True Taste Korea

Ji Chang-wook

  • Is Netflix’s The Scandal Based on Cruel Intentions? The Dangerous Liaisons Connection Explained

    If you watched the trailer for Netflix’s The Scandal and immediately thought of Cruel Intentions, you are not alone.

    A wealthy and privileged world. A dangerous seduction game. A man challenged to pursue a woman. Desire turning into manipulation — and manipulation threatening to become something real.

    The similarities are easy to notice.

    So, is Netflix’s Korean drama The Scandal actually based on Cruel Intentions?

    No — not directly.

    The connection goes much further back.

    Both stories belong to the same family of adaptations that began with the 1782 French novel Les Liaisons dangereuses, commonly known in English as Dangerous Liaisons.

    Understanding that connection may also tell us something important about what Netflix’s new Korean adaptation is trying to do differently.

    Is The Scandal a Korean Version of Cruel Intentions?

    Not exactly.

    Netflix’s The Scandal is not a remake of the 1999 American movie Cruel Intentions.

    Instead, both works trace their roots to Dangerous Liaisons, the famous French novel by Pierre Choderlos de Laclos.

    The novel revolves around aristocrats who use seduction, sex and emotional manipulation as weapons in games of power and revenge.

    That basic idea has been adapted many times.

    Cruel Intentions took the premise and transformed it into a story about wealthy young people in modern America.

    Korea previously reinterpreted it through the 2003 film Untold Scandal, which moved the story into Joseon society.

    Netflix’s The Scandal now returns to Joseon — but with a new cast, an eight-episode format and newly written character relationships.

    So the family tree is closer to this:

    Dangerous Liaisons (1782)
    ↓
    Many international adaptations
    ↓
    Cruel Intentions (1999) — modern American reinterpretation
    Untold Scandal (2003) — Korean Joseon reinterpretation
    The Scandal (2026) — new Netflix Korean reinterpretation

    That is why Cruel Intentions fans may immediately recognize the DNA of the story even though the Netflix series is not directly based on that movie.

    Why Does The Scandal Feel So Much Like Cruel Intentions?

    The strongest similarity is not the historical period, characters or setting.

    It is the game.

    Netflix introduces Lady Cho, played by Son Ye-jin, and Cho Won, played by Ji Chang-wook, as the central figures in a dangerous wager involving Hui-yeon, played by NANA.

    Seduction is therefore not simply the beginning of a romance.

    It is part of a contest.

    And that is one of the defining ideas audiences associate with Dangerous Liaisons and its adaptations.

    Someone believes they are controlling the game.

    Someone else becomes the target.

    Then feelings, jealousy, pride and desire begin interfering with the original plan.

    The most interesting question is what happens when the players can no longer control the game they created.

    Who Corresponds to Whom?

    Viewers familiar with Dangerous Liaisons or Cruel Intentions will naturally try to match the characters.

    Lady Cho appears to occupy the position of the powerful woman who helps drive the manipulation.

    Cho Won appears to be the charismatic seducer.

    Hui-yeon appears to be the woman drawn into their dangerous wager.

    But there is a reason to be careful with direct one-to-one comparisons.

    Director Jung Ji-woo has said that the Netflix series is very different from the 2003 Korean film and that the characters and their relationships were rewritten after returning to the original French novel.

    That means knowing Cruel Intentions, Dangerous Liaisons or Untold Scandal may help viewers recognize the structure without necessarily telling them exactly what these characters will do.

    And that could be where the new series becomes interesting.

    Lady Cho May Be More Than the Familiar Manipulator

    Lady Cho is particularly important.

    Netflix describes her as a talented woman constrained by the limits Joseon society places on women.

    That gives the character another dimension beyond simply being someone who manipulates romantic relationships for amusement or revenge.

    In a society where power is overwhelmingly controlled by men, what does an intelligent woman do when she possesses ability but lacks formal authority?

    Manipulation may become more than entertainment.

    It could become a form of power.

    If the series explores that idea seriously, Lady Cho’s motivations could feel substantially different from similar characters in previous adaptations.

    And with Son Ye-jin in the role, Lady Cho may become the character through whom this adaptation establishes its own identity.

    Cho Won Is More Than Just a Joseon Playboy

    Ji Chang-wook plays Cho Won, described as the most notorious playboy of his era.

    On the surface, the role seems familiar.

    He is attractive, confident and experienced in seduction — exactly the kind of person needed for a dangerous romantic wager.

    But an eight-episode drama has much more time than a feature film to ask a harder question:

    What happens when a man who treats love as a game encounters an emotion he cannot control?

    That conflict is fundamental to the Dangerous Liaisons tradition.

    The difference will depend on how Netflix develops Cho Won’s motivations and whether the series allows him to make choices viewers familiar with previous adaptations do not expect.

    And What About Hui-yeon?

    Hui-yeon may be the biggest unknown before release.

    At first glance, she appears to be the person caught inside Lady Cho and Cho Won’s game.

    But viewers should probably avoid assuming that this automatically makes her a passive victim.

    The director has specifically emphasized rewritten relationships.

    An eight-part adaptation also has enough time to give Hui-yeon considerably more agency than a shorter version of the story might allow.

    Could she discover the game earlier than expected?

    Could she have motivations the other characters misunderstand?

    Could the apparent target eventually change the balance of power?

    Those are only pre-release possibilities, not confirmed plot points.

    But if Netflix wants to make a centuries-old story feel fresh, Hui-yeon is one obvious character through whom it could surprise viewers.

    How Is This Different From Untold Scandal?

    Korean cinema already created a celebrated Joseon adaptation of Dangerous Liaisons in 2003.

    Untold Scandal, starring Bae Yong-joon, Lee Mi-sook and Jeon Do-yeon, also transplanted the French story into Korean history.

    That naturally raises another question:

    Why make it again?

    The answer will ultimately depend on how much Netflix changes.

    The new The Scandal has the advantage of an eight-episode format, allowing much more space for character motivations, changing relationships and the social restrictions surrounding desire in Joseon.

    Jung Ji-woo has also made clear that this is not intended simply as an extended recreation of the 2003 movie.

    For a detailed comparison between the two Korean adaptations, see our separate guide:

    Is Netflix’s The Scandal a Remake of Untold Scandal? What’s Different From the 2003 Movie

    Could The Scandal Change the Original Story?

    This is where things become especially interesting for viewers who already know Dangerous Liaisons.

    A familiar story creates a unique opportunity.

    The audience thinks it knows what happens next.

    That means even a relatively small change can become a major surprise.

    Netflix does not need to discard the entire structure of Dangerous Liaisons to make The Scandal unpredictable.

    Changing a character’s true motivation, revealing a hidden relationship, reversing who is manipulating whom or altering one crucial decision could change the meaning of everything that follows.

    The strongest adaptation would not simply surprise viewers who have never encountered the story.

    It would surprise the people who believe they already know it.

    Does Knowing Cruel Intentions Spoil The Scandal?

    Probably not.

    Knowing Cruel Intentions or another version of Dangerous Liaisons may help you recognize the basic game of seduction and manipulation.

    But it should not be treated as a spoiler guide for Netflix’s series.

    The historical setting is different.

    The social rules are different.

    The characters have been rewritten.

    The relationships have reportedly been changed.

    And the longer format gives the story room to travel in directions previous film adaptations could not.

    In fact, viewers familiar with earlier versions may have an additional reason to watch:

    How long will Netflix allow us to believe we know what happens next?

    The Real Connection Between The Scandal and Cruel Intentions

    So, is The Scandal based on Cruel Intentions?

    No.

    But if the trailer reminded you of Cruel Intentions, your instinct was not wrong.

    They share the same literary ancestor: Dangerous Liaisons.

    Cruel Intentions transformed that story for late-1990s America.

    Untold Scandal transformed it for Joseon Korea in 2003.

    And now Netflix’s The Scandal is attempting another transformation for a global streaming audience in 2026.

    The basic game may be centuries old.

    The real test is whether this version can make us uncertain about who is actually winning it.

    The Scandal premieres globally on Netflix on September 18, 2026.

    This article was written before the premiere. It will be updated after release once the series confirms how far its characters, relationships and story depart from previous versions of Dangerous Liaisons.

  • Is Netflix’s The Scandal a Remake of Untold Scandal? What’s Different From the 2003 Movie

    Netflix’s upcoming Korean series The Scandal may look familiar to longtime K-drama and Korean film fans.

    A dangerous wager.
    A notorious seducer.
    A powerful woman manipulating the game from behind the scenes.
    And an innocent woman who becomes caught between them.

    If that reminds you of the 2003 Korean film Untold Scandal, starring Bae Yong-joon, Lee Mi-sook and Jeon Do-yeon, you are not imagining the connection.

    But there is an important reason not to assume Netflix’s The Scandal will simply retell the same story.

    Director Jung Ji-woo has already said the new series is “very different” from the 2003 film, explaining that the production went back to the original French novel and rewrote its characters and relationships.

    So what exactly is the connection between The Scandal, Untold Scandal and Dangerous Liaisons?

    And how different could Netflix’s version actually be?

    Is The Scandal a Remake of the 2003 Korean Movie?

    Yes — but “remake” does not tell the whole story.

    The 2003 film Untold Scandal was itself an adaptation of Pierre Choderlos de Laclos’s famous 1782 French novel Les Liaisons dangereuses, better known in English as Dangerous Liaisons.

    The Korean film moved the story from pre-Revolutionary France to late-18th-century Joseon Korea.

    Netflix’s 2026 The Scandal returns to this world of aristocratic desire, manipulation and seduction, once again placing the story in Joseon.

    The new series stars:

    • Son Ye-jin as Lady Cho
    • Ji Chang-wook as Cho Won
    • NANA as Hui-yeon

    At the center of the story is a dangerous wager involving Lady Cho and Cho Won, with Hui-yeon becoming entangled in their game.

    That basic setup will sound very familiar to viewers of the 2003 film.

    But the similarities may become much less straightforward once the story begins.

    The Director Says the New Scandal Is “Very Different”

    This may be the most important thing to know before watching the Netflix series.

    At a press conference ahead of the September 18 premiere, director Jung Ji-woo said the new version is very different from the 2003 movie.

    Rather than simply expanding the old film into a longer Netflix series, Jung said the production returned to the French novel and rewrote the characters and their relationships.

    That distinction matters.

    It suggests that Netflix’s The Scandal should not be approached as an eight-episode recreation of scenes audiences already saw in 2003.

    The basic DNA may remain the same.

    The relationships, motivations and path to the ending may not.

    The Same Three-Person Game — But Possibly Different Players

    Netflix describes Lady Cho as a gifted woman whose abilities cannot be contained by the restrictions placed on women in Joseon society.

    Cho Won is the most famous playboy of his time.

    Hui-yeon is the woman who becomes caught in their dangerous wager.

    On the surface, this preserves the central triangle familiar from earlier versions of Dangerous Liaisons.

    But Netflix’s promotional material already hints that Lady Cho may have motivations that are not immediately visible.

    That could become one of the most important differences in the new adaptation.

    If the characters have been substantially rewritten, the real question may not be:

    “Will the Netflix series follow the 2003 movie?”

    It may instead be:

    “Which character do we think we already understand — but actually don’t?”

    Why Hui-yeon Could Be Especially Important

    Hui-yeon, played by NANA, initially appears to occupy the position of the woman drawn unwillingly into Lady Cho and Cho Won’s dangerous game.

    But this is one character worth watching carefully.

    A modern adaptation has much more room than a two-hour film to develop the supposedly innocent person caught inside the scheme.

    That creates several possibilities.

    Could Hui-yeon have greater agency than viewers expect?

    Could her relationship with Lady Cho become more important?

    Could the person who appears to be a pawn eventually influence the game itself?

    Before release, those questions cannot be answered definitively.

    But the director’s statement that the characters and relationships have been rewritten makes them worth asking.

    Why an Eight-Episode Series Changes the Story

    The 2003 Untold Scandal had to tell its story within the limits of a feature film.

    Netflix’s The Scandal is an eight-part series.

    That extra time gives the writers room to do something potentially much more interesting than simply recreate the original plot.

    They can expand:

    • hidden character motivations,
    • relationships outside the central seduction game,
    • political and social pressures of Joseon,
    • the consequences of female desire in a restrictive society,
    • changes in loyalty,
    • and potentially new twists before the ending.

    The format itself therefore makes substantial adaptation almost inevitable.

    The important question is whether those changes make this familiar story feel genuinely new.

    What About Dangerous Liaisons and Cruel Intentions?

    Some viewers encountering The Scandal may also recognize similarities to Dangerous Liaisons or even Cruel Intentions.

    That is because these stories belong to the same adaptation family.

    The starting point is Laclos’s Les Liaisons dangereuses, published in 1782.

    Its central idea — privileged people turning seduction into a game of power, revenge and manipulation — has inspired numerous adaptations around the world.

    The 2003 Korean Untold Scandal transformed that premise by placing it inside Joseon society.

    Netflix is now reinterpreting it again for a modern global television audience.

    So The Scandal is not simply copying a 2003 Korean movie.

    It is the latest reinterpretation of a story that has been repeatedly reinvented for different eras and cultures.

    Will Netflix Change the Ending?

    This is probably one of the biggest questions for viewers familiar with the previous versions.

    For now, Netflix has not revealed enough to answer it.

    And that uncertainty may be exactly what makes the new adaptation interesting.

    If the characters and relationships really have been rewritten as significantly as the director suggests, assuming that every character will make the same choices — or reach the same destination — could be a mistake.

    The series does not necessarily need to abandon the basic structure of Dangerous Liaisons to surprise viewers.

    A changed motivation, a hidden relationship, an unexpected betrayal or a different decision at a crucial moment could completely alter how we interpret the ending.

    That may ultimately determine whether The Scandal feels like a fresh adaptation or merely another version of a very familiar story.

    The Real Question: How Much Has The Scandal Changed?

    For viewers who have never seen Untold Scandal, Netflix’s series can be watched as a new Joseon romance about desire, manipulation and forbidden relationships.

    For viewers who already know the 2003 movie or Dangerous Liaisons, however, there is another layer of suspense.

    We already know the game.

    We think we know the players.

    We may even think we know where the story is heading.

    And that gives the new series an opportunity to use our expectations against us.

    Director Jung Ji-woo has already warned us that this version is very different.

    Now the question is whether The Scandal can make a centuries-old story unpredictable again.

    The Scandal premieres globally on Netflix on September 18, 2026.

    This article was written before the series premiere and will be updated after release with confirmed differences between the Netflix series, the 2003 film Untold Scandal and the original Dangerous Liaisons story.