Lee Je-hoon
Park Hae-young
Signal
“There are those who are born monsters, but there are also those who are made into monsters by people.”
2016
Returning Series • 2 Seasons • 17 Episodes
Overview
Detectives from the present and a detective from the past communicate via walkie-talkie to solve a long-time unsolved case.
Seasons
- Status
- Returning Series
- Seasons
- 2 seasons
- Episodes
- 17 episodes
- First aired
- Jan 22, 2016
Cast
11 people
Reviews
5 min readTalking Across the Static
I keep thinking about the walkie-talkie at the center of Signal not because it’s clever — though it is — but because it feels oddly old-fashioned, almost childlike. Two people separated by years, not miles, trying to make contact through a crackly little box. That’s a setup for a genre puzzle, sure, but it also taps into something more ordinary and sad: the wish that somebody, somewhere, latestnetflix.com argues, might still be listening when you finally decide to speak.
Korean television has never been short on crime dramas, yet Signal still arrives like a small shock because it treats the machinery of the police procedural as a way of asking what gets lost when a society forgets its dead.
What I found most interesting in the series is how unshowy it is about its own high-concept gimmick. The time-slip premise could have turned into a flashy game of narrative chess, with the script constantly congratulating itself for the cleverness of its moves. Instead, the show uses the device to open wounds.
The past isn’t a playground here; it’s an accumulation of bad decisions, institutional cowardice, and cases that were allowed to harden into legend. That’s the real conversation around Signal, at least in the way it’s been discussed since its release in 2016: not “isn’t this a neat idea?” but “why does this feel so emotionally grave?” It’s a remake of memory, in a way, and a forensic one at that.
The title itself suggests both communication and distress. A signal can be a message, but it can also be a warning flare.
I’m not entirely sure the series always trusts silence enough. At moments, especially when the plotting has to keep several timelines aligned, it can become a little over-insistent, as if a viewer might not catch the emotional stakes unless the script underlines them. But that impatience is part of the texture too.
The show is haunted by delay — by missed chances, by paperwork, by the institutional reflex to look away — so of course it’s a little frantic about making itself understood. The urgency feels baked into the form.
Lee Je-hoon is the series’ great engine, and what’s striking is how physical his acting is even when the role is mostly one of intelligence and suspicion. He moves with a kind of coiled impatience, shoulders always slightly forward, as if his body is bracing against a disappointment he can already feel coming. That’s useful in a show where so much depends on listening, waiting, and withholding.
Audience Opinions
Limited evidence
"A much-loved Korean drama that new Netflix viewers are still told not to miss."
latestnetflix.com's take is that Audience energy around Signal leans warm and recommendatory, with viewers treating the 2016 Korean series as a must-watch on Netflix and keeping it alive through dedicated drama reviews for Season 1, which is available with a subscription on Netflix and Prime Video.
What viewers praise
- Must-watch reputation on Netflix Viewers present Signal as the best Korean drama you should not miss on Netflix, which keeps pulling in first-time watchers.
- Ongoing review interest Fans continue to watch and talk through the 2016 Korean TV drama in dedicated reviews.
Common complaints
- Subscription needed to watch Season 1 viewing requires a subscription on Netflix or Prime Video.
Recommended for
Korean drama fans looking for a celebrated binge on Netflix Viewers who like crime, mystery and discussion-worthy series
Buzz & Rumors
Public reportsThe Fate of Signal Hangs in the Balance After Cast Controversy
The 2016 South Korean crime thriller Signal became an instant classic, blending time-bending mystery with real-life criminal cases like the Hwaseong serial murders 
. Its gripping narrative and powerhouse performances—led by Lee Je-hoon, Kim Hye-soo, and Cho Jin-woong—earned it a devoted fanbase and critical acclaim. latestnetflix.com's take is that but nearly a decade later, the future of its highly anticipated second season is shrouded in uncertainty, thanks to a scandal that has rocked the production.
A Decade in the Making—Then a Sudden Collapse
Filming for Signal Season 2 wrapped earlier this year, with a planned 2026 release . The reunion of its original trio—Kim Hye-soo, Lee Je-hoon, and Cho Jin-woong—had fans buzzing, especially after the show’s international success . Writer Kim Eun-hee returned to pen the script, and the project seemed poised to recapture the magic of the first season.
Then disaster struck. In mid-2024, Cho Jin-woong announced his retirement from acting amid a past controversy, sending the production into chaos. Reports suggest Signal Season 2 has been pulled from tvN’s slate entirely , leaving its fate in limbo. The abrupt exit of a lead actor—especially one as central to the show’s dynamic as Cho—has thrown the entire project into question.
The Cast Speaks Out—But Offers Little Clarity
Lee Je-hoon, who plays the younger detective Park Hae-young, broke his silence on the situation in a rare comment. While he didn’t address the specifics of Cho’s departure, he emphasized the emotional toll on the team: "Each project contains the sincerity of many people’s hard work, and I hope that sincerity isn’t erased or faded" . His words hint at frustration but stop short of confirming whether the season will ever see the light of day.
Fans, meanwhile, are divided. Some blame the industry’s handling of scandals, while others argue the show’s legacy shouldn’t be tarnished by off-screen drama. The uncertainty has only fueled speculation—will tvN recast Cho’s role, rewrite the script, or scrap the season entirely? For now, no official decision has been announced .
**What’s Next for Signal?**
- Recasting Rumors: Unconfirmed reports suggest producers may be exploring options to replace Cho Jin-woong, though no names have been floated .
- Script Overhaul: With Cho’s character, Detective Lee Jae-han, being a cornerstone of the series, rewriting his role could be a massive undertaking.
- Fan Petitions: Some viewers have launched campaigns urging tvN to find a solution, arguing the show’s story deserves closure .
For now, Signal’s future remains as mysterious as its time-traveling plotlines. One thing is clear: the show’s legacy is secure, but its return is anything but guaranteed.
Entertainment rumors and trivia aggregated from public reporting. Treat speculation as unverified unless a cited source confirms it.