Hulu’s Made in Korea is a South Korean series starring Hyun Bin as Baek Ki-tae, an agent of the Korean Central Intelligence Agency (KCIA) with a secret of growing his smuggling business. On his tail is Jung Woo-sung as Jang Geon-young, a skilled prosecutor focused on bringing down Ki-tae’s operations. It’s a game of cat and mouse as the two navigate around each other for different reasons.

Jung Sung-il portrays Cheon Seok-joong, the Chief of the Presidential Security Service, and Roh Jae-won as Pyo Hak-soo, a KCIA colleague of Baek Ki-tae.

“Baek Ki-tae is a KCIA agent, but he’s got another pocket just for himself,” Jung Sung-il tells Nerd Reactor. “So that’s his ugly desire. And just like that, the other characters, including mine and [Roh’s] Pyo Hak-soo also have their own agendas. They have their own motives. So I think the fun of the show is when the different desires of the different characters clash. There are certain incidents that happen. There are chemistries that are built within. So it’s got the explosive energy that leads to synergy.”

Audiences have been enjoying the cat-and-mouse genre, such as Dexter and Hannibal. With Made in Korea, they’ll get to see a thrilling drama involving a government official against another government official.

“I think catharsis is the reason why people love this kind of show,” Roh Jae-won tells Nerd Reactor. “But Made in Korea, I think, is different from just a story where a good guy goes after a bad guy. If you watch episodes five and six, especially, you will learn that all of the characters have their own desires, and the desires evolve over time. That’s what makes it more interesting.”

About Made in Korea

Synopsis: Set in 1970s Korea, Made In Korea Season 1 follows Baek Kitae, an ambitious KCIA agent who’s living a double life. Driven by his thirst for power, Kitae works as an agent by day and a smuggler by night. Smart, suave, cunning and capable, Kitae rapidly moves up the ranks after using his smuggling operation to consolidate power, protect his brother, and generate vast sums of money for the agency. Seemingly unstoppable, only one thing stands in his way – a tenacious prosecutor who can’t be bought, bribed or reasoned with. With everything at stake for both men the series will follow the duo as they look to take each other down.

It stars Hyun Bin, Jung Woosung, Woo Dohwan, Cho Yeojeong, Seo Eunsoo, Won Jian, Jung Sungil, Kang Gilwoo, Roh Jaewon, Lily Franky and Park Yongwoo.

The series is written by Park Eunkyo (Sea of Tranquility, Mother) and Park Joonseok (A Normal Family), directed by Woo Minho (The Man Standing Next, Inside Men), and produced by Hive Media Corp (Inside Men, The Man Standing Next, 12.12: The Day).

Made in Korea debuts on Hulu and Disney+ on December 24, 2025.