3 things to know about Kim Soo-hyun’s upcoming K-drama, ‘Knock-Off’

Kim stars as Kim Sung-joon who enters the world of counterfeit goods, ascends the hierarchy of knock-off goods trade, and becomes the king of the counterfeit world. Starring opposite him is Tale of the Nine Tailed actress Jo Bo-ah as Song Hye-jung, his ex-girlfriend who’s a special judicial police officer.

Also in the Knock-Off cast line-up are Yoo Jae-myung as Kim Man-sik who will portray a father-son relationship with Kim; Lee Jung-eun as Park Ae-ja, Kim’s devoted mother; Kim Eui-sung as Bae Pil-gu, a key figure in the counterfeit market in Busan; Bang Hyo-rin as Bae Nu-ri, the chairperson of the counterfeit haven Saemmul Market; Itaewon Class actress Kwon Nara as Moon Yu-bin, a designer of high-end counterfeit bags; and Victory actress Park Se-wan as Moon Yu-bin’s sister Moon Da-bin, who also makes counterfeit bags.

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Other cast appearances include Kim Hye-eun as Jang Ji-soo, Go Kyu-pil as Tonkatsu, Kim Moo-yeol as Baek Jong-min, Jung Man-sik as Lee Ki-bong, and Kang Mal-geum as Kang Mal-geum as Jegal Hyun-sook.

The plot

Knock-Off depicts various stories based on fake luxury goods. The K-drama largely centres on Kim Sung-joon, an ordinary office worker whose life was completely turned upside down by the 1997 Asian financial crisis (also known in Korea as the IMF crisis). Desperate to build his life after losing his job, he begins working in the counterfeit market and eventually becomes the vice president of a major Korean counterfeit market and grows the company into one of the largest counterfeiters in the world.

Meanwhile, his ex-girlfriend Song Hye-jung works as a special judicial police officer whose job is to crack down on counterfeit goods. Though she’s Kim’s first love, they form a tense relationship, shifting from romance to one filled with hostility as she hunts him down.

Read more: 5 things you need to know about ‘Queen of Tears’ star Kim Soo-hyun

At the Disney Content Showcase APAC 2024 for the Knock-Off preview, Kim was asked how much romance would be involved in the K-drama, to which he replied, “15 per cent”. While this role would mark a shift from his Queen of Tears character, the two Knock-Off leads’ performances are expected to introduce a new dynamic.

Director Park added that emphasis and efforts were invested in authentically reenacting the post-Asian financial crisis era, saying, “We prepared many props and sets to accurately portray that period. Additionally, we focused on helping the actors convey the emotions and experiences of people who lived through the late 1990s and early 2000s in Korean society. Our goal was to create a drama that not only evokes nostalgia but also encourages viewers to reflect on the present."

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