish Counterparts

Tatler Asia

Here’s Why You Should Watch Out for the Korean Remake of 'Money Heist'

1. Korea Reimagined

2. Familiar Names

3. Social Commentaries