MultiChoice first revealed the channel alongside 4 others at an upfront which was held back in August.
Coming from Oscar-winning producers of Parasite, tvN opens up the world of Korean drama to DStv customers, on the back of rapidly-growing global interest in the quirky world of K-Pop and all things Korean.
It was suppose to roll out alongside the Turkish pop-up channel early in November until the end of March on DStv but according to sources it has been pushed to early 2021. MultiChoice has confirmed that if this channel engages well with viewers they'll keep it full-time.
Just like the other 3 channels, this one will be available to DStv Premium, Compact+ and Compact customers across Africa with DStv Family customers and upwards in South Africa but there's chances that might change when it rolls out.
The channel features shows produced by some of the biggest players in the Korean drama industry and serving up glossy, powerful content, which customers can look forward to, in November 2020 on DStv.
The only show confirmed for the channel is Entourage which is a remake of the American drama series.
MultiChoice stated in their advert tvN will offer the "best" Korean dramas in English and I have complied a list of their best shows and they go as followed:
1. Reply, is an anthology television series revolved around a group of friends, as the timeline moves back and forth between their past and present selves.
2. Crash Landing on You tells the story of two star-crossed lovers, Yoon Se-ri, a South Korean fashion entrepreneur with her company Se-ri's Choice, and Ri Jeong-hyeok, a member of the North Korean elite and a Captain in the North Korean Special Police Force.
3. Guardian: The Lonely And Great God, follows Kim Shin, a decorated military general from the Goryeo Dynasty, is framed as a traitor and killed by the young king. Years after his death, he is cursed by the almighty to stay immortal forever and endure the pain of seeing his loved ones die as punishment for the kills he committed in the wars to protect his country.
4. Mr. Sunshine, centres around Eugene Choi who was born into slavery in Joseon but escaped to the United States after the 1871 Shinmiyangyo (U.S. expedition to Korea). He becomes a United States Marine Corps officer and returns to Joseon for a mission. While in Joseon, he meets and falls in love with an aristocrat's granddaughter, Go Ae-shin, who is part of the Righteous Army.
5. 100 Days My Prince, Lee Yul is a prince's troublesome nephew who enjoys spending his days playing instead of studying. One day, he falls in love with his polar opposite Yi-seo, and this causes him to change to become more studious in order to impress her. Yi-seo's father is a general and the right-hand man of the King.
6. Hospital Playlist, tells the story of doctors and nurses working at Yulje Medical Center. It focuses on five doctors who have been friends since they entered medical school in 1999.
7. Signal, a mysterious walkie talkie allows a detective in the year 1989 to communicate with a cold case profiler from 2015; with the power of fore and hindsight the two not only solve crimes but prevent them from ever taking place.
8. Hotel Del Luna, is a supernatural place, the hotel is not visible in its true form during the daytime as humans can only come across the hotel under special circumstances. Its staff and clients are all souls/ghosts coming to terms with unfinished business in their former lives before they pass on to the afterlife and cycle of reincarnation; the staff in particular have been there for decades and even centuries as they have not settled their grudges.
9. Prison Playbook, a captivating drama revolving around the lives of convicts behind bars, their families and duty officers working in the correctional facilities. A superstar baseball pitcher, Kim Je-hyuk, is convicted of assault after he saves his sister from a sexual attack.
10. The Crowned Clown, the story takes place at a time in mid-Joseon period, when upheavals and power struggles surrounding the throne had reached extremely devastating levels. In order to escape those who plan to assassinate him, the king puts a clown, who looks exactly like him, on the throne. The clown then later became the king of Joseon on his own merits.
11. Memories of the Alhambra, the series centers on a company CEO and a hostel owner who get entangled in a series of mysterious incidents surrounding a new and intricate augmented reality game inspired by the stories of the Alhambra Palace.
12. Another Miss Oh, tells the story of a miserable man who seeks revenge after being left at the alter by his fiancee whose getting hitched soon.
13. Stranger, follows the life of Hwang Si-mok an exemplary Prosecutor who suffered from hypersensitivity after undergoing a corrective surgery, he lost his sense of empathy and lacks social skills.
14. Lawless Lawyer, the series follows characters Bong Sang-pil and Ha Jae-yi who form the Lawless Law Firm. Sang-pil, a former gangster turned lawyer, seeks to avenge his mother and fight against those with absolute power.
15. Record Of Youth, the drama follows the lives of three young people in the contemporary fashion industry. They strive to achieve their dreams and love without despair.
16. What's Wrong Secretary Kim?, the plot revolves around the ambitious vice chairman of a major corporation, Lee Young-joon, and his highly capable secretary, Kim Mi-so. Misunderstandings arise when she announces that she will resign from her position, after working for Lee Young-joon for nine years. Young-joon will do whatever he can to make sure Mi-so stays by his side.
17. Misaeng: Incomplete Life, since he was a child, the board game baduk has been everything to Jang Geu-rae. But when he fails at achieving his dream of becoming a professional baduk player, Geu-rae must leave his isolated existence and enter the real world armed with nothing but a high school equivalency exam on his resume.
18. Familiar Wife, a married couple suddenly finds themselves living entirely different lives after their fates magically change through an unexpected incident.
19. Dear My Friends, tells the stories between friends in their last years of life, people who say some words like "It is not the end, we're still alive".
20. Live, tells the story of police officers - from the lowest field cadets and patrol officers, to their superiors including corporals, captains, and more - as they form the 'Live' team at the Hongil patrol division. Each officer has their own story, and each works hard in their own places at one of the busiest, most stressful jobs in the world, in order to earn a living.
21. Arthdal Chronicles, in a mythical land called Arth, the inhabitants of the ancient city of Arthdal contend with power struggles, while some encounter love along the way. Eun-seom goes through hardships to bring his tribe back to life and learns of his true origins in the process.
22. My Mister, tells us the story of three middle-aged brothers, who are enduring the weight of their lives, and a strong, cold woman, who has been living a hard life of her own, as they come together in healing each other's past scars.
23. It's Okay to Not Be Okay, tells the story of a romance between a caretaker at a psychiatric ward, who does not have time for love, and a successful children's book author, who does not know the feeling of love.
24. Oh My Ghost, Na Bong-sun has an extremely timid personality and low self-esteem, doesn't have any close friends, and is constantly getting reprimanded at her job as an assistant chef at Sun Restaurant. She also occasionally sees ghosts, thanks to a shaman grandmother.
25. Second 20s, Ha No-ra once dreamed of becoming a dancer, but she unexpectedly became pregnant at age 19 and had to quit school and get married. For the next two decades, her life revolved around being a housewife and mother.
26. Cheese In The Trap, The drama focuses on the life and relationships of a group of university students, particularly the difficult relationship between hard-working scholarship student Hong Seol and her deceptively kind senior, Yoo Jung.
27. A Korean Odyssey, Son Oh-gong (Sun Wukong) and Ma-wang Bull Demon King) are in conflict with each other as they look for a true light in a dark world where evil thrives. From there, Son Oh-gong is bound to his protective role towards Seon-mi (Sanzang), the little girl he had met years ago. Having made a contract with Seon-mi 25 years ago, entitling her to seek help from Son Oh-gong whenever she calls him in exchange for letting him free, the two meet again in a fateful encounter.
28. Live Up To Your Name, Heo Im is a Joseon doctor of Traditional Korean medicine, specializing in acupuncture. He worked at the clinic for the poor during daytime and earned a fortune by making secret visits to nobles and high-ranking officials' houses at night. After gaining notoriety for his great skills, he was tasked to help treat the king's migraines.
29. The Cursed, is about a teenage girl who has the ability to bring death by using names, photos and belongings, and a just social issues reporter, fighting against the massive evil hidden behind an IT conglomerate.
30. Romance Is A Bonus Book, Cha Eun-ho is a successful author and a senior editor at a book publishing company. Kang Dan-i is a mother and former successful advertising copywriter. When Cha Eun-ho was a child, Kang Dan-i saved him from an accident and was injured. Kang Dan-i had Cha Eun-ho help her while she was recuperating in hospital and later on bedrest for one year.
31. The K2, Kim Je-ha is a former mercenary soldier for the PMC Blackstone. While in Iraq, he gets framed for the murder of his lover Raniya, a civilian. As a result, he runs away and becomes a fugitive. He returns to South Korea and by chance, gets offered to work as a bodyguard by Choi Yoo-jin, the owner of JSS Security Company and wife of the presidential candidate, Jang-Se joon.
32. Hi Bye, Mama!, Cha Yu-ri has been a ghost since she died in a tragic accident five years ago. Through a reincarnation project, she is given the possibility to become human again if she succeeds in going back to her place within 49 days. However, her husband is now remarried.
33. Tales Of The Nine Tailed, opsis
A gumiho (nine-tailed fox) named Lee Yeon abdicated his position as the mountain spirit of Baekdudaegan to search for the reincarnation of his one true love Ah-eum. He followed her soul up to the Samdo River and gave her the fox bead as her mark when she is reborn again. Meanwhile, his half-brother Lee Rang was left alone and the mountain unprotected as well. With its guardian gone, humans were able to set fire in the mountains, causing Rang to flee.
34. Room No. 9, the story of two women whose fate is switched as they exchange bodies, and a man who holds the key to that fate.
35. Start-Up, the series revolves around a woman who has dreams of becoming an entrepreneur like Steve Jobs, a man who is secretly her first love, and another man who is pretending to be her first love.
36. Designated Survivor: 60 Days, Park Mu-jin is the South Korean Minister of Environment, with little ambition as a politician. After a diplomatic incident involving free trade negotiations with the United States, and Park's dispute over numbers provided by its Environmental Protection Agency about pollution caused by imported cars, President Yang Jin-ma dismisses Park from office.
37. When My Love Blooms, Synopsis
Han Jae-hyun and Yoon Ji-soo met and fell in love when they were university students. Twenty years later, they cross paths once again: Jae-hyun has become a successful businessman who pursues wealth and honor, while Ji-soo is a mother and a contract worker living a difficult life.
38. Flower Of Evil, Baek Hee-sung is a man who hides his identity and past from his wife Cha Ji-won, a detective. On the surface, they appear to be the perfect family: a loving couple with a beautiful daughter who adores her parents.
39. Tale Of Fairy, story of a 699-year-old fairy who has lived since the Koryeo dynasty, but has lost her wings and thus unable to ascend to heaven. In the modern time, she works as a barista and meets two potential reincarnations of her former husband Kim Geum, who died after accidentally falling down a cliff.
40. Confessions, Choi Do-hyun becomes a lawyer in order to clear his father's name after he has been wrongly accused of murder.
Read Also:
- Novela Magic coming soon to DStv
- Channels that never materialized on DStv
- Ziric Media rumored to launch next year on DStv
- Could these channels occupy channel 304 on DStv?
