'Han River Police' cast hopes to continue on Disney+ success

Television

Published: 12 Sep. 2023, 16:42 Updated: 12 Sep. 2023, 17:24

'Han River Police' cast hopes to continue on Disney+ success

From left, actors Lee Sang-yi, Kim Hee-won, director Kim Sang-cheol, actors Bae Da-bin, Shin Hyun-seung and Kwon Sang-woo pose for a photo during a press conference for ″Han River Police″ at a hotel in Jung District, central Seoul, on Tuesday. [NEWS1]

Disney+ is looking to seize the opportunity after experiencing massive success with its recent Korean series "Moving."

Next in line is another Korean series titled “Han River Police,” starring actors Kwon Sang-woo, Kim Hee-won, Lee Sang-yi and Bae Da-bin. Kwon, Kim and Bae play police officers who patrol the riverbanks of the Han, the central river that passes through Seoul, while Lee plays an employee of a cruise company.

“I am very glad that ‘Moving’ has done so well and the subscribers to Disney+ have risen,” Kwon said during a press conference for the series at a hotel in Jung District, central Seoul, on Tuesday. “I hope to continue the trend of Disney+ with ‘Han River Police.’”

Main poster for ″Han River Police″ [WALT DISNEY COMPANY KOREA]

Director Kim Sang-cheol got the idea for the series about police officers patrolling Han River while taking a stroll along the riverbank.

“I was going through a tough time because one of my projects had been canceled,” Kim said. “I was trying to overcome that by walking along the riverbank and clearing my head."

Disney+ original series 'Han River Police' set for release in second half

One night, as Kim was taking his usual evening stroll, he said he saw someone trying to jump into the river.

"Soon after, a group of police officers arrived at the scene and began a rescue operation, which I watched in awe," Kim said. "That's when I first learned of police officers stationed to patrolling the Han River, and I felt that a part of myself was also being rescued.”

A scene from ″Han River Police,″ the upcoming new Disney+ original series about a group of police officers who patrol the riverbanks of the Han River in Seoul [WALT DISNEY COMPANY KOREA]

While Kwon has played many different types of both criminals and crime-fighters over his three-decade-long career, he found that a series about police officers fighting crimes and accidents of different kinds along the Han River to be a very refreshing idea.

“The Han River is a place that is familiar to most of us Koreans. but it's also hard to imagine that so many different types of crimes and accidents take place in the same place," Kwon said. “That’s why it seemed all the more interesting to make a series with such a premise, and that’s why I joined the cast.”

“I also thought that the familiarity of the Han River to viewers would make the events of the series more shocking,” actor Kim Hee-won said. “To imagine that crimes happen in such everyday places close to us will draw viewers in.”

Kwon plays police officer Doo-jin. According to Kwon, Doo-jin is a righteous and responsible person who will stop at nothing to catch criminals and investigate cases.

A scene from ″Han River Police″ [WALT DISNEY COMPANY KOREA]

“He is someone who jumps at the smallest clue to solve a crime and goes out of his way to get the job done,” Kwon said. “I also had to train and perform a lot of underwater scenes for ‘Han River Police,’ which was needed for many episodes. I hope the audience will enjoy my performance.”

"Han River Police" will premiere its first episode on Wednesday.

BY LIM JEONG-WON [lim.jeongwon@joongang.co.kr]