Instant Netflix No.1: The Show That Crushed All Hottest K-Dramas!

The Devil’s Plan: Death Room has taken Netflix Korea by storm, claiming the No.1 spot on the platform’s Top 10 Series chart as soon as it premiered.

According to Netflix Korea on May 8, the show, which was released on May 6, shot to the top of the chart by 2:30 PM, surpassing major Korean dramas like Resident Playbook (No.2), Heavenly Ever After (No.3), Weak Hero Class 2 (No.4), and The Haunted Palace (No.5).

This high-stakes mind game is the second installment following the hit 2023 series The Devil’s Plan. Just like its predecessor, the new season features a group of players from diverse professions living together for a week to determine who has the sharpest mind. Season 1 previously hit No.1 in Korea and ranked in the Top 10 in 23 countries. Now, with an upgraded survival system and intense game structure, Season 2 is keeping viewers hooked.

The format includes a new twist: players must accumulate prize money while also avoiding elimination in the "Main Match." The top half of performers reside in the main quarters, while the bottom half are sent to the “Prison Wing,” with new rules designed to ignite competition and strategy.

The cast includes 14 uniquely skilled players: Lee Sedol, Justin H. Min, Kyuhyun, Kang Ji-young, Yoon So-hee, Seven High, Lee Seung-hyun, Jung Hyun-kyu, Choi Hyun-joon, Chuu, Kim Ha-rin, Park Sang-yeon, Son Eun-yoo, and Tino. Right from the first episode, a fierce battle of wits began.

Unexpected alliances and betrayals in the first “Main Match” titled Corrupt Cops and the prison match One Out ramped up the tension early on. With missions like Unknown, Time Auction, and a hidden stage, the storyline delivers nonstop twists, emotional clashes, and psychological warfare, going far beyond simple strategy games.

The cast itself has generated buzz. Legendary Go player Lee Sedol remarked at a press conference, “This is the first time I’ve ever felt competitive outside of Go. It was unfamiliar at first, but eventually I started enjoying it. Honestly, The Devil’s Plan was harder than Go.”

Kang Ji-young, formerly a JTBC anchor, joined the show as her first variety appearance post-resignation. “There were memory-based games where I could show my strengths,” she said. “I joined with the mindset of ‘I’ll go down in flames if I must,’ and I’m proud of what I accomplished.”

Super Junior’s Kyuhyun said the experience helped him shed his long-held public persona. “It was like taking off a mask I’d worn for 20 years. I found myself expressing anger, frustration, even justice—and I wondered if fans might be surprised, or even turn away.”

Viewers are eating it up. Online comments include: “This season is so much better,” “Lee Sedol is a must-watch,” “The revived deathmatch system is thrilling,” and “I love that the cast is fully immersed, not worrying about their image.” Others are already dreading the weekly wait between episodes.

Directed by Jung Jong-yeon—the mastermind behind iconic brain-game shows like The Genius, Great Escape, and Society Game—this season expands the cast from 12 to 14 players and introduces the chilling “Death Room” system within the prison quarters. At the press event, Jung noted, “Inmates now face a special elimination game in the Death Room, giving the season a whole new tone.”

The Devil’s Plan: Death Room premiered with Episodes 1–4 on May 6, followed by Episodes 5–9 on May 13 and Episodes 10–12 on May 20. The 12-episode series promises a gripping battle of brains every week.

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