Many around the world can't get enough of Korean dramas, or zombie thrillers. Combining those popular elements,... Netflix will launch its first original series in Korean later this week -- a zombie apocalypse set in Korea during the Joseon Dynasty.
Our Oh Soo-young tells us more.
A battle against the undead takes place in medieval Korea in an upcoming Netflix series,... the first K-drama to be commissioned by the online streaming platform.
Before it hits the small screens on Friday,... stars of six-part drama titled Kingdom held a press conference in Seoul,... to share a glimpse of the zombie apocalypse set in the Joseon Dynasty,... the last kingdom of Korea.
In a time of social disorder and famine,... an epidemic breaks out, transforming those infected into zombies.
The crown prince,... who is played by Ju Ji-hoon,... has been framed for treason,... and has to prove his innocence through a journey to uncover the source of the epidemic.
"It is unique as it can resonate with many people by blending the beauty of our country and its traditional tales with Western elements."

The original screenplay, penned by writer Kim Eun-hee,... was inspired by royal records from the 19th century reporting tens of thousands of deaths caused by a mysterious plague.
Given the widespread popularity of Korean dramas as well as zombie thrillers,... Netflix teamed up with Kim and acclaimed director Kim Seung-hoon to create the Korean-language series,... which took almost eight years to produce with a budget of one-point-seven million dollars.

"It looks like there's a high chance Netflix will increase investment,... but I think they will first consider the preferences of global users and their response to Korean content."

Production for the second series of Kingdom is slated to begin in February.
Oh Soo-young, Arirang News.