The Netflix K-drama series is set in the spring of 1945, during Japan’s occupation of Korea. Yoon Chae-ok’s (Han So-hee) 10 year search for her mother leads her to Gyeongseong, where she meets the owner of Golden Treasure Pawn Shop, Jung Tae-sang (Park Seo-jun). The two form an alliance as they expand their search into Ongseong Hospital.
Once inside, they discover the horrifying truth about what goes on inside the hospital.
The official synopsis for “Gyeongseong Creature“:
In the Spring of 1945, the people of Korea struggled to survive the oppression of Japan. A young man and woman in Gyeongseong fight off creatures that are born out of human greed. Through their desperate fight against the creatures, the show raises a question on what defines being human or what it means to be human.
A virtual press conference was held ahead of the series premiere, with stars Park Seo-jun, Han So-hee, Claudia Kim, Kim Hae-sook, Cho Han-cheul, Wi Ha-jun, and director Chung Dong-yoon in attendance.
A blend of period drama and creature thriller
Taking place in 1945, during Japan’s 35-year rule over Korea. The series dives into the dark history of Korea, where many were forced out of their homes, forced into poor working conditions, cultural suppression, sex slavery, and more. The show also explores the topic of human experiments.
The show sets this chapter of history with a creature thriller storyline, where the experiments at the Onseong Hospital created a vicious creature.
Series writer Kang Eun-kyung described this era as a goldmine of untold stories, with a focus on Jung Tae-sang and Yoon Chae-ok’s battle for survival against a monstrous creature born out of human greed.
The series is in both Korean and Japanese
As this series takes place during Japan’s occupation of Korea, audiences will hear both Korean and Japanese spoken in the show. All actors can be heard speaking both languages. Actress Claudia Kim (Marco Polo, Avengers: Age of Ultron), who plays Yukiko Maeda is tri-lingual, fluent in English, Korean, and Japanese. Kim had to learn how to speak traditional Kyoto Japanese and also how to sound Japanese when speaking in Korean.
Creating the Creature
Created from a parasite called Najin, it takes hold of the host’s brain and morphs the person into a fearsome predator. The creature has healing abilities and tendrils that can spear through bodies with the quickness of a cobra. Writer Kang Eun-kyung talks about creating the creature:
“Conceptualizing the creature began with the idea of a mouse striking out against a cat. A parasite in a prey’s head making it fearless against its predator was an interesting concept to me. Working with the idea of a parasite, I freely imagined how powerful that parasite could be and all the possibilities that could happen.”
When does the series premiere?
Part one of Gyeongseong Creature premiered on Netflix on December 19, 2023, with seven episodes. Part two was released on January 5, 2024, with the final three episodes. All episodes are now available on Netflix.
Watch our review on Part One here:
