For a few days, it looked like Kim Soo Hyun might be coming back. Then Disney+ stepped in.
Reports surfaced on February 28 claiming that Disney+ was reorganizing its 2026 K-drama lineup and quietly factoring "Knock Off" back into the schedule. The series, a black comedy crime drama set during South Korea's 1997 IMF financial crisis, stars Kim Soo Hyun and Jo Bo-ah and carries a reported production budget of around 60 billion won, roughly $41 million. It was originally set for release in April 2025 before being pulled indefinitely after Kim became embroiled in allegations involving his personal life.
Kim's legal representative, attorney Ko Sang-rok, added fuel to the speculation when he posted a statement on his personal YouTube channel the same day. He said he believed the reports about a 2026 release were "highly likely" to be true, and that he personally hoped the series would air in the first half of the year. "If it airs in the first half of 2026 as expected, it will be a response to the fans who waited and never gave up," he wrote.
Disney+ shut it down within days. On March 3, the platform issued a direct statement: "Reports that we are preparing to schedule 'Knock Off' for release this year are not true. There are no additional updates beyond our previous statement." The series remains on indefinite hold.
The situation surrounding Kim Soo Hyun has been unresolved since early 2025, when a YouTube channel raised allegations that he had dated the late actress Kim Sae-ron while she was still a minor. Kim's agency GoldMedalist denied the allegations and stated the two were in a relationship when Kim Sae-ron was around 19 or 20 and Kim Soo Hyun was in his early 30s. Kim Sae-ron's family has disputed that account, saying the relationship began when she was 15. Kim held a press conference in March 2025 addressing the controversy and has largely stayed out of the public eye since.
"Knock Off" also stars Jo Bo-ah, Yoo Jae-myung and Kwon Nara, among others. The drama follows a man who loses his job during the IMF crisis and rises to become a figure in the global counterfeit market, with his former girlfriend working as a special judicial police officer assigned to investigate the same illegal network. It is considered one of the most expensive shelved productions in recent Korean streaming history