Low Life (TV series)

Low Life
Promotional poster
Hangul
파인: 촌뜨기들
Lit.Pine: The Countrymen
RRPain: chontteugideul
MRP'ain: ch'onttŭgidŭl
Genre
Based onThe Hooligans
by Yoon Tae-ho[1]
Written by
Directed byKang Yun-seong[1]
Starring
Music byYoon Il-sang[2]
Country of originSouth Korea
Original languageKorean
No. of episodes11
Production
Executive producers
  • Park Joon-seo[1]
  • Kim Jae-wook[1]
  • Sun Young[1]
  • Park Joon-hui[1]
  • Kang Yun-seong[1]
  • Lee Kyung-sik (C.P.)[1]
Producers
  • Shim Moon-bo[1]
  • Park Hye-jin[1]
CinematographyLee Sung-jae[1]
AnimatorPark Na-rae[1]
Editors
  • Heo Sun-mi[1]
  • Kim Joo-hyun[1]
  • Han Young-gyu[1]
Running time50–69 minutes
Production companies
  • SLL[1]
  • Whyworks Entertainment[1]
  • ForEntertainment[1]
  • Playgram[1]
  • Heungbune Bakssine[1]
  • MYM Entertainment[1]
Original release
NetworkDisney+
ReleaseJuly 16 (2025-07-16) –
August 13, 2025 (2025-08-13)

Low Life (Korean: 파인: 촌뜨기들) is a 2025 South Korean period drama television series written by and directed by Kang Yun-sung. The series stars an ensemble cast led by Ryu Seung-ryong, Yang Se-jong, and Im Soo-jung. It aired on Disney+ from July 16, to August 13, 2025.[3]

Plot

In 1323, a ship carrying 8,000 gold coins and 20,000 valuable Chinese ceramic pots sank in the Yellow Sea. Treasure hunters recovered many pots over the years, but the gold was never found. In the 1970s, small-time crooks Gwan-seok and his nephew Hee-dong serve time in prison, where they befriend an antique dealer named Song Gi-taek. Inside, they run a smuggling scheme, and after their release in 1977, Gi-taek offers them a deal: salvage the remaining ceramics near Sinan in exchange for substantial payment.

Gwan-seok discovers Gi-taek intends to underpay them and also plans to mix counterfeit ceramics with genuine ones to cheat Chairman Chun Hwang-sik of Heungbaek Industries, who wants the antiques to launder money while building a university. Gwan-seok forces Gi-taek to raise their payout, and Gi-taek introduces his nephew Na Dae-sik as supervisor, though he proves incompetent. Hwang-sik's wife, Yang Jung-sook, suspicious of the operation, sends her aide Im Jeon-chul to oversee it.

The group bases their operation in Mokpo with Gi-taek's contact, Mr. Ha Yeong-soo, and hires a captain, Hwang Tae-san, despite Gwan-seok's distrust of his police ties. As various factions—including the fraudster Professor Kim—compete for the treasure, Gwan-seok demands more money, forcing Gi-taek to order additional counterfeit pots. Jung-sook later reveals she knows Gi-taek's scam and will only pay high prices for real ceramics, weakening Gi-taek's profits. Meanwhile, she begins an affair with Hee-dong.

As Hwang-sik's health deteriorates, Jung-sook manipulates him into worsening his condition to seize his assets. During a salvage dive, a crew member suffers a collapsed lung and is later drowned by Gwan-seok and Tae-san to avoid sharing profits. Gi-taek, desperate after being cut out by Jung-sook, proposes a new deal, but tensions escalate.

The crew eventually uncovers the full shipwreck and retrieves a large haul of ceramics. During the chaotic struggle for control, Gwan-seok and Tae-san kill Jeon-chul, angering Jung-sook. She obtains Hwang-sik's seal, only to discover Heungbaek Industries is deeply in debt. After Hwang-sik unexpectedly recovers and exposes her theft, she suffers a miscarriage.

Song tricks Kim's gang into stealing counterfeit pots meant for Hwang-sik, but Kim survives an explosion that kills his men. Hee-dong betrays all sides, fleeing with most of the ceramics and the local girl he loves. Kim hunts down Gi-taek's remaining associates and kills them.

As Hwang-sik is arrested for corporate crimes, his first wife hires Gwan-seok to kill Jung-sook. Hee-dong meets Jung-sook, who proposes selling the remaining real pots and splitting the profits, but Gwan-seok intercepts them. At a cliff side confrontation, Jung-sook fights with the first wife, who falls to her death. A truck filled with pots falls over the cliff, seemingly killing Gwan-seok, and Jung-sook is later murdered by the first wife's surviving henchman.

A year later, Hee-dong lives quietly in Seoul. Gwan-seok, having survived and salvaged some ceramics, shares the profits with Hee-dong and resumes treasure hunting with a new crew.

Cast and characters

Main

Leader of a group of country bumpkins on the quest for hidden treasure.
Gwan-seok's nephew who joins him on his quest.
Chairman Chun's wife who has an exceptional instinct for money.
A cunning antique fraudster from Busan, skilled in trickery and deception.
  • Hong Ki-joon as Hwang Tae-san[5]
The captain of a Mokpo ship.
Chairman Chun's personal chauffeur.
A Mokpo police sergeant.
An antique appraiser, and the boss of Dongyang Art, an antique shop.
An expert of ceramics.
A thug based in Mokpo.
The chairman of Heungbaek Industries, and the primary financier behind the treasure hunt.
  • Lee Sang-jin as Na Dae-sik[5]
Mr. Song's assistant.
A diver.
  • Kim Min as Park Seon-ja[5]
The cashier of Lucky Cafe.

Supporting

  • Kim Jin-wook as Lee Bok-geun[1]
A diver and the only person who knows where the Sinan Celadon Shipwreck is located.
  • Choi Jae-hwan[1]
A ship owner from Mokpo and captain Hwang's nephew.
Owner of Maralin Botique.
  • Jung Hyung-suk as Director Lee[1]
An executive director of Heungbaek Industries.
  • Son Jong-hak as Han Sung-chul[1]
A kiln-site owner and pottery master.
  • Noh Jeong-hyeon as Pil-man[1]
Beol-gu's subordinate.
  • Hong Jung-in as Do-hun[1]
Beol-guz's subordinate.
  • Kwon Dong-ho as Deok-san[1]
Grandma Yang's son.
  • Won Hyun-jun as Coach Kim[1]
A professional wrestling gym coach.

Others

The lady boss of Lucky Cafe.
  • Ju Bo-bi as Jong-mal[1]
The cashier of Lucky Cafe.
A manager at Heungbaek Industries.
  • Song Dong-hwan as Manager Yoon[1]
A general manager at Heungbaek Industries.
  • Kim Yong-seok as Bodyguard Kim[1]
  • Kim Jin-yeon as Bodyguard Park[1]
  • Kim Eun-bi as a housemaid[1]
  • Choi Hee-jin as Gwan-seok's wife[1]
  • Kim Tae-yul as Gwan-seok's son[1]
  • Kim Seo-heon as Gwan-seok's daughter[1]
  • Ha Na-ri as Hee-dong's mother[1]

Special appearances

A customs officer.

Production

In July 2023, it was reported that Ji Chang-wook and Ryu Seung-ryong were in talks to star as an uncle-nephew duo in a new adaptation of Yoon Tae-ho's webtoon.[6] However, both actors' agencies clarified that the series was only one of several offers.[7] Ji Chang-wook later declined the role in October 2023,[8] and the production was delayed until 2024.[9]

In late 2023, Yang Se-jong and Im Soo-jung were also reported to be joining the cast. A script reading took place on March 6, 2024.[10][11] On April 15, 2024, Disney+ officially confirmed the production of Low Life and announced the cast lineup.[12]

Release

It is scheduled to premiere on Disney+ on July 16, 2025, with the first three episodes released on June 16, followed by two episodes each Wednesday.[13]

References

  1. ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l m n o p q r s t u v w x y z aa ab ac ad ae af ag ah ai aj ak al am an ao ap aq ar as 소문 [The Rumors]. Low Life. Episode 1 (in Korean). July 16, 2025. Disney+.
  2. ^ Choi Jeong, Soo-jong (May 29, 2025). [단독-조성진의 가창신공] 디즈니플러스 '파인' 음악감독은 윤일상 [[Exclusive - Jo Sung-jin's singing prowess] Disney Plus 'Low Life' music director is Yoon Il-sang]. Nate News (in Korean). Retrieved June 20, 2025.
  3. ^ [콘텐츠 산책] 파인으로 돌아온 '캐릭터 제조기'... 범죄도시 '마석도'·카지노 '차무식' 만든 강윤성 감독. ChosunBiz (in Korean). 2024-08-18. Archived from the original on 2025-06-21. Retrieved 2025-06-18.
  4. ^ a b c Hwang Jaeha (April 15, 2024). 류승룡·양세종·임수정 '파인'서 호흡 [Ryu Seung-ryong, Yang Se-jong, and Lim Soo-jung team up in 'Fine'] (in Korean). Seoul = Yonhap News. Archived from the original on December 2, 2024. Retrieved June 18, 2024 – via Naver.
  5. ^ a b c d e f g h i j k 돈 냄새 맡은 촌뜨기들 온다..'파인' 류승룡x양세종, 7월 16일 공개. The Korea Daily (in Korean). 2025-06-18. Archived from the original on 2025-06-21. Retrieved 2025-06-18.
  6. ^ "[Exclusive] Ji Chang-wook & Ryu Seung-ryong cast in Yoon Tae-ho's webtoon adaptation Low Life". JTBC (in Korean). 2023-07-28. Archived from the original on 2025-06-21. Retrieved 2024-04-15.
  7. ^ "Ji Chang-wook & Ryu Seung-ryong considering roles in Low Life". OSEN (in Korean). 2023-07-28. Archived from the original on 2025-06-21. Retrieved 2024-04-15.
  8. ^ "Ji Chang-wook declines role in Low Life after consideration". Sports Seoul (in Korean). 2023-10-31. Retrieved 2024-04-15.
  9. ^ "Production of Low Life postponed to 2024 following Ji Chang-wook's departure". TenAsia (in Korean). 2023-10-31. Archived from the original on 2024-06-26. Retrieved 2024-04-15.
  10. ^ "Yang Se-jong in talks to join Kang Yoon-sung's Low Life". SPOTV News (in Korean). 2023-12-15. Archived from the original on 2024-06-26. Retrieved 2024-04-15.
  11. ^ "Im Soo-jung to make OTT debut in Low Life". MyDaily (in Korean). Archived from the original on 2024-06-26. Retrieved 2024-04-15.
  12. ^ "Ryu Seung-ryong, Yang Se-jong, and Im Soo-jung confirmed for Low Life, to premiere on Disney+ in 2025". iMBC Entertainment (in Korean). 2024-04-15. Archived from the original on 2024-05-02. Retrieved 2024-04-15.
  13. ^ Choi, Jae-wook (June 18, 2025). 류승룡 양세종 임수정 '파인:촌뜨기들', 7월16일 공개 확정 [Ryu Seung-ryong, Yang Se-jong, Im Soo-jung Low Life, confirmed for release on July 16]. Eyes ize News (in Korean). Archived from the original on 2025-06-21. Retrieved 2025-06-18.
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