How & Where to Watch Tempest (K-Drama): Release Date & More

Hulu and Disney+’s most ambitious K-drama yet, ‘Tempest,’ is ready to captivate audiences worldwide with its explosive mix of political intrigue, international conspiracies and heart-pounding action. ‘Tempest’ K-Drama series stars Jun Ji-hyun and Gang Dong-won alongside American actors John Cho and Christopher Gorham.

This nine-episode thriller premiered September 10, 2025, on Disney+ and Hulu, but you might need a VPN to access it, depending on where you are and what streaming subscription you have.

If you do need a VPN, you want one that can deliver the speeds and reliability needed for seamless K-drama streaming. Drawing from our experience testing VPNs specifically for Disney+ and Hulu access, we’ve found the best VPNs to maintain stable connections even during peak viewing hours. Our top recommendation is NordVPN.

Tempest Release Date

The highly anticipated Korean thriller ‘Tempest’ premiered on September 10, 2025, with the first three episodes available immediately. The remaining six episodes will follow a weekly release schedule, culminating in a two-part finale on October 1, 2025.

Where Is Tempest Streaming?

‘Tempest’ will be available exclusively on Hulu in the United States and Disney+ in all other regions where the service is available. This split distribution is typical for Disney’s international content strategy, allowing U.S. subscribers to access the series through their Hulu subscription while international viewers can watch through Disney+.

Depending on which subscription you have and where you are in the world, a VPN may be essential for accessing your chosen streaming service. U.S. residents abroad can use a VPN to connect to American servers and access their Hulu subscription, while U.S. residents with a Disney+ subscription can connect to a server outside the country to watch through Disney+.

How to Watch Tempest Free Online With a VPN

While ‘Tempest’ is a premium streaming exclusive, there is a way to watch it for free. Hulu offers a free trial for new subscribers, and when combined with a VPN’s money-back guarantee, you can potentially watch the entire series at no cost.

Our testing has shown that even if ‘Tempest’ isn’t available on Netflix now, Disney+ exclusives sometimes migrate to other platforms later. This step-by-step guide works for accessing any streaming platform with geographical restrictions, including accessing it on Disney+ outside of the U.S., but we’ve used Hulu and NordVPN for this example.

1. Choose a reliable VPN service

   Download and install a proven VPN service like NordVPN, which we’ve found most effective for streaming Disney+ and Hulu content. During our testing for our NordVPN review, we successfully accessed Hulu from over 15 different countries. Take advantage of the 30-day money-back guarantee to test the service risk-free.

   

2. Connect to the appropriate server location

   Launch your VPN and connect to a U.S. server if you’re accessing Hulu, or a server outside the U.S. if you’re a Disney+ subscriber in the U.S. Our experts discovered through testing that connecting to servers in major cities like New York or Los Angeles typically provides the most stable connections for streaming.

   

3. Create your streaming account

   Visit the Hulu website or Disney+ and sign up (get Hulu’s free trial if you’re a new user). Note that you will need a country-specific payment method to sign up, such as a U.S. payment method for Hulu — a service like StatesCard can help you out if you don’t have one.

   

4. Start streaming Tempest

   Search for ‘Tempest’ in your streaming platform’s search function and start watching it. Based on our firsthand experience testing streaming quality, we recommend starting with the VPN’s fastest server option and switching if you experience any buffering issues.

   

The Best VPNs to Stream Tempest (TV Series) Online

After putting dozens of VPN services through rigorous streaming tests, we’ve identified the top three providers that consistently deliver reliable access to Disney+ and Hulu content. We’ve spent extensive time with each service, evaluating their performance across multiple devices and connection scenarios. Here are the best VPNs for streaming.

Best Free VPN to Stream Tempest: PrivadoVPN

For budget-conscious viewers, PrivadoVPN’s free plan offers unlimited data, with 10GB of that being high-speed monthly data, and access to 13 server locations. PrivadoVPN’s free tier includes the same security features as paid plans and successfully unblocks Netflix and other platforms in multiple regions. Read our PrivadoVPN review for more details.

For streaming ‘Tempest’s nine episodes, we recommend upgrading to a paid VPN service that offers unlimited data, more consistent platform access and a money-back guarantee.

Tempest Cast, Characters & Plot (No Spoilers)

‘Tempest’ brings together an impressive international cast led by two of Korea’s biggest stars. Jun Ji-hyun, known globally for ‘My Love from the Star’ and ‘Kingdom: Ashin of the North,’ plays Seo Mun-ju, a skilled former diplomat and UN ambassador. Gang Dong-won, acclaimed for ‘Train to Busan Presents: Peninsula,’ portrays Baek San-ho, a mysterious international mercenary.

The series follows these unlikely allies as they investigate an assassination attempt on a South Korean presidential candidate. When Mun-ju discovers the candidate was accused of being a North Korean spy, her investigation unleashes a complex web of international conspiracies involving rogue nations, intelligence agencies and classified secrets that threaten Korean Peninsula stability.

American actor John Cho joins the cast as Anderson Miller, the U.S. Deputy Secretary of State, bringing his experience from ‘Star Trek’ and ‘Searching’ to this political thriller. The supporting cast includes Christopher Gorham, Lee Mi-sook, Park Hae-joon and Kim Hae-sook as the President of Korea.

‘Tempest’ is co-directed by Kim Hee-won, who previously helmed the hit K-dramas ‘Queen of Tears’ and ‘Vincenzo,’ and Heo Myung-Haeng. It’s written by Chung Seo-kyung, a frequent collaborator with director Park Chan-wook on films like ‘Decision to Leave’ and ‘The Handmaiden.’

Tempest Trailer

Final Thoughts

‘Tempest’ represents Disney+’s most ambitious K-drama production to date, combining Korean storytelling excellence with international star power and Hollywood production values. The series promises to deliver the political intrigue and character-driven drama that has made Korean content a global phenomenon.

With its September 10 debut already here, now is the perfect time to ensure you have reliable streaming access. Whether you’re planning to watch through Hulu in the U.S. or Disney+ internationally, having a quality VPN service ensures uninterrupted access regardless of your location.

NordVPN provides the reliability and speed necessary for seamless streaming. With 30-day money-back guarantees available, you can test these services risk-free while enjoying ‘Tempest’s nine-episode run.

Will you watch ‘Tempest’ on Hulu or Disney+? Will you need to use a VPN to access it on your favorite streaming service? If yes, which VPN will you use? Let us know in the comment section and, as always, thank you for reading.

FAQ: Tempest Korean Drama

• What Is the Story of Tempest (K-Drama)?

  ‘Tempest’ follows Seo Mun-ju. The former diplomat uncovers an assassination attempt on a South Korean presidential candidate, uncovering an international conspiracy involving North Korean spies, rogue intelligence agencies and state secrets that threaten regional stability.

• Where Can I Watch Tempest (Korean Drama)?

  You can watch ‘Tempest’ on Hulu in the United States or Disney+ in international markets starting September 10, 2025, with new episodes releasing weekly until the two-part finale on October 1.