Butterfly season 1 is Prime Video's latest spy series from The Mentalist and Gotham writer and producer, Ken Woodruff. It's only billed as a limited series with six episodes, but it's packed with non-stop action, complex relationships, and the danger and mystery of global espionage.Hawaii Five-0's Daniel Dae Kim stars in the series as a former intelligence operative now living in South Korea, while Yellowstone star Piper Perabo is his sociopathic agent rival who was assigned to hunt and kill him. Besides the action in most spy genres, the series also brings emotional takes of betrayal, lies, and mind games.Prime Video's Butterfly season 1 used South Korean locations for filming, including less-seen cities like Daegu and Andong-si. These locations are not the usual touristy spots in the country, giving the series a more distinctive quality by showing visual elements rarely showcased on television.Every major filming location where Butterfly season 1 was shot View this post on Instagram Instagram PostButterfly season 1 is Prime Video's TV adaptation of the BOOM! Studios' graphic novel, which is the same name, was created by Arash Amel and Marguerite Bennett. In the book, the story is set in America and Europe, but the series shifted its location setting and filming location to South Korea, with the blessing of the comic book writers.Seoul, South KoreaButterfly season 1 is set in the heart of South Korea, Seoul, and the series remained true to its narrative by filming a significant portion of the series in the South Korean capital. The city served as an ideal backdrop for high-octane action sequences for the series with its dense urban landscape. Some of Seoul's well-known hot spots were captured in Butterfly, including the downtown district of Gangnam and Yeouido, a river island on the Han River in Seoul. The series also filmed diving sequences and wide establishing shots that captured the city's Seogang and Mapo Bridges. Other filming spots in Seoul used in Butterfly include the Seoul Station, its bullet train, and the Bukchon Hanok Village, home to nearly a thousand traditional Korean houses. Being the central hub of South Korea, Seoul offers a variety of landscapes for filming, which have also been used in shows like Train to Busan and Squid Game.Busan, South KoreaAway from the bustling Seoul area, Busan features a unique geographical characteristic, with mountains and the sea. It's also the hometown of series star Daniel Dae Kim. According to Piper Perabo, per Collider, they filmed some of the car chases in the series in the mountains in Busan, and they also shot several sequences down by the sea.A still from the series (Image via Prime Video)Like Seoul, many productions have also filmed in Busan, such as Hitman 2 and the Netflix hit series When Life Gives You Tangerines.Daegu, South KoreaAccording to Variety, Daegu is one of the lesser-known cities in South Korea where Butterfly season 1 was filmed. Like Seoul and Busan, one episode in the series, episode 2, is titled Daegu, an ode to the city, which is considered an important trade hub in the country. There's also a scene in episode 2 where David brings Rebecca to his friend's place in Daegu.Andong-si, South KoreaAndong-si is another area in South Korea where the spy series was filmed, per the Seoul Metropolitan Government. The city is located on the Nakdong River and is famous for its open-air heritage museums. In the series's early episodes, Rebecca finds coordinates that lead her to Andong.Other filming locations used in Butterfly season 1In an interview with Ann Marie Baldonado for FRESH AIR on August 11, 2025, Kpop Demon Hunters voice star Daniel Dae Kim said they shot in "so many locations" in South Korea. While he didn't elaborate much on where, he said:"We shot in over 20 cities throughout all of South Korea... We went from, you know, the mountains of Andong in the countryside to the skyscrapers of Seoul and Busan, and so many places in between."What is Butterfly season 1 all about?Butterfly season 1 follows former US intelligence operative David Jung, whose dark past came back to haunt him. He is now based in South Korea, trying to live a quiet life, but it's disrupted when an organisation sends a young but deadly assassin, Rebecca, after him. The spy thriller explores complex family dynamics and the dangerous and treacherous world of global espionage.All six episodes of Butterfly season 1 are now streaming on Amazon Prime Video.