The world of Korean espionage is about to get a dark and gritty new chapter with the upcoming thriller series 'Made in Korea'. Premiering on December 24, the show promises a heart-pounding dive into the morally ambiguous 1970s, where government agents and criminals often swapped roles.
A Businessman Like No Other: Smuggler, Agent, Mastermind
The series opens with a scene that perfectly sets its tone. In the middle of a tense airplane hijacking crisis, a man in a crisp suit casually borrows a cigarette from one of the hijackers. He calmly introduces himself as "just a businessman who wants things resolved quietly." But this is no ordinary businessman. This is Baek Ki-tae (Hyun Bin), an agent of South Korea's National Intelligence Service (NIS) who is moonlighting as a drug smuggler, carrying contraband worth a staggering INR 67 million.
Baek Ki-tae is a character of shocking contrasts. By day, he works for the country's top spy agency. By night, he traffics narcotics with terrifying nonchalance, all while possessing combat skills that rival any action hero. His audacity forms the core of the series, exploring how institutional power can corrupt absolutely.
The Double Hijack: A Daring Real-Life Incident Recreated
The premiere episode plunges viewers directly into the chaos by recreating the infamous 1970 Yodogo hijacking incident, where Japanese Red Army militants tried to redirect a passenger plane to North Korea. Unlike other portrayals, 'Made in Korea' places Hyun Bin's character inside the aircraft, orchestrating a brilliant "double hijacking" operation.
From within the cabin, Baek Ki-tae manipulates the hijackers using his drug stash while secretly feeding intelligence to authorities on the ground. In a masterstroke of deception, he convinces the militants they have landed in Pyongyang, North Korea, when the plane has actually touched down at Seoul's Gimpo Airport. This opening sequence establishes him as a master manipulator operating in the gravest of moral zones.
When the Spy Fights the Law: A Prosecutor's Dangerous Pursuit
Standing against this corrupt agent is the principled and incorruptible prosecutor Jang Geon-young, played by Jung Woo-sung. His investigation into Busan's largest criminal organization leads him to incriminating photographs of Baek Ki-tae, setting him on a collision course with the powerful NIS.
The series then exposes the terrifying reach of 1970s intelligence agencies. In a brazen display of power, NIS agents are shown openly installing surveillance equipment in a prosecutor's office in broad daylight. Superior officers warn Jang to "stay away from the NIS," highlighting a system where justice is routinely bent by those with the right connections and unlimited authority. The power imbalance becomes brutally clear when Baek Ki-tae personally confronts the prosecutor and later orchestrates the escape of crime bosses right under law enforcement's nose.
Directed by Woo Min-ho, known for exposing Korea's dark history in films like 'Inside Men' and 'The Drug King', the eight-episode series crafts a gripping world of ambition and unchecked power. 'Made in Korea' premieres on December 24, offering a relentless examination of how far individuals will go when the lines between duty and crime completely vanish.
