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 "excerpt": "Zombieverse (좀비버스) is a Netflix South Korean comedy-horror reality-variety series created by Park Jin-kyung and Moon Sang-don, premiering August 8, 2023, where celebrities survive zombie-quest scenarios in Seoul; Season 2, New Blood, arrived November 19, 2024.",
 "snippet": "Zombieverse (좀비버스) is a Netflix South Korean comedy-horror reality-variety series created by Park Jin-kyung and Moon Sang-don, premiering August 8, 2023, where celebrities survive zombie-quest scenarios in Seoul; Season 2, New Blood, arrived November 19, 2024.",
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 "markdown": "# Zombieverse (좀비버스)\n\n**Zombieverse** (좀비버스) is a South Korean comedy-horror reality series on Netflix in which celebrities survive quests in a simulated zombie outbreak across Seoul. It premiered on August 8, 2023, as an eight-episode show created by Park Jin-kyung and Moon Sang-don, and a second season, *Zombieverse: New Blood*, followed on November 19, 2024.<sup>[1](https://www.koreatimes.co.kr/entertainment/shows-dramas/20230820/interview-zombieverse-creators-react-to-mixed-response-from-viewers)</sup><sup> • </sup><sup>[2](https://about.netflix.com/news/zombieverse-new-blood-trailer)</sup>\n\n| Key fact | Detail |\n|---|---|\n| Format | Korean \"real-variety\" series, part reality show, part variety show, and part competition show<sup>[3](https://www.netflix.com/tudum/articles/zombieverse-release-date-news)</sup> |\n| Premiere | August 8, 2023, on Netflix; eight episodes<sup>[1](https://www.koreatimes.co.kr/entertainment/shows-dramas/20230820/interview-zombieverse-creators-react-to-mixed-response-from-viewers)</sup> |\n| Creators | Park Jin-kyung (*My Little Television*) and Moon Sang-don (*Hey! First Time in Korea?*)<sup>[1](https://www.koreatimes.co.kr/entertainment/shows-dramas/20230820/interview-zombieverse-creators-react-to-mixed-response-from-viewers)</sup> |\n| Main cast | Ro Hong-chul, Lee Si-young, Cho Sae-ho, with Defconn, Taeyeon, Yook Sung-jae, DinDin, Dex, Code Kunst, and Kwon Eun-bi among others<sup>[4](https://www.netflix.com/title/81635888)</sup> |\n| Season 2 | *Zombieverse: New Blood*, released November 19, 2024<sup>[2](https://about.netflix.com/news/zombieverse-new-blood-trailer)</sup> |\n| Season 1 performance | Reached fifth place in Netflix's global Top 10 for non-English TV and the Top 10 in 13 countries<sup>[5](https://downloads.ctfassets.net/4cd45et68cgf/7fWMiaSbM9TkZp8yn49R13/8326639ec7fc22e99ecbf77cc04f5e42/Korea_es_Appendix_-_2024_Slate.pdf)</sup> |\n| Critical response | Season 1 Tomatometer of 58% from three reviews on Rotten Tomatoes<sup>[6](https://www.rottentomatoes.com/tv/zombieverse/s01)</sup> |\n\n## Spoilers\n\n### Premise and format\n\nThe first season opens with a group of internet-famous people, including actor [Lee Si-young](https://www.edgepedia.org/lee-si-young) and comedian Park Na-rae, who believe they are filming a reality dating show called Love Hunter. A zombie outbreak begins on set when a woman bites her date, and the cast must fight their way out of the building. From there the \"survivors\" face quests, staged challenges with infected crew and zombified civilians, across real-world locations: downtown Seoul, rural villages, and abandoned theme parks.<sup>[3](https://www.netflix.com/tudum/articles/zombieverse-release-date-news)</sup>\n\nNetflix describes the series as a Korean \"real-variety\" show, meaning it combines reality, variety, and competition elements in the manner of *Siren: Survive the Island*. The production crew prepares elaborate and dangerous quests, but none of the cast knows exactly what will happen to them.<sup>[3](https://www.netflix.com/tudum/articles/zombieverse-release-date-news)</sup>\n\n**Scripted or unscripted.** The question of how much of the show is real dominated early discussion. Chief producer Park Jin-kyung told The Korea Times that there was no script for the 10 cast members, while also saying the show is not fully a reality program but closer to a comedy variety show.<sup>[1](https://www.koreatimes.co.kr/entertainment/shows-dramas/20230820/interview-zombieverse-creators-react-to-mixed-response-from-viewers)</sup> [Marie Claire](https://www.edgepedia.org/marie-claire) similarly notes that the show straddles the line between scripted and unscripted, since contestants know the \"zombies\" are background actors, and that the entertainment comes from spontaneous moments of fear, selfishness, or bravery.<sup>[7](https://www.marieclaire.com/culture/tv-shows/best-korean-reality-shows/)</sup>\n\n### Season 2: New Blood\n\nNetflix announced the Season 2 cast on May 13, 2024, describing an expanded universe with new and returning talent.<sup>[11](https://about.netflix.com/en/news/zombieverse-season-2-cast-announcement)</sup> New cast members include comedian Cho Saeho, Defconn, singer Taeyeon, idol-actor [Yook Sung-jae](https://www.edgepedia.org/yook-sung-jae), hip-hop artist Code Kunst, singer [Kwon Eun-bi](https://www.edgepedia.org/kwon-eun-bi), YouTuber Kim Seon-tae (the \"Chungju Man\"), and [Andre Rush](https://www.edgepedia.org/andre-rush), a former White House chef and U.S. Army veteran. Returning from Season 1 are Ro Hong-chul, Lee Si-young, DinDin, Dex, Tsuki, and Patricia.<sup>[11](https://about.netflix.com/en/news/zombieverse-season-2-cast-announcement)</sup>\n\n*Zombieverse: New Blood* premiered on November 19, 2024. Its story centers on the \"resurrected\" Ro Hong-chul, whose rare blood type makes him a key variable in the zombie crisis, and the stage expands from [Jeju Island](https://www.edgepedia.org/jeju-island) across the country toward Seoul, with evolved zombies and larger-scale action quests. Producer Park Jin-kyung described the comical zombies as key to the reality variety format, with masses of zombies not seen in typical zombie genres appearing in every episode to trigger laughter.<sup>[2](https://about.netflix.com/news/zombieverse-new-blood-trailer)</sup>\n\n## Production and context\n\nThe series was produced with Kakao Entertainment, whose newsroom described it as a game-survival show about the cast's quest to survive in a Seoul infested by zombies, combining the intensity of Korean zombie fiction with the story structure of recent successful Korean variety shows.<sup>[8](https://newsroom.kakaoent.com/news/zombieverse-success-headlines-latest-innovative-content-from-kakao-entertainment-to-reach-mz-fans-around-the-world/)</sup> Netflix positioned it as an extension of the South Korean zombie wave built by *Kingdom* (2019) and *All of Us Are Dead* (2022), seeking to carry that genre into unscripted programming.<sup>[9](https://www.straitstimes.com/life/entertainment/netflix-to-release-zombie-themed-action-variety-programme-zombieverse)</sup>\n\nPark Jin-kyung said that while developing the show the team looked for similar formats and found many zombie dramas but almost nothing in reality format; earlier attempts at realistic zombie reality shows were, in his view, hard to watch, so Zombieverse was twisted toward comedy.<sup>[1](https://www.koreatimes.co.kr/entertainment/shows-dramas/20230820/interview-zombieverse-creators-react-to-mixed-response-from-viewers)</sup>\n\n## Reception\n\nThe first season drew mixed reviews. Park told The Korea Times that on release day reactions split between \"what is this?\" and \"it's fun,\" and that support grew over time on social media.<sup>[1](https://www.koreatimes.co.kr/entertainment/shows-dramas/20230820/interview-zombieverse-creators-react-to-mixed-response-from-viewers)</sup> Critics on Rotten Tomatoes gave the season a 58% Tomatometer from three reviews; negative commentary centered on the show feeling fake or cheesy, while audience discussion was more divided between criticism of the premise and enjoyment of the cast.<sup>[6](https://www.rottentomatoes.com/tv/zombieverse/s01)</sup><sup> • </sup><sup>[10](https://www.dexerto.com/tv-movies/zombieverse-netflix-rotten-tomatoes-score-2242502/)</sup> Commercially, the season set a record for Korean variety shows by reaching fifth place on Netflix's global Top 10 for non-English TV and placing in the Top 10 of 13 countries, including South Korea, Mexico, Singapore, Thailand, Taiwan, and Vietnam.<sup>[5](https://downloads.ctfassets.net/4cd45et68cgf/7fWMiaSbM9TkZp8yn49R13/8326639ec7fc22e99ecbf77cc04f5e42/Korea_es_Appendix_-_2024_Slate.pdf)</sup>\n\n## References\n\n1. [Lee Gyu-lee (August 20, 2023). \"'Zombieverse' creators react to mixed response from viewers.\" The Korea Times.](https://www.koreatimes.co.kr/entertainment/shows-dramas/20230820/interview-zombieverse-creators-react-to-mixed-response-from-viewers)\n2. [\"'Zombieverse: New Blood' Trailer Promises More Laughs and Thrills on November 19.\" About Netflix, November 5, 2024.](https://about.netflix.com/news/zombieverse-new-blood-trailer)\n3. [Ingrid Ostby (August 10, 2023). \"'Zombieverse': Would You Survive a Zombie Apocalypse? It's Time to Find Out.\" Netflix Tudum.](https://www.netflix.com/tudum/articles/zombieverse-release-date-news)\n4. [Zombieverse, Netflix title page.](https://www.netflix.com/title/81635888)\n5. [Netflix Korea 2024 Slate Appendix (Spanish-language summary of Season 2 performance).](https://downloads.ctfassets.net/4cd45et68cgf/7fWMiaSbM9TkZp8yn49R13/8326639ec7fc22e99ecbf77cc04f5e42/Korea_es_Appendix_-_2024_Slate.pdf)\n6. [Zombieverse: Season 1, Rotten Tomatoes.](https://www.rottentomatoes.com/tv/zombieverse/s01)\n7. [\"The 25 Best Korean Reality Shows of All Time and Where to Stream Them.\" Marie Claire.](https://www.marieclaire.com/culture/tv-shows/best-korean-reality-shows/)\n8. [\"Zombieverse headlines Kakao Entertainment's innovative content.\" Kakao Entertainment Newsroom.](https://newsroom.kakaoent.com/news/zombieverse-success-headlines-latest-innovative-content-from-kakao-entertainment-to-reach-mz-fans-around-the-world/)\n9. [\"Netflix to release zombie-themed action variety programme Zombieverse.\" The Straits Times.](https://www.straitstimes.com/life/entertainment/netflix-to-release-zombie-themed-action-variety-programme-zombieverse)\n10. [\"Why does Zombieverse have such a low Rotten Tomatoes score?\" Dexerto.](https://www.dexerto.com/tv-movies/zombieverse-netflix-rotten-tomatoes-score-2242502/)\n11. [\"'Zombieverse' Season 2 Unveils Full Cast: A New Chapter in Survival Comedy.\" About Netflix, May 14, 2024.](https://about.netflix.com/en/news/zombieverse-season-2-cast-announcement)\n\n---\n*Topic: Encyclopedia › Arts and culture › Screen and stage › Film and television › Series and fictional screen worlds › Unscripted, reality, and web-native series › Celebrity, family, lifestyle, and court reality series › Lifestyle, dating, and docusoaps › Celebrity and family docusoaps › Premiered 2019 to 2026*\n\n*Initially written Oct 3, 2026 · Reviewed: Oct 25, 2026 · Edited: Oct 15, 2026; Oct 25, 2026; Nov 1, 2026 · Last review: Oct 25, 2026*\n\n*Copyright 2026 EdgeChat AI, a subsidiary of Biostate AI.*\n\nLicense: Edgepedia Community License 1.0, https://www.edgepedia.org/edgepedia/license\n",
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 "credit": "\"Zombieverse (좀비버스)\", Edgepedia (EdgeChat), https://www.edgepedia.org/zombieverse. Edgepedia Community License 1.0.",
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 "speakable": "Zombieverse is a Netflix South Korean comedy-horror reality-variety series created by Park Jin-kyung and Moon Sang-don, premiering August 8, 2023, where celebrities survive zombie-quest scenarios in Seoul; Season 2, New Blood, arrived November 19, 2024."
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