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Still from the Netflix original series “All of Us Are Dead” (provided by Netflix)

Streaming giants Netflix and Disney+ are squaring off this week with their first original Korean series of the year. While Netflix, the epicenter of the boom in Korean content, is set to release its series “All of Us Are Dead,” about a zombie outbreak at a high school, Disney+ is premiering “Rookie Cops,” a tale of young love. The two streaming companies held press conferences about their productions on Wednesday, forecasting a sharp rivalry between them.

Set to launch Friday, “All of Us Are Dead” tells the story of students who are forced to band together to fight for their lives as they wait to be rescued from their school that’s become infested with zombies. The story is based on the popular webtoon of the same name by Joo Dong-geun.

Helmed by Lee Jae-kyoo, director of the TV dramas “Damo” and “Beethoven Virus” and the film “Intimate Strangers,” this series stars Park Ji-hoo, Yoon Chan-young, Cho Yi-hyun, Park Solomon, Yoo In-soo, Lee Yoo-mi and Lim Jae-hyuck as students fighting for survival.

The cast of “All of Us Are Dead” poses for a photo at a promotional presser on Monday morning. (provided by Netflix)

A key question surrounding “All of Us Are Dead” is whether Netflix will be able to replicate the success of the hanbok-clad zombies in “Kingdom” by placing zombies in a school setting. School zombies have youthful vigor on their side, and they’re quick and alert to sounds, just like the zombies in “Kingdom” and the film “Train to Busan” — but they can’t open doors.

One exciting aspect of the series is that it was shot in a school set that’s four stories high and 90 meters long, with zombies and students facing off in classrooms, hallways and the cafeteria. Given the violence in the series, it’s rated as not appropriate for teenagers.

In a press conference on the series held Wednesday morning, Lee Jae-kyoo offered his thoughts on what makes this school zombie series stand out.

“There are various kinds of zombie shows, but most of them are about what happens to adults. This show is about what happens to students — who haven’t grown up yet and aren’t fully socialized — in a confined space,” Lee said.

“We thought it would be both interesting and meaningful to see what kind of choices these young students make when they’re on the verge of life and death.”

One thing that distinguishes “All of Us Are Dead” from other zombie shows is its frank depiction of school violence and the Korean educational system. Bullying and other forms of school violence are closely tied to the emergence of the zombie infestation.

It’s clear, however, that candidly depicting problems in society is a different matter from actually tackling those problems.

“School violence isn’t merely a problem at schools, but in society as well. Such things happen again and again because of our collective selfishness,” Lee remarked.

“We’re hoping that after people finish watching the series, they’ll see this as being their problem as adults, too, and think about whether they belong with the bullies or the bullied.”

Still from the Netflix original series “All of Us Are Dead” (provided by Netflix)

In contrast with the blood-spattered gore of “All of Us Are Dead,” “Rookie Cops” is a rose-tinted melodrama. The show depicts campus life for young people who are at times foolish and foolhardy, but also filled with boundless passion and energy.

This series is being directed by Kim Byung-soo, who previously shot the series “He Is Psychometric” and “The Bride of Habaek.” Kang Daniel, Chae Soo-bin, Lee Shin-young and Park Yoo-na will be playing freshmen at the Korean National Police University. Despite their flat-footed pratfalls, these rookies’ spirited determination to make the grade as police officers is sure to thrill and amuse audiences.

Wednesday, Disney+ dropped the first two episodes of “Rookie Cops,” the first original Korean drama released by the streamer, which only launched its Korean service last November. Disney+ failed to make much of a splash with previously released Korean content, including an original variety show that riffs on “Running Man” and a syndicated run of JTBC drama “Snowdrop.” It remains to be seen whether “Rookie Cops” can make Disney+ another go-to source for Korean streaming content.

A press conference to promote “Rookie Cops,” held online on Wednesday afternoon, doubled as singer Kang Daniel’s debut as an actor.

“I think of ‘Rookie Cops’ as being my first love,” Kang said.

“I’m playing Wi Seung-hyeon, who is the sort of person you’d imagine a no-nonsense cop to be. He can’t stand injustice, but he’s also a little shy. You could call him a ‘tsundere,’” Kang said, referring to a character type who initially seems cold but warms up over time.

Following the initial release of two episodes of “Rookie Cops” on Wednesday, Disney+ will be releasing two more episodes every Wednesday — unlike “All of Us Are Dead,” which was uploaded all at once. It will be interesting to see which strategy turns out to be more effective.

By Oh Seung-hun, staff reporter

Please direct questions or comments to [english@hani.co.kr]