One of the more unusual thrillers to come out of South Korea's booming television scene is heading back for more.
The return
"A Shop for Killers" will premiere its second season in July on Disney+ internationally and on Hulu in the United States, Variety reported, though an exact date has not yet been announced. The renewal continues the run of a series that became a word-of-mouth hit when it first appeared.
An unlikely premise
Based on a Korean web novel, the show follows a young woman, Jeong Ji-an, who inherits a mysterious shopping mall from her uncle — only to discover it is a secret marketplace serving contract killers, cleaners and other shadowy figures. The result is a blend of hard-edged action and family drama that helped the first season, released in early 2024, find an audience well beyond the usual K-drama crowd. The leads, Lee Dong-wook and Kim Hye-jun, are set to return.
New faces
The second season adds some notable names from across Asian film and television. Masaki Okada, the Japanese actor known for the Oscar-winning film "Drive My Car," is joining the cast, as is Hyunri, who appeared in the acclaimed series "Pachinko." Their arrival points to the increasingly cross-border nature of high-profile Asian productions.
Part of a bigger wave
The renewal is another sign of how central Korean series have become to the global streaming business. Platforms including Netflix, Disney+ and others have poured money into Korean thrillers and dramas, drawn by their devoted international followings and their knack for traveling far beyond South Korea's borders. For Disney+, bringing back a proven hit like "A Shop for Killers" is a bet that the appetite for slickly made Korean thrillers is only growing.
