Criminal Justice Getting South Korean Remake

BBC Studios has signed a deal that sees the award-winning drama series Criminal Justice being produced for the South Korean market by Studio M.

The Korean version will be directed by Myoung Woo Lee (Backstreet Rookie) and written by Soon Kyu Kwon (Warrior Baek Dong Soo). Soo Hyun Kim (It’s Okay To Not Be Okay) and Seoung Won Cha (A Korean Odyssey) will star in the drama series.

Created by Peter Moffat, the original Criminal Justice series centers around a young man’s ordeal against the justice system after he is accused of a murder he cannot remember committing.

Criminal Justice was produced for the U.S. market as the HBO miniseries The Night Of, starring John Turturro and Riz Ahmed. It found huge success in India, with a local version, starring an ensemble of stars led by Pankaj Tripathi. A French adaptation is currently in production for TF1.

Andre Renaud, senior VP of global format sales at BBC Studios, said: “The dual stories of crime and punishment that are explored in Criminal Justice remain universal and, at its heart, bring to life the test of one person’s humanity inside a system they can’t fully understand. I’m delighted that this is the next project to be adapted for Korean viewers and am excited to see these stories told by Studio M come to life through the performances of Soo Hyun Kim and Seoung Won Cha. We are committed to distributing and presenting this drama to as broad an audience as possible for fans in Korea and around the world.”

Jino Yoo, president of Studio M, said: “BBC Studios formats have proven that they can be successfully adapted for the South Korean market and we believe that Criminal Justice is the next big hit. It’s a gripping drama, with twists and turns that will keep audiences on the edge of their seats, and we can’t wait to bring the creative skills of Myoung Woo Lee and Soon Kyu Kwon to this local adaptation.”