An Pan-Seok’s “The End of the World” miniseries (2013) appears to be an intelligent, if a little understated, Korean epidemiological thriller.  I was engaged enough by the first episode to rate it a 7 out of 10, and I’ll probably keep watching it to give the show a chance.

It reminded me of Steven Soderbergh’s “Contagion” (2011), though the dramatic elements here are even more underplayed — at times the first episode even felt like a documentary.  It’s a bit slow, but it really looks like screenwriter Park Hye-Reon has done his homework.  (The miniseries was based on the novel “Infectious Disease,” by Bae Young-Ik.)

Assuming the series retains the tone and pace of its pilot episode, I believe this would appeal to only serious fans of disease thrillers.  To them, I’d recommend it.