Jeon Ji-hyun, Kang Dong-won Star in Disney+ Spy Romance

“Spy romance with Jeon Ji-hyun and Kang Dong-won.”

The nine-episode series "Polaris," set to premiere on the streaming service Disney+ on Sept. 10, already draws attention with that simple description. With this star-studded pairing, the project’s appeal is nearly guaranteed. After several solid productions that underperformed at the box office, "Polaris" could become a rare hit for Disney+.

Polaris has been a hot topic on social media since early this year because it marks the first collaboration between Jeon Ji-hyun and Kang Dong-won. For Jeon, it is her first drama in four years, while Kang returns to television for the first time in 21 years, since the 2004 series Magic. Both actors reportedly chose the project because they “wanted to work together.”

Based on pre-release synopses, the series promises blockbuster-scale drama. Moon-ju (Jeon Ji-hyun), a U.N. ambassador with international recognition, investigates the forces behind an assassination attempt on a presidential candidate. She teams up with San-ho (Kang Dong-won), a mysterious special agent assigned to protect her, to confront a vast conspiracy threatening the Korean Peninsula. With a story of this scale, how the complex events unfold will be critical.

Industry insiders are also paying attention because "Polaris" is Disney+’s most ambitious project of the year. Since "Moving" (2023) and "Lighting Shop" (2024), the platform has lacked a definitive hit, and original series released in the first half of the year underperformed. Productions such as "Trigger" (Kim Hye-soo), "Hyperknife" (Seol Kyung-gu, Park Eun-bin), "Nine Puzzle" (Son Seok-gu, Kim Da-mi), and "Pine: Country Bumpkins" (Ryu Seung-ryong, Im Soo-jung) all featured star power and high production costs but fell short of expectations.

A drama producer noted, “Of course, you can’t ignore the actors’ ticket power, but these days, star power alone doesn’t guarantee success. Ultimately, the work itself has to be entertaining.” The series’ writer, Jeong Seo-kyung, known for films such as "Decision to Leave," has proven her skill, but she has yet to deliver a long-running drama hit.

“Until now, many Disney+ series have targeted male viewers, limiting their word-of-mouth potential," an OTT industry insider added. "'Polaris,' with strong female characters, could appeal to a wider audience and create a chance for a breakout success.”


김태언 기자 beborn@donga.com