Pachinko on Apple TV+: Trailer, Cast, Premiere Date, and Everything Else to Know

It's not hard to see why Pachinko is one of the most anticipated series of 2022. To start, the Apple TV+ show is based on Min Jin Lee's critically acclaimed novel of the same name, which was a 2017 finalist for the National Book Awards for Fiction. The series also stars powerhouse actors from South Korea: Youn Yuh Jung, the seasoned performer who became the first Korean actress to win an Academy Award for her role in Minari; and Lee Minho, whose performances in dramas like Boys Over Flowers and The Heirs have gained him a large and active global following over the last decade. 

Created by Soo Hugh and directed by Kogonada and Justin Chon, Pachinko is set to launch on Apple TV+ in March. The book follows four generations of one family across Korea, Japan, and America, and is set in the 1900s — beginning in the period when Korea was under Japanese rule. It's an epic family saga that explores the themes of identity and racism, and one that sheds light on the experiences of ethnic Koreans living in Japan during the 20th century. 

Here's everything we know so far about the Pachinko series.

Trailer

Apple TV+ dropped the trailer for Pachinko on Feb. 23. The clip begins with close-ups of the woman the story centers: Sunja. A shot of young Sunja, played by Yu-na Jeon, transitions to a shot of teenage Sunja, played by Minha Kim. The next shot then focuses on Youn Yuh Jung's older Sunja. This takes place as a voice says, "A child is coming. She will thrive. And through her, a family will endure." The video also includes glimpses of other key characters, including Lee Minho's Koh Hansu, who cross paths with Sunja and different members of her family.

Cast

As mentioned above, three different actors will play Sunja: Youn Yuh Jung, Minha Kim, and Yu-na Jeon. Sunja was born in the 1910s in the fishing village of Yeongdo. After her father, a fisherman, passed away from tuberculosis, Sunja has lived with her mother, who runs a boardinghouse. 

Lee Minho plays Koh Hansu, a fish broker traveling from Japan who begins to pursue Sunja. She also crosses paths with Baek Isak (played by Steve Sanghyun Noh), a minister temporarily lodging at the boardinghouse that Sunja's mother operates.

Jin Ha stars as Baek Solomon, the grandson of Sunja. Solomon has lived in America, and works at a British bank. In Min Jin Lee's book, his story takes place in the final portion and is set in the later part of the 20th century until 1989.

Premiere date

Pachinko premieres on Apple TV+ on Friday, March 25. 

Behind the scenes

Soo Hugh is the creator of the series, as well as its showrunner. Kogonada and Justin Chon each directed four episodes, and Kogonada directed the pilot. 

Author Min Jin Lee was previously reported to be attached to the series as an executive producer, but in an interview with the New Yorker published in February, Lee said she was not executive producing the series and was not discussing it at that time.

How to watch

The first three episodes of Pachinko will be available to stream on Apple TV+ on Friday, March 25. The remaining episodes will be released weekly until April 29.