Money Heist Korea review: The same storyline, but with a twist

Global pop culture phenomenon Money Heist is back with a Korean spin to it. Money Heist: Korea — Joint Economic Area opens with an intriguing geopolitical twist.

Against all odds, the two Koreas are on the brink of reunification. North Koreans can cross over to the south and reap the riches of free market capitalism, but things obviously aren't as rosy in reality. A new strand of inequality is creeping in, giving rise to a new band of thieves about to pull off a daring heist.

The target this time is the unified Korea mint, where the robbers are going to print enough money to last several lifetimes.

The main story beats follow the same general outline as the hit Spanish original. Each member of the gang is named after the same cities, and are led by the enigmatic and cerebral Professor.

Their personalities also more or less line up with the Spanish series. Tokyo is as mercurial and aloof as ever, played with great panache by Jeon Jong-seo. That said, the Korean version of the character appears less of a loose cannon than her Spanish counterpart, and is overall far more likable. Her North Korean military background means she's still skilled with weaponry, but in a chuckle-inducing twist, she also happens to be a fan of BTS.

Squid Game star Park Hae-soo plays Berlin, a stone-cold killer who grew up in a North Korean labour camp and lost his mother while trying to escape across a river to the south. The casting is almost perfect — Park echoes Pedro Alonso's megalomaniacal tendencies, with just enough of a sprinkling of crazy to make him incredibly fun to watch.

Baby-faced hacker Rio (Lee Hyun-woo) is a mix of bumbling inexperience and skilled confidence, while the brash Denver (Kim Ji-hoon) is more brawn than brains, just like in the Spanish original. Helsinki (also Kim Ji-hoon) and Oslo (Lee Kyu-ho) are the hulking muscle, both indistinguishable from each other but unmistakable as a pair.

Con artist Nairobi (Jang Yoon-ju) is as slick as ever, exuding a careless affect and hilarious frivolity that helps lighten the overall mood.

Park Myung-hoon as Cho Young-min, the director of the Mint Bureau, is another standout. He perfectly mirrors Enrique Arce's Arturo Román, down to his unctuous tone, slimy manipulations, and overzealous sense of self-preservation.

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The Professor's banter with Lost alumnus Kim Yun-jin, in the role of crisis negotiator Seon Woo-jin, is one of the best parts of the series as well. If you watched the original, the way the two dance around each other will seem incredibly familiar and a welcome trip down memory lane for fans.

The show proceeds along at a steady clip, interspersed with flashbacks to show elements of the gang's plan and how it all came together. Armed with red jumpsuits, Salvador Dali masks, and a meticulous plan, the series is akin to reliving Money Heist at its best. While you won't be surprised by the plot if you've already watched the original, the Money Heist: Korea manages to keep you on the edge of your seat by faithfully adhering to the same formula.

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That said, there are just enough unique twists to keep things feeling fresh, and it's difficult to get bored watching a seemingly impossible heist unfold. The series was built to entertain, and it does that with great aplomb.

While its predecessor has already prepared us for what will happen, I'm still just as invested as ever in the characters. And whenever something diverges from the original, it feels like the show is upping the ante, going off on its own to become the standalone series it has every right to be.

The divide between the North and the South is a recurring motif throughout the series. From the robbers and the police task force to the hostages, their differing backgrounds are constantly referenced, sometimes pitting themselves against one another.

That one-of-a-kind setting is uniquely Korean, and alongside fresh backgrounds for its characters, it's what comprises the beating heart of the series and allows it to feel more than just a copy of its spiritual predecessor. If you've been dying for more Money Heist, this series will definitely scratch that itch without ever feeling stale.

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