After years of telling warm, character-driven stories in dramas like Extraordinary Attorney Woo and Dr. Romantic, director Yoo In Shik is taking on a different genre. His upcoming K-drama, 100 Days of Lies, blends romance with espionage in 1930s Gyeongseong. On July 2, South Korean network tvN released the drama’s first teaser, officially beginning the countdown to its October debut.
Plot set in 1932 Gyeongseong
100 Days of Lies is set in 1932 Gyeongseong, present-day Seoul, during the Japanese occupation of Korea. The story follows Lee Ga Kyeong (Kim Yoo Jung), Gyeongseong’s most skilled pickpocket, whose only goal is to save enough money to escape to America. Her plans take an unexpected turn when the resistance group Gugukdan recruits her for a dangerous mission. She goes undercover as a translator inside the Japanese Government-General for 100 days.
There, she meets Kim Tae Woong (Park Jinyoung of GOT7), also known by his Japanese name, Sato Hideo. Fluent in Korean, Japanese and English, he returns to Joseon after a decade overseas as the adopted son of the Director-General. While he appears to hold a position of privilege, it soon becomes clear that he is hiding secrets of his own.
The teaser also introduces Yoo So Ran (Kim Hyun Joo), a Gugukdan sniper driven by revenge, Yoo Philip (Lee Moo Saeng), an American newspaper correspondent quietly supporting the independence movement, and Sato Shinichi (Jin Sun Kyu), the ruthless second-in-command of the Japanese Government-General who stands as the resistance’s biggest threat.
Alongside the characters, the teaser recreates the tense atmosphere of 1932 Gyeongseong through its bustling streets, crowded station and imposing Government-General building. It ends with the first meeting between Lee Ga Kyeong and Kim Tae Woong, while quick glimpses of the other important characters hint at a story where trust is fragile, danger lurks around every corner and love could become the biggest risk of all.
When is 100 Days of Lies releasing?
The series also marks the first collaboration between director Yoo In Shik and writer Ryu Bo Ri. Yoo, known for acclaimed dramas like Extraordinary Attorney Woo and Dr. Romantic, joins forces with Ryu, whose emotional storytelling in Do You Like Brahms? earned widespread praise.
Although tvN is yet to announce an exact premiere date, the first teaser was released exactly 100 days ahead of the show’s debut. Already being tipped as one of the most anticipated K-dramas of the year, the 16-episode series is set to premiere this October and will air every Saturday and Sunday in tvN’s prime-time slot. Simultaneously, the series will premiere on Netflix globally.