Korean titles are set to make a splash on streaming platforms this December led by two highly anticipated releases: Disney+’s “Light Shop,” penned by Kang Full of “Moving” (2023), and the second season of Netflix’s “Squid Game.”

The release of “Light Shop” on Wednesday sets up a battle between platforms Disney+ and Netflix, with the latter releasing "Squid Game" season two later this month. The director of "Light Shop," Kim Hie-won, seemed unfazed by the upcoming competition.


"I feel pressure when there's competition involved. But when it comes to success, competition is inevitable — it’s just something we have to face,” director Kim said during the series’ press conference held in a convention hall at Coex in southern Seoul, on Tuesday, a day before its release.

He says the show will warm the audience’s heart and hopes it will become one of “the most watched" around the world.

“For me, I thought a lot about how to move people’s hearts, and I am certain, in my own way, it will do so in that respect.”

Based on the 2011 webtoon of the same name and written by screenwriter Kang Full, the mystery show follows the story of a light shop at the end of a dark alley and the customers who visit with their own hidden secrets.

It is directed by Kim Hie-won, a well-known actor, and features actor Ju Ji-hoon as the light shop owner, alongside Park Bo-young, Um Tae-gu, singer and actor Seolhyun, Kim Min-ha, Lee Jung-eun, Shin Eun-soo and more.

Four out of the total eight episodes will be released on Wednesday. The remaining episodes will be released in groups of two each following Wednesday.

Bringing the cartoon to life enabled Kang Full to pen stories that he couldn’t express in his previous 2-D drawings.

"I was younger and my thoughts were too short back then, so there were things I couldn’t express properly, which led to regrets about some works later on," Kang Full said. "One of them was ‘Light Shop.’”

“I started off with the thought that when I meet a great director and actors, I might be able to create stories that I couldn’t fully express before, and that’s how I’ve come to stand here today.”

After meeting a great cast, director and staff, the writer was able to give more depth to the story. "I wanted to showcase more of the relationships between characters,” said the writer.

For Kang Full, “Light Shop” marks his second collaboration with the streaming platform, and he is also slated to do the second season of “Moving.”

As the writer continues to collaborate with the streaming platform, some suspect that he will expand his universe, known as the so-called Kang Full Universe, with his upcoming works.

“I’ll think about it,” the writer said about connecting the two series' universes. However, he was cautious not to spill the tea, saying, “The time period in ‘Light Shop’ is 2018, and ‘Moving’ is also set in 2018.”

However, Kang Full assured the audience that the upcoming series will be different from his famous superhero work, especially in its emotions. "Moving," released in August last year, garnered significant global success, becoming the most watched Korean original title globally on the streaming platform.

“[‘Light Shop’ is] a story filled with more emotions,” he said. “As the series mixes horror, thriller and melodrama, I think that viewers will find their own fun in the show and resonate with the whole narrative.”

Director Kim, originally an actor, marks his directorial debut with the series. Despite being his first directorial project, his thorough preparation and considerate actions surprised and touched the actors, especially actor Park.

"While acting, if a scene involved complex movements, the director would try them himself first,” Park said. “Then, if they felt awkward, he would approach me, saying, ‘I tried them, and they seemed a bit uncomfortable, how about adjusting them like this?’ This truly surprised me."

The production of the series took almost two years. During preproduction, the director even helped design the sets.

“I put a lot of thought into how something would look in between reality and fantasy,” director Kim said. “After thinking about that, I designed a whole village and alley. Then, I wanted to see it with my own eyes, so we created simulations using CGI to explore how it would feel with different alley lengths.”

“I was surprised while seeing it all being built, even though I created it,” he added.

The director was not the only person surprised with the realistic set.

“It was long and dark, and every texture, from the bricks to the walls, had the authentic feel of a real neighborhood,” actor Shin said. “Walking through it, the set genuinely felt real, like my character was walking through a scary alleyway.”

Flattered by the compliments, director Kim humbly turned the credit over to the actors, writer and staff.

"I truly believe that without the writer, the actors and the staff giving their all, this would have been impossible to achieve."

Despite its dark and scary mood, the actors wish to touch many hearts and hope the shows inspires audiences to think of their loved ones.

“I hope the show can be a catalyst for many people to call their loved ones or those they miss after watching it,” actor Kim Min-ha said.

“I wish to hear the name ‘Light Shop’ everywhere. No matter where I go, I’d love to hear people saying, ‘Did you watch ‘Light Shop’?’ or ‘Light Shop was really good,’” actor Park said.

BY KIM JI-YE [kim.jiye@joongang.co.kr]