Disney+ has confirmed production on The Koreans, a local-language reimagining of the hit FX series The Americans. The project marks a significant milestone for the streaming platform as its first major international adaptation of a prized domestic property. Moving the action from the Reagan-era suburbs of Washington, D.C., to the rapidly modernizing landscape of 1990s South Korea, the series will explore the peninsula’s own enduring divisions through the lens of domestic espionage.
The original series, which ran for six seasons and earned widespread critical acclaim, followed two KGB officers posing as an ordinary American couple. In this new version, the central protagonists are North Korean elite operatives embedded in South Korean society. While their neighbors and children see a typical middle-class family, the parents are working covertly to destabilize the South from within.
Lee Byung-hun, known internationally for his role in Squid Game, leads the series as Kim Myung-jun. He stars alongside Han Ji-min, of Our Blues, who plays his wife and partner in espionage, Yoon Hak-kyung. The cast also features Lee Hee-joon as a counterintelligence agent whose investigation begins to circle the couple’s fabricated life.
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The adaptation is being steered by a notable creative duo. Ahn Gil-ho, the director behind the psychological thriller The Glory, will oversee every episode. The scripts are being adapted by Park Eun-kyo, whose previous writing credits include Bong Joon-ho’s acclaimed film Mother. Following the South Korean production model, the duo will maintain creative consistency across the entire series, a departure from the rotating directors common in American television.
The setting of 1990 is a deliberate choice. South Korea was then navigating a delicate transition toward democracy following the 1987 uprising. transposing the story to this era allows the show to examine a society in flux, where the ideological gap between North and South remained—and remains—a lived reality.
Eric Schrier, Disney’s head of international local originals, originally developed the FX series. He admitted to some initial hesitation about remaking a project so close to his heart. However, he was convinced by the cultural weight the story carries in a divided Korea. “Because Korea is still divided, this could be a very culturally relevant story for the local audience,” Schrier noted.
Support from the Original Creators
While the remake moves the story to a new continent, it carries the blessing of the original team. Schrier confirmed that he spoke with The Americans stars Keri Russell and Matthew Rhys, as well as creators Joe Weisberg and Joel Fields. Although the original creators chose not to be involved in the writing process for emotional reasons, they have expressed interest in visiting the Seoul sets.
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The Koreans is part of a broader push by Disney+ to expand its slate of adult-oriented local originals in the Asia-Pacific region. The series is expected to stream on Disney+ internationally and on Hulu in the United States, with a tentative release window set for 2027.
