Netflix announces D.P. season 2: Expected plot, and release date

D.P. K-drama poster (Image via IMDb)
D.P. K-drama poster (Image via IMDb)

Four months later, fans were greeted with the critically acclaimed K-drama D.P. season 2's official renewal. On December 14, Netflix Korea released a short clip announcing the season renewal, throwing fans off guard.

The drama never backed down from unflinching, heartbreaking and raw stories that reflect the South Korean military men and their lifestyle during their enlistment.


Netflix’s thrilling military drama 'D.P. season 2' gets confirmed

D.P. is one of Netflix’s original drama productions and has been on par with the popularity of its other originals, Love Alarm, and zombie thriller, Kingdom (or presumably more than them).

D.P., short for Deserter Pursuit, is a department that aims to bring back military deserters - active soldiers who run away from camp. The show stars Jung Hae In as Private Ahn Joon Ho and Koo Kyo Hwan as his senior Corporal Han Ho Hyeol.

Netflix Korea announced the renewal of D.P. season 2 with a short clip of the scene, which becomes a key point of the show - Joon Ho looks at the military base’s border and wonders about crossing the line. Senior Ho Hyeol asks Joon Ho if he wants him to go alone, and Joon Ho finally crosses the boundary by trusting Ho Hyeol.


What will the story in 'D.P. season 2' be?

The six-part D.P. season one ended on an engrossing high note, erupting like a volcano. Everything that the show talked about from the start - the hierarchical structural abuse, power abuse by seniors, political connections, graphic stories, and emotional backstories - peaked in the final two episodes.

The finale saw Joon Ho walk away from his unit commander’s decisions. As the entire group turns one way, the D.P. member turns to the other and starts walking away. Considering there are over 500 days left in Joon Ho’s conscription to end, there aren’t many places he can go to.

The first season also emphasized his broken relationship with his mother. So home is out of the question too. But D.P. season 2 might give audiences the answer to why Joon Ho has a strained relationship with her.

Then there’s Ho Hyeol, who disobeyed his immediate senior, Sergeant First Class Park Bum Gu (Kim Sung Kyun), multiple times in front of all the juniors. The veteran D.P. member Ho Hyeol did get a second chance after returning from the hospital, but there might be some episodes where Ho Hyeol’s D.P. position could be taken away with a power play.

He might be “punished” by positioning him as an ordinary soldier or in military police - meaning that he can’t step out of the barracks (one thing Ho Hyeol loves the most.)

An angle indeed kept in the upcoming season would be Hoon Jo and Ho Hyeol’s palpable and unmissable bromance.


What is D.P. season 2’s release date?

D.P. season 2 has only been confirmed so far. Neither Jung Hae In nor Koo Kyu Kwan have been reported to be working on any other series as of writing this article. Filming for D.P. season 2 might begin sometime in 2022, and considering the quick turnaround for K-dramas, the sequel can be expected to land on Netflix by early or mid-2023.

There are multiple reasons why D.P. was critically acclaimed throughout its release and continues to be discussed in South Korea. The show spent eight weeks on Netflix’s top dramas list in its home country.

Based on a webtoon titled D.P Dog’s Day, the show attempts to show society the mirror to the extreme bullying and hazing culture rampant in their military.

D.P. season 2 will have the same production cast as season 1. Director Han Jun Hee will also co-write the screenplay with Kim Bo Tong.