Disney series-press event
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| ▲ The Creator's Talk for Disney+'s "Tempest" takes place in Seoul on Aug. 20, 2025. (Yonhap) |
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| ▲ "Tempest" screenwriter Jeong Seo-kyeong speaks during the Creator's Talk event in Seoul on Aug. 20, 2025. (Yonhap) |
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| ▲ "Tempest" co-directors Kim Hee-won (L) and Heo Myeong-haeng attend the Creator's Talk event in Seoul on Aug. 20, 2025. (Yonhap) |
Disney series-press event
Acclaimed creators share vision for new Korean spy romance 'Tempest'
By Woo Jae-yeon
SEOUL, Aug. 20 (Yonhap) -- The upcoming Disney+ Korean original series "Tempest" is arguably one of the most anticipated projects among the streaming service's Korean offerings for the year.
At a press event on Wednesday to discuss the creative production behind the new series, Carol Choi, executive vice president of content strategy in Disney's Asia-Pacific region, shared the key elements fueling the high anticipation.
The series is "centered on a gripping storyline combined with a world-class international cast and top production team, all coming together to deliver exceptional storytelling," she said.
She went on to describe the project as "a high-stakes spy romance -- a cross-genre series blending espionage, romance and action."
"There is political intrigue, romantic tension and great action," she said, adding, "Like many of our global hits, it has specificity in the story, but ultimately touches on universal themes of power and ambition, truth and trust, critical to creating global hits."
"Tempest" follows Moon-ju, played by Jun Ji-hyun, a trusted Korean ambassador to the United States, as she investigates a mysterious assassination alongside former ace mercenary San-ho (Gang Dong-won), a figure cloaked in secrecy.
As Choi noted, the production team represents the country's finest talent. The script is penned by renowned screenwriter Jeong Seo-kyeong, known for her close collaborations with director Park Chan-wook on projects like "Decision to Leave" (2022), "The Handmaiden" (2016) and "Thirst" (2009).
It is co-directed by Kim Hee-won of the hit drama series "Queen of Tears," "Little Women" and "Vincenzo," and Heo Myeong-haeng, who directed "The Roundup: Punishment," the fourth installment of the popular film franchise starring Ma Dong-seok.
At the event, Jeong shared her ambition for the project, saying she took it on with the hope of creating an excellent series that would allow the production team to bring out the best of their abilities.
"Once we were riding in the best car, I wanted to lay out a track for it to run as fast as it could, rather than walking in trekking shoes," she said metaphorically, while not revealing plot specifics.
For co-director Kim Hee-won, "Tempest" brings to life a compelling narrative where the main character struggles against overwhelming odds, putting their entire life on the line, the kind of plot that has always captivated her.
"I wanted to present such a story in a way that resonates with a broad audience," she said.
"As I was developing the narrative, the scale grew larger and larger, and we needed to incorporate complex and large-scale action sequences," the director said, explaining the need to collaborate with Heo, renowned for his expertise in filming action.
While keeping the plot "fresh," the team worked to make it as believable as possible so audiences could connect with the story as if it were real, she added.
"Tempest" is set to premiere on Sept. 10 on Disney+.
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