Han River Police ~ The River is for Cruising Not for Crime

Han River Police is a Hulu Original Korean drama series, released in 2023, has 6 episodes, and is streaming on Disney+/Hulu. It is categorized as Thriller, Crime and Mystery, Action, Romance, and Comedy.

♦ Meet the Han River Police Team

“Han River Police” is about a team of police officers who serve as a river patrol. The Han River is a major river in South Korea that is iconic and has historical significance. Since the beginning of Joseon in 1392, the river has been a valuable transportation route and facilitated trade and commerce.

The riverbank area along the Han River has been transformed into parks and sports facilities enjoyed by locals and tourists. Besides the scenic beauty of the Han River, it is used to harness hydroelectric power generation.

The Han River police are tasked with keeping the parks and river safe so people can use them for relaxation and recreation. However, while performing their duties, the police team inadvertently stumbled upon organized criminal activities between politicians and the owners of the cruise ship business.

Politicians accepted bribes to allow a business to expand its cruise ship operations. However, the efforts to grow their business are detrimental to the Han River and will hurt the economy of South Korea in many ways. The businessman is only concerned with the profits the cruise ships will generate. The politicians he has bribed would simply use tax money to pay for any damages his company has caused.

The Han River Police are dedicated professionals, even though the job of protecting the people and fighting criminals is difficult and can be dangerous. And even though in their personal lives, there are a few private matters that need to be sorted out, they don’t let that interfere with performing their duties.

Main Characters:

• Han Du-Jin (played by Kwon Sang-Woo)
• Lee Cheon-Seok (played by Kim Hee-Won, “Behind Your Touch”)
• Kim Ji-Soo (played by Shin Hyun-Seung, “Adamas”)
• Do Na-Hee (played by Bae Da-Bin)
• Go Gi-Seok (played by Lee Sang-Yi, “My Demon”)
• Baek Chul (played by Park Ho-San, “Unlocked”)
• Hwang Man-Dae (played by Choi Moo-Sung, “My Dearest”, “Nokdu Flower”)

Where to Watch

Viewership and Rating:

• IMDb: 6.3 out of 10 stars
• My Drama List: 7.2 out of 10 stars

My personal rating is 8 out of 10 stars. In “Han River Police”, the overlapping storylines of the personal lives of the characters had you hoping for a happy ending. Of course, you want the bad guys to get their comeuppance, i.e justice, no mercy. Everyone in the cast worked together to make the plot relatable and realistic.

Choosing to set a police procedural story around the Han River was refreshing. This K-drama series made me curious about this river. Han River (also known as the Hangang in Korean) is the symbol of Seoul and a major tourist attraction. River cruises are a great way to enjoy the beauty of the Hangang River.

• Learn more: 15 amazing things to do on Han River Seoul and how to get there | Local Insider

LINKS OF INTEREST:

• Han River Police Season 1 Review – A funny, thrilling, action packed police drama | The Review Geek
• ‘Han River Police’ review: same old police procedural | NME
• Han River sets the stage for crimes, heroic rescues in ‘Han River Police’ | The Korea Herald

TRAILERS/TEASERS:

Disney Plus Singapore. “Han River Police | Official Trailer | Disney+ Singapore.” YouTube Video. YouTube, August 31, 2023. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7Qyd86WD9oo.‌