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Netflix series “The Silent Sea” (provided by Netflix)

Netflix unveiled its plan to spend US$500 million this year on films and series produced in South Korea during an online “See What's Next Korea 2021” event on Feb. 25.

Kim Min-young, vice president of content for Netflix in Korea and Southeast Asia, said, “As we celebrate the fifth anniversary of our expansion into Korea this year, we plan to invest US$500 million in presenting 13 new works of Korean content.”

Since launching its South Korean service in 2016, Netflix has invested a total of 770 billion won (US$685 million). Its efforts have resulted in series that garnered major attention, including “Kingdom” (2019–) and “Sweet Home” (2020–).

With its latest announcement, the service is signaling plans for an aggressive investment push during 2021 — amounting to over 70 percent of its total combined investment over the past four years.

Netflix also shared details about its 13 new productions. Nine of them are drama series: “The Silent Sea,” a space opera starring Gong Yoo and Bae Doo-na; “Round Six,” a survival drama with Lee Jung-jae and Park Hae-soo; “Hellbound,” a supernatural-themed series starring Yoo Ah-in and Park Jung-min; a second season of “Love Alarm” starring Kim So-hyun, Jung Ga-ram and Song Kang; “Move to Heaven,” a Lee Je-hoon vehicle that looks at the stories of dead people from a humanist perspective; “D.P.,” a military drama starring Jung Hae-in; “My Name,” a noir series starring Han So-hee, Park Hwi-soon and Ahn Bo-hyun; the zombie drama “All of Us Are Dead,” and “Kingdom: Ashin of the North'' with Jun Ji-hyun.

Also on the lineup are “So Not Worth It,” a sitcom about students from different countries living at a university’s international dormitory; “Paik’s Spirit,” a reality show on Korean drinking, food and culture made in collaboration with celebrity restaurateur Paik Jong-won; and “Lee Soo-geun: The Sense Coach,” a stand-up special featuring Lee Soo-geun. “Night in Paradise,” a film directed by Park Hoon-jung, will be appearing as well.

Actor Jung Woo-sung, who is producing “The Silent Sea,” said, “The sci-fi genre itself is a new challenge. We’ve put a lot of work into the moon base and other sets, and it’s also our first attempt at things like zero-gravity and low-gravity filming.”

By Nam Ji-eun, staff reporter

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