Netflix has begun production on the Korean political drama “The Generals” (tentative title), directed by Yoon Jong-bin. In this drama, Song Seok-kook and Ha Jung-woo will play real historical figures Noh Tae-woo and Chun Doo-hwan.
The film will be director Yoon’s first feature since 2018’s The Spy Gone North. The director previously collaborated with Netflix on the 2022 crime series Narco Saints, which received wide viewership worldwide. In “The Generals,” he will be reunited with Ha Jung-woo, who also appeared in the same series.
The story revolves around Roh Tae-woo, a man who cultivates a public image as a commoner while exercising influence with Chun Doo-hwan, a powerful military figure. The film traces Chun’s years of efforts to step out of his shadow and claim the top spot for himself, examining the web of alliances, rivalries, and organizational maneuvers that defined his position.
The role of Roh Moo-hyun will be played by Sung Seok, who is known worldwide for his roles in “DP” and “Murder Paradox.” Ha Jeong-woo, who has appeared many times in Yoon’s filmography and whose credits include “Assassination” and “With God,” will play Chun Doo-hwan, a classmate of Roh Moo-hyun’s military academy who has become an autocratic ruler. Ji Chang-wook, who recently starred in “The Worst of Evil,” plays Heo Hak-seon, a young academy graduate whom Roh Moo-hyun views as a persistently disabled person. Hyun Bong-sik, a veteran of both “Drug Saint” and “Killer Paradox,” appears as Jung Ho-joon, a classmate close to both Noh and Jung. Seo Hyun-woo, who appeared in director Park Chan-wook’s “Decision to Leave the Party,” rounds out the ensemble as Park Cheol-woong, a prosecutor close to Roh Moo-hyun.
“The Generals” was co-produced by Moonlight Films, which worked on “Narco Saints” and “Karma,” and San-Ai Pictures, which worked on “The Hunt” and “Revolver.” The film will stream exclusively on Netflix.
