The Spanish hit series La Casa de Papel concluded in 2021, but Netflix has been trying to milk its fame since then. There have been talks of multiple spin-offs, remakes, and sequels to the series since its end.
Money Heist: Korea – Joint Economic Area is the Korean version of La Casa de Papel, which offers a fresh take on the plot. The Korean version has not been able to reach the popularity or appeal of the original, but it made many of us curious to know what it’s all about.
Money Heist: Korea is another version of La Casa de Papel but with a Korean twist. Here’s how the series is different from the original and whether it offers anything new to us.
How is Money Heist: Korea different from La Casa de Papel?
Money Heist: Korea- Joint Economic Area is a South Korean remake of the original Spanish series La Casa de Papel. The plot is the same as the original, with a different setting and different character names. It is also much shorter than the original version.
Money Heist: Korea tells the story of the first two seasons of Money Heist within 12 episodes. The remake tries to fit in the entire storyline of the Royal Mint heist within 12 episodes, while the original series took 22 episodes to wrap up the same.
In other words, the plot is much more condensed in the Korean version. The Korean remake does not change much in terms of the plot, but it also rushes through many of the events. Fans have pointed out that the show does not give its characters enough time to be fleshed out.
Many characters remain half-baked and underdeveloped, which was not a problem in the original version. The series rushes through the Professor’s growing relationship with the Inspector, so it is difficult for viewers to relate to their sudden romance.
The characters are also portrayed slightly differently, but there is no major change in terms of the plot.
Are the characters in Money Heist: Korea the same as La Casa de Papel?
Most of the characters are the same as La Casa de Papel in the Korean remake Money Heist: Korea. However, certain characters are portrayed differently, although they’re not major changes.
For instance, in the original series, Berlin is the Professor’s half-brother and suffering from a terminal illness. In the Korean version, Berlin has PTSD after escaping from a forced labor camp in North Korea. Moreover, Berlin does not die in the Korean version like in the original.
In the original show, Berlin takes revenge on Tokyo by ratting her out to the police because she tortures him to reveal information. In the Korean version, Tokyo being handed over to the police is a pre-planned tactic and not done for personal revenge.
The series also introduces a new character called Seoul. Seoul is Berlin’s ex-lover who worked with him at the labor camp in North Korea.
Nairobi’s character is portrayed as a traitor in the Korean version, while she never betrays the group in the original version.
Money Heist: Korea – Joint Economic Area is also set in an imaginary universe where North and South Korea are united. The original version is set in the real country of Spain.
Money Heist: Korea Uses Hahoe Masks Instead of Dali Masks
The masks used by the gang in the Korean version are also different from the original version. In the original series, the gang uses Dali masks, while the Korean version replaces the Dali masks with Hahoe masks.
The Salvador Dalí mask signaled the intensity of the situation. The mask reflected Dalí’s artistic unpredictability and political views and honored a renowned Spanish artist.
In contrast, the Hahoe masks in the Korean adaptation come from the Hahoe Folk Village and are used in the Hahoe Pyolshin-gut t’al nori ceremony, a tradition that goes back to the 12th century.
The masks depict various characters that are essential for the ceremony. The team appears to wear the Hahoe mask for Yangban, the aristocrat, who is usually the target of ridicule in these plays.
About Money Heist
Money Heist (Spanish: La casa de papel, meaning “The House of Paper”) is a Spanish heist crime drama television series created by Álex Pina.
The series traces two long-prepared heists led by the Professor (Álvaro Morte), one on the Royal Mint of Spain, and one on the Bank of Spain. The narrative is told in a real-time-like fashion and relies on flashbacks, time-jumps, hidden character motivations, and an unreliable narrator for complexity.
The show focuses on the meticulous plans and the specific contingencies of the Professor who has prepared his group of robbers dressed in red jumpsuits and Dali masks.
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