The biggest problem with a remake of La Casa de Papel is that there is already a heck of an original – which lasts at most two seasons too long. Unfortunately, the otherwise very solid South Korean version that can now be seen on Netflix adds little to this: neither as a variation on one of the better Netflix titles of recent years, nor as a series from one of the best countries for series and movies right now.
Money Heist: Korea is set in the near future, when North and South Korea are in the midst of a long-coveted process of reunification. Citizens can travel back and forth, although we only see North Koreans rushing south with expectant eyes. The current Joint Security Area, known for the blue negotiating houses and military personnel who stare at each other a few meters on the inter-Korean border, has been replaced by a Joint Economic Area – also the subtitle of the series. There is a jointly managed Korean Currency, printing the unit currency of the reunified Korean peninsula – the target of a team of highly-prepared bank robbers.
The Spanish script
So much for the Korean quirks of the series, because otherwise the episodes largely follow the script of the Spanish original. For people who have already seen this, the Korean counterpart contains few surprises. At most it is interesting for South Korean viewers – or people who are such an extreme fan of La Casa de Papel are that after five seasons and numerous interviews and behind the scenes-stretching a craving for something ‘new’ around the concept.
The characters are also the same as in the original, especially for Tokyo (Jeon Jong-seo, known from Burning) and the Professor (Yoo Ji-tae, known from classic oldboy) big actor names have been taken off the shelf. Viewers of Squid Game will recognize the childhood friend of the protagonist in Berlin (played by Park Hae-soo). The director of the Mint is, if possible, an even more cowardly and insufferable jellyfish than in the Spanish version. A downside is that the backstories of the main characters are sometimes very short and general. They thus offer no deeper layers and motivations for the characters in question. With some characters, especially Tokyo and the Professor, you sometimes wonder what they’re doing it for and you miss the Spanish star actors. A hidden gem is Denver, which comes out very strongly in the Korean version.
Reunification of North and South Korea
Where Money Heist: Korea What sets it apart is the dynamics surrounding the reunification of North and South Korea. For example, the fact that Berlin is a North Korean prison camp survivor and Tokyo a former communist soldier do give the series its own twist. It is also exciting and tantalizing how eighty years of division causes difficulties in the cooperation between North and South Koreans – both for the good and the bad guys. South Korean thriller series often excel at creating the most stunning intrigues. The script borrows from that La Casa de Papel presents itself excellently and with some variations it is given some extra spice in the Korean version. The creation of cuttable tension, another talent of the Korean serial industry, is once again ramped up here.
All of that brings with it some nice and original elements, but in the end the series feels a bit redundant on top of the Spanish original. For who after the fifth (and last) season of La Casa de Papel still haven’t gotten enough, maybe it’s better to wait for spin-off series Berlin which is expected in 2023.