Millions of K-drama fans will be glued to Disney+ next month for this long-awaited new series

The K-pop group Blackpink is one of the biggest music acts on the planet right now — but lately, the members have actually been garnering attention more for their individual work as solo artists rather than as a group. Indeed, each of the foursome (except one) has put out her own material, most recently with several impossibly catchy bangers from the group’s rapper Lisa. Next up? Kim Ji-soo, who’s making the cross-genre jump so common among K-pop artists, now that her first lead acting role in the upcoming Snowdrop drama is just weeks away.

For anyone who’s unaware, it cannot be overstated how hyped millions of fans around the world are right now for this new series from South Korean TV network JTBC. From the lead actors involved (fan favorite Jung Hae-in, in addition to Blackpink’s Ji-soo) to the promise of an unforgettable romance as well as the show being set during a seminal year in the history of South Korea, this one has all the makings of a winner. Even better? As part of a newly announced slate of Asia-Pacific content, Disney+ revealed that it will stream new episodes of the series after it premieres in December.

Snowdrop drama release date

SNOWDROP CAST GREETINGS CUT AT DISNEY PLUS KR’S EVENT TODAY ????pic.twitter.com/Kr2PazdCqO

— Did Snowdrop drop today? D-33 | HAESOO OFFICIAL ❄️ (@haesoo_official) November 12, 2021

Kim Jisoo as Eun Youngro for Snowdrop, coming this December 18, 2021 pic.twitter.com/tXDxTVo1YN

— hourly jisoo ????️ (@jichuhourly) November 12, 2021

According to the official reveal in recent days, Snowdrop will debut on December 18 at 10:30 pm KST. We’ll have more to say in just a moment about Disney+’s release plans.

For now, here’s the gist of the show. The two leads play college students who get caught up in a passionate romance in South Korea in 1987. That was the year of the so-called June Democratic Struggle. When mass protests forced the then-ruling government in the country to hold elections in addition to other democratic reforms. The result was, among other things, the democratic government of the present-day South Korean republic.

As far as the characters, Ji-Soo is a student who lives in an all-female dormitory. Jung, meanwhile, is a graduate student who shows up suddenly covered in blood. And he proceeds to hide out in the dormitory at Hosoo Women’s University. It’s not spoiling anything to add that a romance ensues. Jung, however, is a man with a secret past.

Snowdrop trailer

The trailer is embedded below and only hints at what awaits viewers of this series. If you haven’t seen it, there are definitely no answers to be had herein.

One thing all this does call to mind — or, rather, reinforces — is the explosion in popularity around the world for Korean content. And for K-dramas, specifically. In fact, one of the best Korean shows on Netflix right now (Crash Landing on You) is reportedly about to get an American remake. But definitely check out the original if you haven’t seen it yet — it’s one of the finest shows on Netflix, period.

You can also check out our mini-guide for some recommendations of other great K-dramas to watch on Netflix. Like Vincenzo, Reply 1988, and Hospital Playlist — in addition to Crash Landing on You, of course.

Meanwhile, let’s address one last thing about Snowdrop.

One important question we still don’t know

The folks at Disney+, it must be said, have assiduously avoided any mention of the US in the release announcements associated with the show so far. Which is to say, if you’re the optimistic type? You could cross your fingers and tell yourself the series will be available here for Disney+ subscribers. After all, the streamer didn’t say this is only a Korean release, for example, and coming to the US at a later date.

Then again, that’s the thing. The streamer has also not explicitly said the show will be available on Disney+ in the US immediately, either. I’ve sent a number of emails to Disney+ press contacts that have gone unanswered. Regardless, whether it’s available immediately in the US? We can say with absolute certainty that a huge fanbase is waiting for this series. And it will no doubt go down as one of the biggest of the year.