# Vigilante (비질란테)
**Vigilante** (비질란테) is a 2023 South Korean action thriller series in which Kim Ji-yong, a model student at the Korean National Police University by day, secretly punishes criminals who escaped serious punishment under the law by night. It was released on Disney+ in eight episodes from November 8 to November 29, 2023, and is adapted from a Naver webtoon of the same name written by CRG and illustrated by Kim Kyu-sam.[1](https://asianwiki.com/Vigilante_%28Korean_Drama%29)
| Key fact | Detail |
|---|---|
| Format | 8 episodes, each about 44 to 46 minutes; TV-MA rating; genre action, thriller, crime[2](https://www.disneyplus.com/browse/entity-569c98cf-96f9-4267-be62-2e88efcdade3) • [3](https://www.justwatch.com/au/tv-show/vigilante) |
| Release | November 8 to 29, 2023, on Disney+; first three episodes screened at the Busan International Film Festival on October 5, 2023[1](https://asianwiki.com/Vigilante_%28Korean_Drama%29) • [4](https://www.jaehakim.com/2023/11/vigilante-k-drama-review-nam-joohyuk/) |
| Source | Naver webtoon *Vigilante* by CRG (writing) and Kim Kyu-sam (art), serialized April 27, 2018 to January 8, 2021; viewed more than 370 million times[1](https://asianwiki.com/Vigilante_%28Korean_Drama%29) • [5](https://en.yna.co.kr/view/AEN20231106007700315) |
| Main cast | Nam Joo-hyuk as Kim Ji-yong, Yoo Ji-tae as Jo Heon, Lee Joon-hyuk as Jo Gang-ok, Kim So-jin as Choi Mi-ryeo[2](https://www.disneyplus.com/browse/entity-569c98cf-96f9-4267-be62-2e88efcdade3) |
| Director and creator | Directed by Choi Jeong-yeol; created by Moon Yoo-seok[1](https://asianwiki.com/Vigilante_%28Korean_Drama%29) • [6](https://searchott.com/series/vigilante) |
| Production | Studio N and Beyond Story[6](https://searchott.com/series/vigilante) |
| Availability | Disney+ in South Korea, Japan, Singapore, Taiwan, Turkey, and other markets; Hulu in the United States[7](https://flixpatrol.com/title/vigilante/streaming/) • [2](https://www.disneyplus.com/browse/entity-569c98cf-96f9-4267-be62-2e88efcdade3) |
## Spoilers
### Premise
As a child, Kim Ji-yong saw his mother beaten to death on the street by a thug who received only three and a half years in prison. As an adult he finds that the killer has not changed, and he beats him brutally himself. Afterward he lives two lives: on weekdays a model student at the police university, and on weekends a figure called the Vigilante who punishes criminals that received light sentences and continue to offend.[1](https://asianwiki.com/Vigilante_%28Korean_Drama%29)
Around him stand people with different motives. [Jo Heon](https://www.edgepedia.org/jo-heon), team leader of a police investigation team, hunts the Vigilante. Jo Gang-ok, an admirer who helps him, supplies money and support. Choi Mi-ryeo, a broadcast reporter, covers the Vigilante for her own career.[1](https://asianwiki.com/Vigilante_%28Korean_Drama%29) As the series progresses, copycat vigilantes appear nationwide, and Jo Heon and Choi Mi-ryeo close in on the original's identity.[2](https://www.disneyplus.com/browse/entity-569c98cf-96f9-4267-be62-2e88efcdade3)
### Season 2
In July 2024, JTBC Entertainment News reported that a second season was in production. According to the report, the agencies of [Nam Joo-hyuk](https://www.edgepedia.org/nam-joo-hyuk), Yoo Ji-tae, and Kim So-jin took differing positions on appearance at that time, but the actors were expected to reprise their characters if scheduling could be arranged.[14](https://news.nate.com/view/20240719n08745)
## Cast
- **Nam Joo-hyuk** as Kim Ji-yong, the police university student who becomes the Vigilante. Nam, known for *Twenty-Five Twenty-One* (2022) and *The Light in Your Eyes* (2019), did not attend the November 6, 2023 press conference because he was serving his mandatory military service.[1](https://asianwiki.com/Vigilante_%28Korean_Drama%29) • [5](https://en.yna.co.kr/view/AEN20231106007700315)
- **Yoo Ji-tae** as Jo Heon, the investigation team leader pursuing the Vigilante.[1](https://asianwiki.com/Vigilante_%28Korean_Drama%29)
- **Lee Joon-hyuk** as Jo Gang-ok, a tycoon figure who admires and sponsors the Vigilante.[1](https://asianwiki.com/Vigilante_%28Korean_Drama%29) • [8](https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/k-pop/k-drama/article/3243463/disney-k-drama-review-vigilante-thrilling-crime-series-starring-nam-joo-hyuk-explores-different)
- **Kim So-jin** as Choi Mi-ryeo, the reporter covering the Vigilante.[1](https://asianwiki.com/Vigilante_%28Korean_Drama%29)
- Supporting cast includes Yoon Kyung-ho and Lee Hae-young.[2](https://www.disneyplus.com/browse/entity-569c98cf-96f9-4267-be62-2e88efcdade3)
## Source webtoon and adaptation
The series adapts the Naver webtoon *Vigilante*, written by CRG and drawn by Kim Kyu-sam, which ran from April 27, 2018 to January 8, 2021.[1](https://asianwiki.com/Vigilante_%28Korean_Drama%29) Director Choi Jeong-yeol said at the Seoul press conference that because the original webtoon is lengthy and covers a vast amount of story, he selected impressive episodes to keep the tension high and make the series fast-paced. He said he hoped the series would raise questions such as whether the law is fair and functioning well, whether a vigilante is a hero or a villain, and what is needed for a more solid legal framework.[5](https://en.yna.co.kr/view/AEN20231106007700315)
The webtoon had been viewed more than 370 million times on the Naver Webtoon platform by the time of the drama's release.[5](https://en.yna.co.kr/view/AEN20231106007700315) The drama is one of many webtoon-based adaptations produced by Studio N, whose webtoon-IP dramas numbered 24 by one 2024 industry count.[9](https://nimage.g-enews.com/phpwas/pdffile.php?pp=001&sp=202406041809088722186697f2be10625224987_3.pdf)
## Production and filming
The series was produced by Studio N and Beyond Story, with Moon Yoo-seok credited as creator.[6](https://searchott.com/series/vigilante) In October 2022, Kongju National University's Cheonan campus issued an internal notice cooperating with filming: from October 15 to 17, 2022, a crew of about 80 people used the engineering buildings, the sports field, and drone shots of the campus, and in the drama the Cheonan campus buildings appear as a hospital. The university received on-screen location credit at no charge.[10](https://dual.kongju.ac.kr/bbs/ZD9012/1344/470350/download.do)
## Release and reception
The first three episodes premiered at the Busan International Film Festival on October 5, 2023, and the full series ran on Disney+ from November 8 to November 29, 2023, in South Korea and other markets.[4](https://www.jaehakim.com/2023/11/vigilante-k-drama-review-nam-joohyuk/) • [1](https://asianwiki.com/Vigilante_%28Korean_Drama%29) In the United States it streams on Hulu; in the United Kingdom, Canada, Australia, and other regions it streams on Disney+.[2](https://www.disneyplus.com/browse/entity-569c98cf-96f9-4267-be62-2e88efcdade3) • [11](https://helposter.com/tv/205082-205082-vigilante)
**Critical response.** The South China Morning Post gave the series four stars out of five, praising its vigorous set pieces and punchy pacing and noting that the characters who join Nam Joo-hyuk's bloodthirsty police recruit add to its pulpy appeal, culminating in a showdown between embodiments of different sides of justice.[8](https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/k-pop/k-drama/article/3243463/disney-k-drama-review-vigilante-thrilling-crime-series-starring-nam-joo-hyuk-explores-different) Jae-Ha Kim rated it two and a half stars out of four, finding the first three episodes thrilling but the morally bankrupt anti-hero difficult to root for by the end.[4](https://www.jaehakim.com/2023/11/vigilante-k-drama-review-nam-joohyuk/) NME called it a delight for adrenaline junkies while suggesting viewers seeking fresh perspective might skip it.[12](https://www.nme.com/news/tv/vigilante-review-k-drama-disney-plus-nam-joo-hyuk-3551220) On JustWatch the series holds a user score of 7.7 from about 5,400 votes; on MyDramaList it stands at 8.6 from about 30,000 votes.[3](https://www.justwatch.com/au/tv-show/vigilante) • [13](https://dramarecs.com/dramas/vigilante/)
## References
1. [Vigilante (Korean Drama), AsianWiki](https://asianwiki.com/Vigilante_%28Korean_Drama%29)
2. [Vigilante, Disney+ official page](https://www.disneyplus.com/browse/entity-569c98cf-96f9-4267-be62-2e88efcdade3)
3. [Vigilante (2023), JustWatch](https://www.justwatch.com/au/tv-show/vigilante)
4. ["Vigilante" (비질란테), review by Jae-Ha Kim, November 30, 2023](https://www.jaehakim.com/2023/11/vigilante-k-drama-review-nam-joohyuk/)
5. [Disney+'s 'Vigilante' targets global audience as Korean dark hero action series, Yonhap News Agency, November 6, 2023](https://en.yna.co.kr/view/AEN20231106007700315)
6. [Vigilante (2023): Cast, Plot & Where to Watch, SearchOTT](https://searchott.com/series/vigilante)
7. [Vigilante Streaming, FlixPatrol](https://flixpatrol.com/title/vigilante/streaming/)
8. [Disney+ K-drama review: Vigilante, South China Morning Post, December 1, 2023](https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/k-pop/k-drama/article/3243463/disney-k-drama-review-vigilante-thrilling-crime-series-starring-nam-joo-hyuk-explores-different)
9. [스튜디오N 웹툰 IP 원작 드라마 보도, 2024년 6월](https://nimage.g-enews.com/phpwas/pdffile.php?pp=001&sp=202406041809088722186697f2be10625224987_3.pdf)
10. [국립공주대학교 천안캠퍼스 촬영 협조 요청 공문](https://dual.kongju.ac.kr/bbs/ZD9012/1344/470350/download.do)
11. [Where to Watch Vigilante (2023), Helposter](https://helposter.com/tv/205082-205082-vigilante)
12. ['Vigilante' review: a delight for adrenaline junkies, NME, November 30, 2023](https://www.nme.com/news/tv/vigilante-review-k-drama-disney-plus-nam-joo-hyuk-3551220)
13. [Vigilante review, DramaRecs](https://dramarecs.com/dramas/vigilante/)
14. [[단독] 남주혁·유지태·김소진 출연 '비질란테' 시즌2 제작, JTBC 엔터뉴스 via 네이트, July 19, 2024](https://news.nate.com/view/20240719n08745)
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*Topic: Encyclopedia › Arts and culture › Screen and stage › Film and television › Series and fictional screen worlds › International serial drama and telenovelas › East Asian drama series › Korean contemporary drama › Thriller, crime, and mystery series › Crime and mystery thrillers*
*Initially written Oct 3, 2026 · Reviewed: Oct 3, 2026; Oct 25, 2026 · Edited: Oct 3, 2026; Oct 15, 2026; Oct 25, 2026; Nov 1, 2026 · Last review: Oct 25, 2026*
*Copyright 2026 EdgeChat AI, a subsidiary of Biostate AI.*
License: Edgepedia Community License 1.0, https://www.edgepedia.org/edgepedia/license