With A-list firepower, top-tier creators, espionage romance to hit Disney+ in September

"Tempest," starring Gang Dong-won (Disney+)
"Tempest," starring Gang Dong-won (Disney+)

Disney+ previously revealed that its content strategy going forward would be prioritizing quality over quantity — rolling out a steady pipeline of high-profile originals.

And among its most anticipated Korean tentpoles this year is “Tempest," a big-budget espionage romance that unites two of Korea’s most bankable stars, Jun Ji-hyun (also known as Gianna Jun) and Gang Dong-won.

The series boasts an equally pedigreed roster of creative talent, with Kim Hee-won (“Queen of Tears”) and Heo Myung-haeng (“The Roundup: Punishment”) teaming up as co-directors. Script duties have been handled by Chung Seo-kyung, a co-writer on 2022's critically celebrated “Decision to Leave.”

“Tempest” follows diplomat Moon-ju (Jun Ji-hyun), who sets out to uncover the truth behind the shooting of presidential candidate and special agent San-ho (Gang Dong-won), whose mission was to protect her.

Chung explained her approach to writing the drama series, saying, “After hearing director Kim say she wanted to depict the love of a powerful woman, I created a female character involved in politics. From the very beginning of writing the story, I had Jun Ji-hyun in mind. Next to her, I placed a handsome male lead who could protect her. I studied the conventions of the spy genre while writing and built the romance through the process of the man and woman meeting in unexpected places.”

The director reflected on the genesis of the series, noting, “It all began with the question of what kind of story I wanted to tell."

"Personally, I’m drawn to narratives about people who struggle and fight with their lives on the line. Given the setting, the melodramatic tension between the two protagonists became much stronger, and I put in a lot of effort into amplifying that effect," he said. "At first, I didn’t set out to make it into a large-scale blockbuster, but as I fleshed it out, it naturally grew bigger."

On the series’ larger vision, she added, “'Tempest' takes on a cyclical structure where stories continually emerge. ... We emphasized not straying from authenticity and starting from a place of truth. I worked to create it in a way that makes viewers feel as though it could really be happening in the world around them.”

“Tempest” premieres on Disney+ Sept. 10.


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