Netflix is adapting Designated Survivor, the US TV series starring Kiefer Sutherland as a junior cabinet member who finds himself thrust into the Presidency, for the Korean market.
The streaming service has already picked up the original show for a third season after it was axed by US network ABC.
It’s Korean adaptation will go by the name Designated Survivor: 60 Days and tells the story of Park Mu-jin, played by actor Ji Jin-hee, a scientist-turned-politician who struggles to fit in politics but suddenly ascends from the position of Minister of Environment to President after an explosion at the National Assembly kills everyone ahead of him in the presidential succession.
Park is the acting president for 60 days, and during this period, albeit inexperienced and unwilling, he tries to uncover the truth behind the attack.
Lee Joon-hyuk, best known for his performance in the highly-praised TV series Stranger, plays an independent lawmaker, Oh Young-seok, who is not only charming but also full of confidence and young energy, which comes off as a stark contrast to Park.
A new character has been added to Designated Survivor: 60 Days. Han Ju-seung, the Chief Presidential Secretary, is played by Heo Joon-ho whom Netflix fans will recognize from the first season of Kingdom. Han is very calm and composed, and tends to draw a clear line between private and public matters, which in turn creates tension between him and Park.
Designated Survivor: 60 Days is written by Kim Tae-hee who is known for the beloved TV series Sungkyunkwan Scandal, and is directed by Yoo Jong-seon, whose filmography includes What’s Wrong with Secretary Kim and Descendants of the Sun.
The Netflix original is co-produced by eOne and Studio Dragon, Korea’s leading production studio.
