‘Parasite’ co-writer to make directorial debut with new K-drama

Oscar-winning screenwriter Han Jin-won, who co-wrote the critically acclaimed 2019 film Parasite, is set to make his directorial debut.

Han has been confirmed as the director of South Korean streaming platform TVING’s upcoming K-drama series Running Mate (literal title), which is expected to premiere sometime in 2024, as reported by Sports Chosun.

Aside from his work on Parasite, Han was also previously an assistant director for Netflix’s Ojka, the second season of Sense8, as well as the 2016 South Korean disaster film Pandora.

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The forthcoming series will follow high school student Se-hoon, who decides to run for student council elections in order to reinvent himself, but ends up becoming the focus of the election cycle.

Meanwhile, Running Mate will reportedly star Seasons of Blossom‘s Yoon Hyun-soo in the lead role of Se-hoon. The series will also feature Tracer actor Lee Jung-sic, Mr. Trot Season 1 contestant Ok Jin-uk and NMIXX‘s Jiwon, among others.

“Through an ordinary boy’s rollercoaster-like story that spans nearly one month, we wanted to encourage viewers to recall their past, reflect on the present, and have courage to drive forward into the future,” said a member of the Running Mate production team, as translated by Soompi. “We hope that this gives meaningful enjoyment to those who encounter this series.”

In other K-drama news, Netflix recently released the first teaser for its upcoming political series Queenmaker. The series will star The World of the Married‘s Kim Hee-ae and Life‘s Moon So-ri, among others.