'Money Heist: Korea – Joint Economic Area' is coming to Netflix on Friday


Evelyn Lau
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South Korea’s version of Money Heist is almost here.

The anticipated remake of the popular Spanish show will make its debut on the streaming platform on Friday. It stars Yoo Ji-tae as the Professor and Kim Yun-jin as investigating officer Woo Jin.

Other cast members include Park Hae-soo as Berlin, Jeon Jong-seo as Tokyo, Lee Won-jong as Moscow, Kim Ji-hun as Denver, Jang Yoon-ju as Nairobi, Lee Hyun-woo as Rio, Kim Ji-hoon as Helsinki and Lee Kyu-ho as Oslo. The series is directed by Kim Hong-sun.

While the remake also features a dynamic band of thieves with coded city names, who wear red jumpsuits with white face masks and are led by a mastermind, the similarities end there.

The show takes place in the same fictional universe as the original, with North and South Korea on the brink of reunification. However, a heist team has been working underground to steal the new currency straight from the Unified Korea Mint. With a top-class comrade of thieves, they attempt to rob four trillion won (about $3 billion).

South Korean dramas have often been successful for Netflix, with shows such as Squid Game and Hellbound striking a chord with audiences and enjoying record-breaking viewership.

Money Heist, also known as La casa de papel, is a Spanish series that revolved around two heists, at the Royal Mint of Spain and the Bank of Spain, and is narrated by Tokyo, played by Ursula Corbero. The show ended in December.

The show was originally produced by private Spanish broadcaster Antena 3 and opened to mixed reviews in May 2017.

After receiving low ratings, it was cancelled at the end of season one, before Netflix came in and re-edited the first season to cut down the time per episode, making it ideal for binge-watching. It was the platform's most-watched non-English series in 2018. The show ran for a full five seasons.

Scroll the gallery below to see the most anticipated Korean films and series coming to Netflix this year.

Company profile

Date started: 2015

Founder: John Tsioris and Ioanna Angelidaki

Based: Dubai

Sector: Online grocery delivery

Staff: 200

Funding: Undisclosed, but investors include the Jabbar Internet Group and Venture Friends

11 cabbie-recommended restaurants and dishes to try in Abu Dhabi

Iqbal Restaurant behind Wendy’s on Hamdan Street for the chicken karahi (Dh14)

Pathemari in Navy Gate for prawn biryani (from Dh12 to Dh35)

Abu Al Nasar near Abu Dhabi Mall, for biryani (from Dh12 to Dh20)

Bonna Annee at Navy Gate for Ethiopian food (the Bonna Annee special costs Dh42 and comes with a mix of six house stews – key wet, minchet abesh, kekel, meser be sega, tibs fir fir and shiro).

Al Habasha in Tanker Mai for Ethiopian food (tibs, a hearty stew with meat, is a popular dish; here it costs Dh36.75 for lamb and beef versions)

Himalayan Restaurant in Mussaffa for Nepalese (the momos and chowmein noodles are best-selling items, and go for between Dh14 and Dh20)

Makalu in Mussaffa for Nepalese (get the chicken curry or chicken fry for Dh11)

Al Shaheen Cafeteria near Guardian Towers for a quick morning bite, especially the egg sandwich in paratha (Dh3.50)

Pinky Food Restaurant in Tanker Mai for tilapia

Tasty Zone for Nepalese-style noodles (Dh15)

Ibrahimi for Pakistani food (a quarter chicken tikka with roti costs Dh16)

How to wear a kandura

Dos

  • Wear the right fabric for the right season and occasion 
  • Always ask for the dress code if you don’t know
  • Wear a white kandura, white ghutra / shemagh (headwear) and black shoes for work 
  • Wear 100 per cent cotton under the kandura as most fabrics are polyester

Don’ts 

  • Wear hamdania for work, always wear a ghutra and agal 
  • Buy a kandura only based on how it feels; ask questions about the fabric and understand what you are buying
The lowdown

Rating: 4/5

Anghami
Started: December 2011
Co-founders: Elie Habib, Eddy Maroun
Based: Beirut and Dubai
Sector: Entertainment
Size: 85 employees
Stage: Series C
Investors: MEVP, du, Mobily, MBC, Samena Capital

The specs

Engine: Four electric motors, one at each wheel

Power: 579hp

Torque: 859Nm

Transmission: Single-speed automatic

Price: From Dh825,900

On sale: Now

COMPANY PROFILE
Name: Airev
Started: September 2023
Founder: Muhammad Khalid
Based: Abu Dhabi
Sector: Generative AI
Initial investment: Undisclosed
Investment stage: Series A
Investors: Core42
Current number of staff: 47
 
Updated: June 20, 2022, 9:28 AM