Ji Chang-wook & Do Kyung-soo Attend Disney+ 2025 Preview in Hong Kong as “The Manipulated” Dominates Rankings
Disney+ unveiled its 2026 lineup at the ‘Original Preview 2025’ event held at Hong Kong Disneyland Hotel on November 13. Among the highlighted titles, “The Manipulated” (Korean title: Jogakdosi) drew the most attention, with lead actors Ji Chang-wook and Do Kyung-soo appearing in person to share behind-the-scenes stories and insights into their characters.
The new series “The Manipulated” expands the universe of the 2017 film “Fabricated City,” following Tae-jung (played by Ji Chang-wook) as he becomes entangled in a meticulously planned scheme and sets out for revenge. Since its debut, the drama has topped Disney+ Korea for seven consecutive days and entered FlixPatrol’s ‘Worldwide TOP 5,’ pushing the original film back up to No. 2 on various OTT platforms.
Ji Chang-wook stressed that the series is not a simple continuation of the film but a “completely new narrative challenge.” Having starred in “The Worst of Evil,” “Gangnam B-Side,” and now “The Manipulated,” he joked that people now call him “Disney+’s son,” while admitting that the action scenes in this project were exhausting from start to finish.
Episodes 5 and 6 introduce large-scale chase sequences, from high-speed car races to dangerous death matches and off-road motorcycle action. Korean media praised Ji Chang-wook for expanding his ‘action spectrum,’ and the intense visuals helped the show climb to No. 1 in Good Data’s TV–OTT actor buzz index for the first week of November.
Do Kyung-soo takes on his first villain role in the series, explaining that it was a character he could never experience in real life, so he relied heavily on imagination and the script. His playful remark—“Personally, I think Disney+ is the best”—drew laughter and became one of the most quoted moments from the event.
Beyond “The Manipulated,” Disney+ also introduced several Korean originals, including a post-military travel reality show starring BTS members Jimin and Jungkook, and the 1970s political thriller ‘Made in Korea’ with Hyun Bin, Jung Woo-sung, and Woo Do-hwan. APAC President Luke Kang emphasized that Korean storytelling has become a central pillar of global content and pledged continued investment.
‘The Manipulated’ will release Episodes 7 and 8 on November 19, followed by two new episodes every Wednesday, with the 12-episode run scheduled to conclude in early 2026. As the story moves into its second half, viewers are keen to see how Tae-jung’s showdown with the antagonists unfolds and how Ji Chang-wook and Do Kyung-soo further raise the tension and emotional stakes.