Rookie Cops

Cast

Kang Daniel plays Wi Seung-hyun, a young man driven by a strong sense of justice who cannot tolerate wrongdoing. He hopes to follow his father, the head of the Gyeonggi Dongbu Police Agency, and managed to score first on the college entrance exam on his second try. Chae Soo-bin portrays Go Eun-kang, an energetic and brave freshman who tends to cause trouble. She originally joined the police force to pursue an unrequited love and, after an initial rejection, eventually gained admission to the police university.

Oh Ah-rin appears as the younger version of Go Eun-kang. Lee Shin-young takes on the role of Kim Tak, a freshman who came from the junior national judo team and embodies youthful spirit and passion. He is used to being alone, but Wi Seung-hyun becomes his first true friend.

Choi Yoon-woo plays the young Kim Tak. Park Yoo-na appears as Gi Han-na, a self-sufficient and pragmatic freshman with a distinctive, prideful charm. She consistently ranks first in her department, but her individualistic nature creates friction with classmates who prioritize group life. Park Sung-joon plays Yoo Dae-il, a self-described "pure macho" freshman who considers himself a successful police drama fan because he decided to become an officer after watching Signal.

He passed the entrance exam on his third attempt. Min Do-hee portrays Woo Ju-young, a freshman from a science high school who dreams of working as a forensics investigator. Kim Woo-seok appears as Seo Bum-ju, a sincere and upright freshman whose excessive thoughts and worries sometimes reveal a timid side. He is careful with planning and possesses unexpected dance skills.

Cheon Young-min plays Shin A-ri, an ulzzang freshman interested in fashion and appearance. She has a gloomy image but actually has a soft personality and gradually grows closer to her classmates. Park Yeon-woo portrays Jang Ju-chan, a fourth-year student and student council president who is also Go Eun-kang's first love.

Chung Su-bin plays Baek Sun-yu, the head of the female student dormitory, who is active in training and student council. Kim Seung-ho appears as Pyo Hyun-seok, the head of public relations at the police academy. He is friendly and buys food for juniors but harbors a dark secret. Lee Joon-woo plays Um Hyuk, a strict, principled upperclassman who leads the academy's education team, responsible for training new students.

Production

Studio&NEW announced on December 22, 2020, that it would use investment funds and secure secondary copyrights to produce several upcoming projects, among them a series called Rookie Cops. Reports on February 1, 2021, identified it as an original show destined for Disney+. The partnership between NEW and The Walt Disney Company Korea was finalized on April 30, 2021, with Rookie Cops listed as one of two immediate titles in the five-year deal.

Kang Daniel and Chae Soo-bin were first reported to be considering roles on February 1 and March 9, 2021, respectively, but their lead parts were only confirmed when they appeared at the Disney+ APAC Content Showcase on October 14. In May, Min Do-hee, Lee Shin-young, Kim Woo-seok, and Shin Ye-eun were reported as cast members. Kim Sang-ho and Park Yoo-na confirmed their involvement in June, followed by Sa Kang in July.

Kwak Si-yang’s special appearance was confirmed in October, and the full main cast was revealed in November. Filming started in early May 2021 after a script reading and wrapped up in November. On January 25, 2022, footage from the official table read was released.

Reception

Before it even aired, Rookie Cops made headlines as the first acting role for K-pop star Kang Daniel. The series was highlighted in Allure Korea's roundup of the most buzzed-about TV programs and issues of 2021, and it also appeared on YTN's list of the top five most anticipated OTT releases for the first half of 2022. Tatler Asia included it in their ranking of 30 upcoming Korean dramas to watch in 2022.

Once it premiered, the show frequently hit number one on Disney+'s top 10 TV shows chart in South Korea. It also occasionally topped that same list in Taiwan and consistently placed within the top three in Hong Kong, Singapore, and Japan. New Zealand outlet Stuff recommended Rookie Cops as the only Korean drama among five series to stream on Disney+.

Variety credited the show as a key reason Disney+ broke into the top five streaming services in Korea. Even though it initially launched in select markets, it still landed seventh on the global list of most-watched K-dramas on Disney+ in 2022. On the music side, Rolling Stone India included the OST track "Because of You" in their list of ten favorite Korean drama songs of 2022, noting that singer Chancellor enhances the delicate, lyrical composition.

Did You Know?

• Kang Daniel's role as Wi Seung-hyun marked his acting debut.
• The series released two episodes every Wednesday at 17:00 (KST) on Disney+ via Star.
• The OST track 'Because of You' by Chancellor was named one of Rolling Stone India's favorite Korean drama songs of 2022.
• Filming began in early May 2021 and concluded in November of the same year.