Heroes Next Door

Heroes Next Door
Promotional poster
Hangul
UDT: 우리 동네 특공대
Lit.UDT: Our Neighborhood Special Forces
RRUDT: uri dongne teukgongdae
MRUDT: uri tongne t'ŭkkongdae
GenreAction comedy
Written by
  • Ban Gi-ri
  • Kim Sang-yoon
Directed byJo Woong
Starring
Country of originSouth Korea
Original languageKorean
No. of episodes10
Production
Running time60 minutes[1]
Production companies
Original release
Network
ReleaseNovember 17 (2025-11-17) –
December 16, 2025 (2025-12-16)

Heroes Next Door (Korean: UDT: 우리 동네 특공대) is a 2025 South Korean action comedy television series written by Ban Gi-ri and Kim Sang-yoon, directed by Jo Woong, and starring Yoon Kye-sang, Jin Seon-kyu, Kim Ji-hyun, Ko Kyu-pil, and Lee Jung-ha. The series tells the story of a lighthearted joint operation by reserve special-forces veterans who band together not to protect the nation or pursue world peace, but solely for their families and their neighborhood. It aired on ENA from November 17, to December 16, 2025, every Monday and Tuesday at 22:00 (KST). It is also simultaneously streaming on Coupang Play and Genie TV in South Korea.

Synopsis

A group of retired special-forces operatives that includes Choi Kang, Gwak Byung-nam, Jung Nam-yeon, Lee Yong-hee, and Park Jeong-hwan get together to protect their families and the neighborhood of Changri-dong. They have lived all these years as ordinary civilians and now use military training to fight back against unusual incidents, including series of mysterious explosions, and deal with day-to-day life.

Cast and characters

Main

A former member of the JDD lethal special operations unit turned insurance investigator.
A former HID counter-terrorism unit member who now runs a combined hardware and stationery store and serves as the youth association president of Changri-dong.
A former special operations instructor who now runs the Mammoth Mart.
A former cyber operations soldier who now a special martial arts instructor of Yongmu Dojang.
A former mortar unit member who now studying at Seoul National University of Science and Technology.

Supporting

  • Heo Joon-seok as Kim Su-il[3]
Nam-yeon's husband and member of the Changri-dong's Ddongsampae.
Kang's wife.
  • Jung Seok-yong as Oh Chun-bae[5]
Owner of Hanna Laundry and a former rifleman of the Baekma Division.
Minister of National Defense who investigates the series of mysterious explosions in Giyun city.
Vice Minister of National Defense.
A member of the National Assembly who rose to fame after handling a major case that once became a major social issue.
A Korean-American IT genius with a mysterious past.
  • Jo Dong-een as Kim In-seop[9]
A producer who becomes suspicious of an explosion accident that shakes Changri-dong and begins pursuing the truth behind it.
A friendly neighbor and doting mother in Changri-dong.

Production

Development

Heroes Next Door was developed as a Coupang Play and Genie TV original series, with ENA participating in simultaneous broadcasting. Directed by Jo Woong, known for his previous works such as Justice (2019) and A Virtuous Business (2024), written by Ban Gi-ri,[note 1] who penned the Missing: The Other Side series (2020–2023), along with rookie screenwriter Kim Sang-yoon.[11] Studio Genie, HighZium Studio, K-connected, and 221b managed the production support.[13]

Casting

In March 2025, both Yoon Kye-sang and Jin Seon-kyu were reportedly cast in lead roles, reuniting after nearly eight years since collaborating in the 2017 film The Outlaws.[11] In June 2025, Coupang Play and Genie TV finalized the cast lineup with Yoon, Jin, Kim Ji-hyun, Ko Kyu-pil, and Lee Jung-ha.[13]

Filming

Principal photography began in June 2025.[13]

Release

The series premiered on November 17, 2025, on Coupang Play, Genie TV, and ENA simultaneously. It airs every Monday and Tuesday at 22:00 (KST).[12]

Viewership

Heroes Next Door : South Korea viewers per episode (thousands)
SeasonEpisode numberAverage
12345678910
147161089093410039931093114410991196943
Source: Audience measurement performed nationwide by Nielsen Korea.[14]
Average TV viewership ratings
Ep. Original broadcast date Average audience share
(Nielsen Korea)[14]
Nationwide Seoul
1 November 17, 2025 2.004% (2nd) 1.853% (2nd)
2 November 18, 2025 2.465% (3rd) 2.288% (3rd)
3 November 24, 2025 3.664% (2nd) 3.850% (2nd)
4 November 25, 2025 3.752% (2nd) 3.303% (2nd)
5 December 1, 2025 4.398% (2nd) 4.415% (2nd)
6 December 2, 2025 4.204% (2nd) 3.687% (2nd)
7 December 8, 2025 4.523% (1st) 4.255% (1st)
8 December 9, 2025 4.553% (1st) 4.449% (1st)
9 December 15, 2025 4.263% (2nd) 4.314% (2nd)
10 December 16, 2025 4.960% (1st) 4.719% (2nd)
Average 3.879% 3.713%
  • In the table above, the blue numbers represent the lowest ratings and the red numbers represent the highest ratings.
  • This drama aired on a cable channel/pay TV which normally has a relatively smaller audience compared to free-to-air TV/public broadcasters (KBS, SBS, MBC, and EBS).

Notes

  1. ^ In early reports, Ban Gi-ri was announced as the creator[11] of the series but later changed to writer.[12]

References

  1. ^ UDT: 우리 동네 특공대 [Heroes Next Door]. Studio Genie (in Korean). Retrieved December 5, 2025.
  2. ^ a b c d e Kim, Ye-eun (November 5, 2025). 윤계상·진선규 'UDT: 우리 동네 특공대', 캐릭터 포스터 공개 [Yoon Kye-sang and Jin Seon-kyu's 'Heroes Next Door' releases character posters]. Xports News (in Korean). Retrieved December 3, 2025.
  3. ^ Kim, Ye-eun (November 28, 2025). 'UDT: 우리 동네 특공대' 허준석, 캐릭터 '착붙' 활약 [Heo Joon-seok shines in a 'perfectly fitting' role in 'Heroes Next Door']. Xports News (in Korean). Retrieved December 3, 2025.
  4. ^ a b UDT: 우리 동네 특공대 [Heroes Next Door]. ENA (in Korean). Retrieved December 3, 2025.
  5. ^ Jang, Jin-ri (November 17, 2025). 정석용, 'UDT: 우리 동네 특공대' 캐스팅...진선규와 '티키타카 케미' 예고 [Jung Seok-yong cast in 'Heroes Next Door'...promising dynamic 'tiki-taka chemistry' with Jin Seon-kyu]. SPOTV News (in Korean). Retrieved December 3, 2025.
  6. ^ Ahn, Byung-gil (November 18, 2025). 'UDT' 조한철, 카리스마 장착...윤계상·진선규과 호흡 [Jo Han-chul brings charisma to 'Heroes Next Door'...showcasing strong chemistry with Yoon Kye-sang and Jin Seon-kyu]. Sports Kyunghyang (in Korean). Retrieved December 3, 2025.
  7. ^ Chang, A-leum (November 14, 2025). 이봉련, 안방 활약 이어간다...'UDT: 우리동네특공대' 국회의원 변신 [Lee Bong-ryun continues her small-screen presence...transforming into a member of parliament in 'Heroes Next Door']. News1 (in Korean). Retrieved December 3, 2025.
  8. ^ Kim, No-eul (November 18, 2025). 한준우, 'UDT: 우리 동네 특공대' 합류..IT 천재 변신[공식] [Han Jun-woo joins 'Heroes Next Door'..transforming into an IT genius [Official]]. Starnews (in Korean). Retrieved December 3, 2025.
  9. ^ Park, Jung-sun (November 17, 2025). 조동인, 'UDT: 우리 동네 특공대' 출연...윤계상과 연기 앙상블 [Jo Dong-een joins 'Heroes Next Door'...showcasing acting ensemble with Yoon Kye-sang]. JTBC (in Korean). Retrieved December 3, 2025.
  10. ^ Choi, Min-hyuk (November 19, 2025). "찰떡 이권사"...백현주, 'UDT: 우리 동네 특공대'서 신스틸러로 눈도장→특별 출연 존재감 입증 ["Perfect fit as Deaconess Lee"...Baek Hyun-joo proves her presence as a scene-stealer in 'Heroes Next Door'→through a special appearance]. Topstarnews (in Korean). Retrieved December 3, 2025.
  11. ^ a b c Moon, Ji-yeon (March 20, 2025). [단독] 윤계상·진선규 '범죄도시' 이어 'UDT : 우리동네 특공대'로 다시 뭉친다 [[Exclusive] Yoon Kye-sang and Jin Seon-kyu reunite for 'Heroes Next Door' following 'The Outlaws']. Sports Chosun (in Korean). Retrieved December 3, 2025.
  12. ^ a b Ko, Ga-hye (October 16, 2025). 윤계상·진선규의 'UDT: 우리 동네 특공대' 내달 첫 방송 [Yoon Kye-sang and Jin Seon-kyu's 'Heroes Next Door' to premiere next month]. Yonhap News (in Korean). Retrieved December 3, 2025.
  13. ^ a b c Jang, Da-hee (June 10, 2025). 쿠팡X지니 오리지널 'UDT'...윤계상·진선규→이정하 캐스팅 [Coupang X Genie original 'UDT'..Yoon Kye-sang·Jin Seon-kyu→Lee Jung-ha casting]. iMBC (in Korean). Retrieved December 3, 2025.
  14. ^ a b Nielsen Korea ratings:
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