KIDNAP
GAME
THE
ULTIMATE
GLOBAL
THRILLER
STARRING
THE
UNSTOPPABLE
LEE JOON
GI
|
|
Get ready for the most pulse-pounding, high-stakes television event of the decade. While busy dominating the screen filming Dochabi, the incomparable Lee Joon Gi is about to blow global audiences away in the upcoming blockbuster suspense series, Kidnap Game.
https://www.instagram.com/simstory_drama/reel/DdS6TyhEb2i/
Recently, Lee Joon Gi teamed up with co-star Kentaro Sakaguchi for a hilarious, high-energy 5-syllable challenge promo for South Korea's Channel A, where their undeniable chemistry stole the show. Lee Joon Gi even closed out the session with a thrilling reminder: Kidnap Game premieres on 6 October 2026, at 10 PM (KST) on Channel A, airing every Tuesday! And the global promotion doesn't stop there - Disney+ has officially joined the fun, guaranteeing a simultaneous global release, alongside broadcasters VIU and Fuji TV.
THE ULTIMATE CLASH OF TITANS
LEE JOON GI LEADS THE CHARGE
Spanning seven major global hubs and cities (Tokyo, Seoul, Taipei, Singapore, Bangkok, Naha, and Manila), across countries and cultures, this gripping international masterpiece forces seven strangers into a brutal, life-or-death survival game. Their
mission? Complete twisted individual instructions to save their kidnapped loved
ones - because only one person can
ultimately be saved. At the absolute center of this explosive narrative is the magnetic rivalry and emotional clash between two major characters, Dr Han Ki Joo and The question is: Will the surgeon and the detective join forces to defeat the enemy?
Lee Joon Gi as Dr. Han Ki Joo (Seoul): A legendary, world-renowned neurosurgeon who has stepped away from practice. When his young, visually impaired daughter is abducted, his world collapses. Pushed to his absolute limits, Lee Joon Gi portrays a desperate father forced to choose between his sacred oath as a life-saving doctor and his raw impulses to save his child.
The Producers' Praise: The creative team notes, ‘Lee Joon Gi
has breathed life into his character with great depth and complexity, a
desperate father who pushes himself to the limit to save his beloved daughter.
We are convinced that this densely layered suspense only actor Lee Joon-gi can
make happen will create even more powerful synergy’.
Kentaro Sakaguchi as Toshiro Niide
(Tokyo): An elite, fearless Japanese detective
whose own beloved wife is taken in the simultaneous multi-city abductions,
setting the stage for an unforgettable head-to-head showdown with Dr Han Ki Joo portrayed by Lee Joon Gi.
SYMBOLISM AND THE MYSTERY OF THE RED ROSE The
psychological depth of Kidnap Game is woven through haunting visual
motifs, most notably the red rose, a
symbol of ultimate devotion, passion, and the painful thorns of love.
Nothing
is more arresting or haunting than the recurring motif of the red rose.
THE FALLEN RED ROSE AND DR. HAN KI JOO https://www.instagram.com/leejoongiitalianfamily/reel/DdLwU_lKddp/
In
one of the most breathtaking promotional visuals released for the series, Lee Joon Gi’s character, Dr. Han Ki Joo,
is seen picking up a single fallen red rose from the ground.
THE SYMBOLISM
A red
rose resting on the earth is a universal cinematic shorthand for profound
sorrow, sacrifice, a shattered heart, and a life cut tragically short.
THE NARRATIVE CLUE
Because
it is Lee Joon Gi's desperate, retired-surgeon-turned-father who stoops to pick
it up, it acts as a devastating narrative omen - suggesting that despite his
genius and his fierce devotion, he may already have lost his young, visually
impaired daughter to the sadistic mastermind's game, pushing him past the brink
of mere desperation into outright vengeance.
THE BURNING RED ROSE
Flames
and flora collide in the main promotional teaser as a pristine red rose is
aggressively set on fire.
THE SYMBOLISM
While
a red rose naturally embodies deep romantic love, passion, and ultimate
devotion, setting it ablaze is a volatile, destructive act. It represents
extreme anger, a burning resentment, heartbreak, and a toxic passion turned
lethal.
THE NARRATIVE CLUE
This
points directly to broken oaths, catastrophic betrayals of trust, and the
shattering of secret alliances among the seven global cities. The fire signals
that whatever bonds once protected these individuals have been scorched beyond
recognition.
THE ROSE ACROSS THE MOUTH (SHOW KASAMATSU’S TEASER) Another
striking, unsettling image features Japanese actor Show Kasamatsu's character
speaking angrily, but framed at an angle where a red rose deliberately blocks
his mouth.
THE SYMBOLISM
This
jarring juxtaposition of beauty and violence explores the fragile line between
suppression and expression.
THE NARRATIVE CLUE
It
reveals that behind every bitter, cruel, or furious word spoken in this deadly
game lies deep, unhealed trauma, wounded love, or a profound vulnerability that
the speaker is desperately trying to mask. It suggests a tragic truth: in this
survival game, lashing out in anger hurts the speaker just as much as it hurts
the target.
While
the entire global project centers on the electrifying tension and rivalry
driven by the most important characters portrayed by Lee Joon Gi and Kentaro
Sakaguchi, Kidnap Game boasts a breathtaking, multi-national
ensemble cast. Spanning seven major global hubs across regions, these
phenomenal actors bring rich cultural depth, distinct backgrounds, and
high-stakes drama to the ultimate survival game.
THE CORE GAME PARTICIPANTS AND KEY ROLES
SEOUL SOUTH KOREA
Dr. Han Ki Joo (Played by Lee Joon Gi): The
absolute anchor of the entire series. A legendary, retired genius neurosurgeon
forced into the underground game when his young, visually impaired daughter is
snatched. Lee Joon Gi commands the screen, torn between his sacred oath as a
life-saving surgeon and the raw, desperate instincts of a father pushed past his
absolute breaking point. TOKYO JAPAN
Toshiro Niide (Played by Kentaro
Sakaguchi): An elite, fearless detective with an
incredible arrest rate. When his beloved wife is taken in the simultaneous
multi-city abductions, he enters the game to hunt down the mastermind - setting
up an intense, razor-thin rivalry and dramatic clash directly with Lee Joon
Gi's character.
TAIPEI TAIWAN
Christina (Played by Alice Ko): An
influencer and housewife whose husband has been kidnapped, plunging her
unexpectedly into the dangerous mechanics of the game.
SINGAPORE
Janice (Played by Carrie Wong): A
dedicated flight attendant thrust into the horrifying ordeal after her fiancé
is abducted.
MANILA PHILIPPINES
Miguel (Played by Joel Torre): A
gritty, grounded taxi driver fighting tooth and nail because his beloved
grandson has been taken hostage.
BANGKOK THAILAND
Ayun (Played by Praew Narupornkamol Chaisang): A nightclub hostess forced into the survival arena to save her good friend.
NAHA JAPAN Shinnosuke Mitsushima: Representing Japan's second map slot in Naha (Okinawa) alongside Tokyo, his mysterious character's true role and connection to the game remain heavily shrouded in suspense.
THE GLOBAL CONNECTIONS AND SUPPORTING POWERHOUSES
Because
the multi-city thriller spans simultaneous kidnappings across distinct regional
locations, Japan uniquely commands two slots on the map (Tokyo and Naha). The
international web is further reinforced by key figures and supporting players.
HONG KONG CHINA Andy (Played by Stanley Yau): A
ruthless multinational corporate lawyer. Intriguingly positioned outside
the core group of forced survival contestants, his corporate international role
suggests he may be operating from an entirely different angle in the
overarching conspiracy.
TOKYO SUPPORT AND SUPPORTING CAST
Featuring
talents like Sae Okazaki and Show Kasamatsu, whose striking
promotional imagery with a red rose blocking his mouth hints at deep,
suppressed trauma behind angry words. With
an international cast of this caliber supporting Lee Joon Gi as he anchors the most intense role of his career, Kidnap
Game is shaping up to be an absolute masterclass in global suspense.
GLOBAL PREMIERE SCHEDULE
The
stage is set for a massive World
Premiere on 2 October 2026 (Friday), featuring the star-studded
international cast, including Lee Joon Gi, Kentaro Sakaguchi, Alice Ko, Stanley
Yau, Carrie Wong, Joel Torre, and Praew Narupornkamol Chaisang.
https://www.fujitv.co.jp/kidnap-game/news/index06.html
FUJI TV (JAPAN)
Premieres 6 October 2026, airing every
Tuesday at 9:00 PM (with an extended 15-minute premiere).
CHANNEL A (SOUTH KOREA)
Premieres 6 October 2026, airing every
Tuesday at 10:00 PM (KST)
DISNEY+
Releasing
simultaneously starting 6 October 2026. VIU Kidnap Game premieres on VIU TV Network platform on 6 October 2026.
Who
is the mastermind orchestrating this deadly game?
Find
out as Lee Joon Gi delivers what is bound to be the most gripping performance
of his career.
|
|










































































