1This review may contain spoilers
Made in Korea felt like a high‑gloss promise that ultimately left me puzzled.
I really wanted to love this series. Everything about "Made in Korea" — the cast, the production design, the cool prestige look — suggested that this would be the next big thing. But while watching, I slowly got that familiar feeling I sometimes have with shows that seem a little too confident in their own importance. The series aims for “masterpiece” status, but never quite pulls me in on a narrative level.For me, the six episodes felt like a structural dead end. They were too short to truly explore the characters as human beings trapped in a system, with all their contradictions and moral struggles. At the same time, they were too long to work as a lean, uncompromising espionage thriller. The show wants to be both — and ends up losing me somewhere in between.
What disappointed me most was how much is hinted at rather than actually told. Friendships feel more like setup than lived relationships, the Vietnam reference remains a decorative biographical backdrop, and the sibling dynamic feels like a dramatic premise rather than an emotionally grounded conflict. Many characters came across as symbols for power and betrayal rather than people I could really connect with. Everything feels like narrative furniture — present, but not truly inhabited.
My personal anchor was the prosecutor. Amid all the polished surfaces, he felt like the exception, and that’s exactly why he stood out to me. He didn’t feel like a plot device, but like someone who thinks, doubts, and hesitates. That some viewers felt he didn’t quite fit actually says more about the show than about the character. To me, he represented a version of Made in Korea that takes moral gray zones seriously — a glimpse of what the series could have been.
Hyun Bin and Jung Woo‑sung carry the show with their presence, but even they (and production design and camera and music) can’t make up for the lack of narrative depth. Especially Jung Woo‑sung often felt like he was acting in a much bigger, more complex project that never fully made it to the screen. Without the star power, I probably wouldn’t have finished the series.
In the end, Made in Korea feels like a “budget version of a blockbuster”: huge effort, but limited storytelling payoff. As a film, it might have been sharper. As a longer series, it could have allowed its themes to breathe.
As it is, it left me with the sense of a project that knows its own potential — and quietly avoids fully committing to it.
Not quite one thing or the other. For me a sort of aesthetic, but ultimately empty space.
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Beyond my expectations
I started it because Seo Eun Soo was there. Generally, when a person that I like is not the main main role, I would skip other scenes if I am not interested overall. At first, I got bored in the first episode and struggled to understand the situation, but when it started to unfold in the second ep I was really interest about the story. Overall, it kept the attention that I was looking for till the end. Now, I am really interested in the second part of it. It was good, even though I didn't like some scenes, mostly the cinematography was good, and the characters were on point.Was this review helpful to you?
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One of the Most Well-Written Political Thrillers
Don't let the rating fool you, if you're someone who is into this genre, you will definitely understand and appreciate the plotline and the spectacular performances in this kdrama.Staring off from the very first episode with the hijacking incident and the reveal of our main character Baek Kitae, the drama sets out in a very clear direction. the performance delivered by Hyunbin is just outstanding, that even if you particularly didnt enjoy this plot you can't deny that his potrayal of Baek is on point.
The rest of the episode aren't any different, infact each episode feels like a movie that I would be willing to watch over and over again. I personally felt like every side character and subplot added to the overall storyline which kept it interesting at every level. Even what people kept pointing out as "boring men talking" to me was the most important part of the story as it added depth and layers and it really established what it was like back in the 1970s, it felt realistic and very well done.
Although I wasn't exactly on Baek Kitae's side (that's just my morality coming into play) and I really wanted to see Prosecutor Jang defeat him, this guy is just unstoppable, well composed and knows how to get what he wants, opposite to Jang whose character was chaotic, and many of his actions were rushed which ultimately led to his defeat.
I'm super excited for the second half of this kdrama, I hope we get to see more of Baek Kihyun, who in my opinion might be the only person able to actually stop Baek Kitae, and if the second half does happen to take that path id very much love to see it.
Overall a very solid watch for me, and if youre someone who doesn't just want to switch their brains off watching you should definitely give this show a shot, its entertaining and well done. A 9.5 for me.
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Dining off of that closing scene ?
Just finished Made in Korea on Disney. For the life of me I cannot comprehend the low ratings, this is brilliant. The closing scene was chefs 💋 I will dine off of that for a while.The sets are spot on the cinematography is giving all the feels of the 1960’s with out compromising on the quality of modern cinematography.
The locations feed into the era so well and set the scene perfectly for some serious politics and the entanglement with the underworld . The writing is clever, the opening credits and the first two episodes give the feels of a mission impossible movie, but it doesn’t sit in imitation, no it throws you into a political world instead and then into an action movie and then combines it all, with just a smidgen of flirtation.
Hyun Bin is impressive both in stature and presence, I understand totally his decision to change his body for this role, it literally gave the character weight, giving off The Krays vibes as the KCIA come gangster outwitting them all, with a military background which honestly he owned.
There are big names here and imo none disappoint, I wasn’t sure at first about the almost comic performance by Jung Woo Sung, but actually it worked really well, you need Hyun Bin equal and he gave it in his own unique style which arched back to 1960’s cops on TV 📺
I particularly enjoyed Jung Sung Il character, I loved him in The Glory and he is perfectly cast again, he has that respectability with the darkest of edges off to a T and I fully appreciate it.
Woo do Whan, Won, Ji An and Seo Eun Soo made strong impressions and you can see they will come into their own in the second part and for one cannot wait for it.
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This review may contain spoilers
Death Note - But Make It A Gripping, Suspenseful Political Crime Thriller
This is by far one of the best recent k-dramas I've watched. in fact, I'd go as far as to say that it's one of the best k-dramas I've watched, PERIOD! It's definitely going into my favorite k-dramas list. I don't even usually watch dramas like this, but I wanted to step out my comfort zone, and BOY am I happy that I did! I love good villain protagonists, and Baek Ki-Tae was a VERY compelling one. I couldn't help but root for him, especially with the backstory he had. And he was sympathetic to some extent. Not to mention Hyun-Bin did an incredible job playing Ki-Tae- I'm officially a fan of his now if I wasn't before! Jang Gun-Young was a great foil/antagonist to him, too. I like how he was still flawed, but very determined. Jung Woo-Sung did a wonderful job with his portrayal of Gun-Young as an anti-hero, but I feel like he overacted a little bit at times. BUT this was clearly a directing choice: the fiery, reckless (and sometimes maniacal) prosecutor compared to the suave, calculating, and ruthless drug smuggler & KCIA director. It definitely made sense to me.Onto the female characters, and this is one of the very, very, VERY few problems I have with this drama, it's male-centered as hell. But I know that this was intentional, since Korea was and is still very patriarchal, especially in the 1970s under President Park Chung-Hee. Most of the female characters were either plot devices or dead weight, I'd say the only exception was probably Ikeda/Choi Yu-Ji, who matched Ki-Tae's cold nature. But she had her own reasons for being so stoic- proving herself to her (adopted) father, Chairman Ikeda Osamu. Also understandable. You don't often see cold-hearted female protagonists in k-dramas, so this was a welcome change. As for Oh Ye-Jin, I liked her being so feisty. I did not, though, like her being comic relief. I feel like it definitely threw off the tone of the show. Not completely, but it was jarring and felt unnecessary. But she's still a good character, although she feels more like a side character rather than a main one. Regarding the other female characters, I'm interested in seeing how Baek So-Young's story unfolds in Season 2 especially with her being the new drug facility manager considering what happened to Kang Dae-Il (another guy I actually ended up feeling a little bad for, somehow?) I also LOVED Bae Geum-Ji, but the writer did her so dirty!
Side characters! Again, I felt bad for Dae-Il. I can't remember all of them right now, but the one I liked the most was definitely the President's Chief of Staff, Cheon Seok-Jung. He's very interesting, and I wanna see what his relationship with Ki-Tae is gonna look like in Season 2! He's so unpredictable! As for Baek Ki-Hyun, I think he's the only traditional hero in this drama. So he seems like he'll play a more antagonistic role in Season 2, especially since he's the more righteous/"good" sibling. Then again, no one in this drama is a good person! You can't trust anyone! 😭 Everyone's flawed, a criminal, greedy, ambitious, and/or selfish somehow. I LOVE IT! Give me more!
Writing-wise, okay, I'm gonna be honest, some scenes felt like they dragged on A LOT. It was endless talking and sometimes I'd definitely skip ahead or lose focus. But this was a minor issue, I think I'm used to it now with k-dramas that have hour-long episodes. Again, I don't typically watch dramas within this genre, but... at some point, by the end, EVERYTHING managed to connect pretty much perfectly. When I reached the last few scenes of the season finale, I was like, "What? Oh... oh. OHHHH!!!! OH SHIT! WHOA!" Excellent. Just excellent. Honestly, each episode could've been its own movie, because I feel there was just... not enough exploration. Depth? It felt too short! In the words of Michael Irvin from that one commercial, "We want MORE! WE NEED MORE!" This show definitely suited its genre though. A political crime thriller mixed with action, mystery, law, political intrigue, suspense, and just the right amount of drama. No romance necessary. It's basically a Korean Death Note with politics, drugs, and morally grey characters everywhere. And the MUSIC was great, too! Very subtle BGM, but it suited the setting and fit the mood incredibly well. A drama like this doesn't need some poppy OST, instrumentals do just fine. And I like the opening theme/sequence too.
I believe that this is one of those dramas you HAVE to rewatch in order to fully understand everything. When I say everything is connected, I mean EVERYTHING (mostly) is connected somehow, in some way, shape, or form. I highly recommend this k-drama, it is SO underrated. Definitely a diamond in the rough. The acting is amazing, the music is awesome, the directing is pretty perfect, the characters are flawed and the writing & pacing have minor issues, but they can mostly be overlooked, and the story itself is very interesting. My score? 10/10.
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Very Hollywood. Watch 1 episode to see Huyn Bin acting and you saw it all
Very Hollywood - all about the bad guys, no real plot, just wild action without meaningful content.Promoting the message of desperation and power of evil. Very typical Hollywood. The ONLY one good guy is super naive and gets betrayed by everyone.
I watched this to the end so that I write this well informed scathing review. Overall, this drama is trashy and you saw it all if you watch 1 episode.
I started watching bc I was curious to see Hyun Bin. Sure, he is a great actor but this role gets boring as he is ALWAYS THE SAME - smoking cigarettes witih a grumpy violent face selling drugs. THE DRAMA IS ABOUT HIM, WE GET TO SEE THAT EVIL DRUG DEALER ON THE SCREEN THE MOST, he dominates the drama as the most important character.
Couldnt HB find a better script, or is he doing this for money??
Also, there are no women in this drama. There are 3 listed as FL but their screen time is super minimal and insignificant.
Mr. Plankton is there acting stellar his role but he is on the screen litrally less than 5 minutes in 6 episodes. Total waste.
There is no meaningful dialogue anywhere. And it is quite violent and gory.
it does mention some key issues - like, government selling drugs to keep itself in power, Korean CIA in fact selling them, etc. and it rteaches history, like the dark times Korea had with the president staying in power by selling drugs and torturing the opposition, but that is all covered in ep 1 or so. No need to watch the entire drama
The audience of this drama seems to be military and conservative males.
Overall, this drama is a waste of time. You can see one episode to confirm that HB can act well, and by that time, you have seen it all, there is no need to waste time to watch the rest, it is all the same, always.
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Somewhat of a disappointment
I know these rumors have been disproven before this drama aired, however it still was a disappointment.The story itself started very strong with EP1 being very fast paced and having a lot of plot. Watching "The Good News" kinda ruined this drama for me because there were just too many parallels and basically a copy pasted plot of a movie rushed in a single episode.
I came with huge expectations after being a fan of "The Drug King" and having rewatched it many times, as after all it still is an underrated movie that was its time ahead when it comes to crime, violence and political dramas. This drama proved why The Drug King is a masterpiece.
Made in Korea is the name of the product that helped the ML in The Drug King to work himself from rags to riches and it was a very nice plot. It should've deserved a 6 EP series instead of a rushed movie, this is what I actually expected when hearing Made in Korea drops, whereas I was hyped for it the entire year.
The way this story unfolds is just a huge disappointment and I have no visions or hope for it. After all, a second season was announced meaning we have to wait and are being left with an open plot once EP6 drops.
EP2 was very slow and the drop off from EP1 was kinda to be expected. Way too rushed and too much unnecessary plot just to introduce the ML. Perhaps it's just that Good News ruined it for me.
The only thing that saves this drama is really the cast because Hyun Bin is THE goat! I can't give it a bad rating because he is back. I would wish for a stronger female cast because it is pretty disappointing as of now as well.
I would really suggest to watch The Drug King, because I assume its suited for the same audience. Who would watch Made in Korea expecting a romantic drama? The Drug King objectively remains the top in its genre as of today.
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Just wasn't feeling it.
It really couldn't keep my attention. I never had that "I can't wait till the next episode" feeling. I had actually forgotten about it after 3 episodes and but remembered it when I saw my que.Cast is fine but the characters themselves were boring and one dimensional and unable to draw investment from me. Not a fan of this older kind of production so it's visuals looked pretty bad but that's just me. It's presented in the "I want to be the next Godfather" masterpiece but falls short on every aspect. I have no interest in seeing part 2 and will give it a hard pass.
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I was expecting...more?
This drama wasn't bad at all, I actually enjoyed it. It's just that sometimes it felt like it was trying to be too many things at the same time and failed to excel at any of them, which makes me think that with more episodes it could have worked better. Sometimes I couldn't tell whether Kitae had it all planned out or if he was just a lucky man. In any case, the six episode format wasn't all bad because the episodes were entertaining enough and didn't feel rushed. The cast and the acting were truly incredible, with a standout performance from Woo-sung, who stole the show for me. I'll be waiting for the second season just to see how this story continues, hoping it improves a bit in the areas where it felt a bit weak.Was this review helpful to you?
This review may contain spoilers
KCIA drug smuggling operation during the military rule
The first episode on the hijacked plane was simply great, It was like a full movie, without any filler scemes. Tremendously entertaining and suspense filled. We are introduced to Baek Ki Tae and find out he's an intelligence agent hustling a side job.In ep 2 as we're still wondering about how on earth can intelligence agents actually be running a drug production and smuggling operation, we get sidetracked into a story of a woman who returns to Korea and seems to be able to blackmail all of the men sitting at the top of the military junta. Baek Ki Tae is tasked with babysitting her. Ep 2 starts to fill me with doubts about the drama as queen Cho Yeo Jung's character is a totally pathetic character wanting to have a fling with Baek Ki Tae. But we get excellent comedic scenes with prosecutor Jang Gun Yeong (Jung Woo Sung) and his female sidekick (Seo Eun Soo) chasing after the ice cooker Dae Il.
By ep 3 the comedy is gone. We're thrown into internal intrigues in the intelligence agency and goverment top brass fighting each other (boring). For some reason we get short scenes of Baek Ki Tae's brother and sister. Their role in the drama remains vague as each have abt 5 mins of screentime.
Last 3 episodes, more of the same. Prosecutor fights hard, Baek Ki Tae fights back, big shots fight each other and we take sidetrips to Japan and back, Vietnam and back, each lasting about 5 mins. Barely time to drink a coffee in each destination, much less a beer. Much fighting. That's about it. Everything that could have been interesting, is glossed over.
The story of KCIA drug smuggling operation during the military rule had ingredients for a 30 episode drama. Yet they squeezed it into 6 episodes. Like a synopsis without well developed characters, without in-depth exploration of the historical background, without properly giving a life to all the players and characters involved. If this had been a c-drama (like Narcotic Operation) we'd have spent 3 episodes hanging out in Vietnam alone. Having a real heart to heart discussion over a beer.
I really didn't get Woo Do Hwan's role. It's not like we really got to know Baek Ki Tae's family. Or the yakuza family that had max 20 mins screentime during the whole run (so why even introduce it).
Yes, there's going to be S2, but I already struggled to keep up with the plot when the episodes were 1 week apart. Can't imagine to remember anything about this when S2 eventually drops.
I believe Disney had a full script but butchered it just like they did with Arthdal Chronicles' final season. Disney is all action and little character depth or world building.
Jung Woo Sung was absolutely stellar in this though. It's worth watching his acting which, as one of the reviews says, is like he was acting in the real masterpiece of a drama that Made in Korea could have been. I have to mention also Roh Jae Won, he was excellent. Hyun Bin's character is a ruthless murderer and drug trader and people mistook him for a good guy. He was pretty good and shed his usually goofiness but would have needed to go one step further to portray true evil (which can be done by small gestures).
This is a 7.5.
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Gripping political noir which fell victim to its writing
Made In Korea had grabbed my attention last year due to its cast and premise. I kept up with it for the first 4 episodes but later on, I ultimately put it on hold. Since the second installment of the series has started airing, I decided to watch the first part again and finish it at last.Set in the 1970s South Korea, the drama tells a story of power and ambition, driven by the vulnerable political scene and the systemic power during this era. The main characters, Baek Kitae and Jang Gun Yeong, represent two clashing ideologies. The first one works with the KCIA and seeks more power for himself by selling drugs while the latter one is a prosecutor who wants to fight for justice and bring Baek Kitae behind the bars. Their conflict shapes the story and alongside that, the narration follows political schemes, drug deals and a constant fight for power.
From the very first glance, one can tell that this drama had budget. And a very big one, since it was reported that 70 billion won ($51 million) was spent on this series. The production is awestruck to say the least and viewers who appreciate rich settings will definitely receive a visual feast. Like Low Life, another Disney drama which was set in 1970, Made In Korea portrayed this era accurately, not only from the visual perspective only but the political one, too.
The cinematography and camera work highlighted the intense atmosphere throughout the drama. The darker and mundane colours added to the bleak and dark plot, giving a feeling of uneasiness. As for the soundtrack which accompanied the drama, it was very retro and yet dynamic when it needed to. As someone who loves instrumental tracks, the music was very funto listen to and I appreciated the usage of violin, trumpets and the piano. "Inhale the Throne" and "Longing For Love Again" were two of the most distinguished titles for me. The first one was a classical, soothing yet eerie piece while the second one had more jazz vibes, giving a feeling of melancholy and bitterness.
The acting was by all means one of the strongest cards of this drama, if not the strongest. Most of the actors delivered exactly what was expected from them and I even dare to say that they were better than the characters they were supposed to portray.
That was my very first time watching Hyun Bin in a project and I can confirm that people who are obsessed with him are not wrong at all. Not many actors can pull off the role of a villain in a charismatic way and yet, Hyun Bin not only captivated me with his presence alone, but he made me root for Baek Kitae at times, too. He embodied Kitae's cold and ambitious personality effortlessly, allowing himself to express a glimpse of humanity in some rare occasions, thus highlighting Kitae's complexity.
Jung Woo Sung as Prosecutor Jang was entertaining and chaotic, to say the least. He did a good job with his character and unlike other viewers who disliked his laughter, I must say I found it kinda amusing, it was a nice trait to Gun Yeong's character and it added to his kinda unhinged personality. That being said, for this type of role, I would have liked a more mature approach but that is not the actor's fault.
I saw Won Ji An for the first time in Squid Game 2 and to tell the truth, the first time I watched Made In Korea, it didn't cross my mind that she was the same actress. While rewatching the first episodes and after learning that information, I was left surprised because her acting had picked my interest during my first watch, too! She was fierce as Choi Yu Ji, she encapsulated her cold and cunning personality perfectly and she was oh so magnetic to watch. I loved the way she carried herself and how she matched Hyun Jin's experience during their scenes.
But one of the best acting performances came from a guest appearance and that was none other than Cho Yeo Jung as Bae Geum Ji on episode 3. What can I say about this woman, she stole the show with just one episode, during the rewatch for the first episodes, I anticipated her appearance so much. She felt like a breath of fresh air in the story. Elegant, playful and yet tragic, Bae Geum Ji was a woman who longed for a meaningful relationship and someone who actually loved her. Yeo Jung was simply magnificent and she moved with how she conveyed Geum Ji's tragedy.
From a technical standpoint, Made In Korea is almost perfect. But when I watch something, I also want to feel engaged to the story or the characters. And this is where Made In Korea fell short for me (literally and figuratively).
For a political series, which explores themes like corruption, power and ambition, the story came across as rather...bland? There were some good segments here and there and most episodes had their own highlights but overall, the story failed to grab my interest. The drugs trafficking was uninteresting, I understand the purpose but I wasn't invested in this part of the story and how Baek Kitae run his underground business. I preferred the parts which focused directly at the characters' relationships and the power dynamics between them, it highlighted the themes better.
The pacing was so-so. The first four episodes were good but the more I watched, the more I remembered why I had put the drama on hold in the first place. Even for such a short series, with just 6 episodes, the story still felt kinda dragged at times. The last episode in particular was hard to get through. What I noticed is that it was always the middle sections which seemed lackluster to me. The beginning and the ending of each episode was gripping and interesting but there were some moments in-between which dragged the story back.
I am aware of the fact that political thrillers tend to be plot driven rather character driven. That being said, this format can be a hit or miss for me, since I prioritize characterization most of the time. If a plot is engaging enough, I can excuse the writing of the characters to some extent and vice versa. Here, both the story and characters failed to grab my attention as much as I wanted to.
Baek Kitae was the only properly fleshed out character (although, he too had his flaws regarding his writing). Even though I wanted more of his backstory, I understood his desperation to climb higher in hierarchy and establish a better life for his siblings, especially his brother. That being said, I wish we had seen more moments between him and his family. Not necessarily to justify his actions but just to see the humane side the writers tried to showcase. There was a brief moment on episode 6 between him and Baek Gi Hyun, which conveyed his protective side but that wasn't enough to properly establish the drifting relationship between the brothers.
Jang Gun Yeong wasn't as compelling as Baek Kitae. As I mentioned above, I would have preferred a more mature and laid down approach for his character, compared to the exaggerated version we got. His background was interesting and I understood his need for justice and punishment but overall, he seemed pretty one-dimensional to me. I didn't like that he was comedic at times, it kinda took me out and prevented me from taking him seriously. His character shined the best when he was serious and passionate about his goal and that should have been the approach from the start.
Woo Do Hwan felt more like a guest star instead of a supporting actor, to be honest. Baek Gi Hyun was a very interesting character and I definitely expect to see more of him in the second part but in the first season, he was...there. I don't even thing that his screen time can surpass 10 minutes in these six episodes. As a result, the drama failed to build a proper foundation for the relationship between the two brothers and I'm afraid that this might affect my experience while I'll be watching season 2, since I am not very emotionally invested in this relationship.
The discrepancy between the male and female characters when it came to the writing was, unfortunately, very evident. Investigator Oh Ye Jin was fun and I liked her personality, but I would have liked to see more of her development, instead of being treated as a comic relief girl-boss. Baek Kitae's sister was also very reduced as a person, I couldn't bring myself to care a lot about her.
In retrospect, I feel like Made In Korea would have had a better reception had both parts been released together, instead of being separated. It's clear that part 2 will dive deeper into the characters and their dynamics compared to part 1, which felt more like an introduction instead of a fleshed out season. Nevertheless, I am eager to see how this story will end. I appreciate the quality of this drama and I am more than curious to see who will prevail in this battle for power.
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Amazing LA noir style drama
I've just finished watching Made in Korea serie; 6 episodes and i really enjoyed it. I like this old detective LA Noire style of movies and series in general and this serie didn't disappoint.The acting wasn't that spectacular but the use of music, cinematography was on top, and I also, liked the idea or the message behind this story where unlike the usual narratives we're all familiar with of the weak winning by the end, this was different and I think it was satisfying because it was realistic and i also think this is the reason this serie got an average score of 7 and will probably go low.
People are used to heroes beating up the bad guys regardless of their status and this serie didn't gave us that happy ending, so yeah this is probably the reason.
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