Park Seo-jun Takes His Darkest Role Yet in Disney+'s New Crime Noir Series

Park Seo-jun is going somewhere his fans have not seen him go before. Disney+ has confirmed the production of an all-new original series titled "I Am the Criminal" (내가 죄인이오), and Park Seo-jun's role in it is not the charming romantic lead or the earnest hero his filmography might suggest. He is playing the villain — and by the sound of it, an extraordinary one.

The announcement, made on March 31, 2026, confirms that Park Seo-jun will be joined by Uhm Tae-goo, Jo Hye-joo, and Kim Dong-wook in what promises to be one of the most anticipated Korean drama productions of the coming year. The series is adapted from the acclaimed Kakao Webtoon of the same name and is set for a global release exclusively on Disney+ in 2027.

The Story: A Lawless City and the People Who Thrived in It

"I Am the Criminal" is set in 1980s South Korea, specifically against the backdrop of a lawless urban environment gripped by a real estate development frenzy — the kind of explosive, chaotic growth that preceded the 1988 Seoul Olympics. It is a world of criminal networks, back-alley deals, and survival at any cost.

Park Seo-jun plays Paeng-i, a figure described as the era's defining villain — someone who embodies the era's most dangerous ambitions. Paeng-i enters the drug trade and methodically draws the other main characters into his orbit, using both charm and menace to orchestrate his rise. The character has been described as a symbol of an age defined by unchecked desire.

Uhm Tae-goo plays Ssaeng-dak, a gang member who turns his back on his organization and accepts Paeng-i's dangerous offer, setting off a chain of events that dismantles the careful balance he has built in his life. Jo Hye-joo plays Bok-hee, a character with complex ties to both Paeng-i and the criminal world — she stands at the center of the drug distribution network while also carrying the weight of being Paeng-i's first love. Kim Dong-wook has also been confirmed for the cast, completing what has been described internally as a top-tier lineup.

The Webtoon Source and Why It Attracted This Cast

"I Am the Criminal" is based on a Kakao Webtoon written by author Lee Moo-gi, serialized since 2022. Among webtoon readers, the series built a reputation for precisely the qualities that make it a compelling adaptation prospect: a tightly woven narrative, relentlessly detailed characterization, and a willingness to explore human desire in its most unforgiving forms. The writing does not soften its characters or their choices. Everyone in this story has reasons, and none of those reasons make what they do acceptable.

That raw quality seems to be exactly what drew the cast in. Park Seo-jun, in a statement following the table read, was direct about his enthusiasm: "This was a character and a story I had been waiting for. As an actor, this is exactly the kind of work you want." It is the kind of comment that signals genuine artistic investment — not promotional boilerplate, but an acknowledgment that something about this role hit differently.

Uhm Tae-goo offered a more nuanced response: "There are a lot of characters and the script is genuinely fun. I feel both nervous and excited at the same time, but I'm going to give everything I have to the shoot." Jo Hye-joo added that she wanted to participate the moment she finished reading the script, describing the period setting and the depth of the characters' individual circumstances as what drew her in most.

The Director: Hong Won-chan Returns to Korea's Criminal Underworld

The director attached to "I Am the Criminal" is Hong Won-chan, and that name alone signals a great deal about the project's ambitions. Hong is the filmmaker behind Deliver Us From Evil (2020), the stylish and relentlessly propulsive crime thriller starring Hwang Jung-min and Lee Jung-jae that became one of the most talked-about Korean action films of that year. His approach to crime storytelling is kinetic, visually sharp, and emotionally layered — qualities that translate with obvious precision to the world of 1980s underworld noir.

This will be Hong's first drama series, which adds another layer of interest to the production. Directors who transition from film to prestige television often bring a cinematic sensibility that elevates the material, and given Hong's specific expertise in crime genre filmmaking, the fit here seems genuinely purposeful rather than circumstantial.

Park Seo-jun as a Villain: Why This Matters

Park Seo-jun has been a consistent presence in Korean entertainment for over a decade, building a career defined by accessible, likable male leads. His breakthrough roles in shows like She Was Pretty and What's Wrong with Secretary Kim established him as one of the genre's most dependable romantic leads. More recently, he expanded his range with Itaewon Class — a drama where his character's determination and emotional complexity moved him closer to anti-hero territory — and the period action series Gyeongseong Creature on Netflix.

But playing Paeng-i represents a fundamental shift. This is not a morally complicated protagonist doing questionable things for understandable reasons. Paeng-i is, by the production's own description, a villain — someone whose defining characteristic is the pursuit of power through destruction. It is a creative choice that asks audiences to follow an actor they have typically rooted for into genuinely uncomfortable moral territory.

Park Seo-jun's own framing of the role signals he understands the stakes: "This was a character I'd been waiting for as an actor." That statement implies not just enthusiasm but readiness — a sense that this is the moment to go somewhere new and commit fully to it. For an actor who has spent years being the one audiences cheer for, stepping into a role they are meant to fear is a genuine creative gamble.

What to Expect in 2027

"I Am the Criminal" will premiere exclusively on Disney+ in 2027, with a global simultaneous release across the platform's international markets. Disney+'s investment in Korean original content has grown substantially in recent years, and a project of this caliber — a popular webtoon source, a proven crime genre director, and a cast of internationally recognized actors — is clearly intended as a flagship production rather than a quiet experiment.

The 2027 timeline gives the production room to develop carefully. Table reads have already taken place, with early reports describing immediate and convincing chemistry between the cast members. The combination of Hong Won-chan's directorial precision and a cast that includes some of South Korea's most compelling screen performers suggests that "I Am the Criminal" is shaping up to be something genuinely distinctive in the landscape of Korean drama.

For Park Seo-jun fans expecting another warm romantic lead, this is going to be a surprise — and, if the pieces come together the way they appear to be falling into place, a revelation.