''1st Republic'' () is a South Korean

historical television series History is the systematic study of the past, focusing primarily on the human past. As an academic discipline, it analyses and interprets evidence to construct narratives about what happened and explain why it happened. Some theorists categ ...

that was originally broadcast on

MBC TV MBC TV (Munhwa Broadcasting Corporation Television) is a South Korean free-to-air television channel launched on 8 August 1969 and owned by Munhwa Broadcasting Corporation. History The Seoul Private Broadcasting Corporation was establish ...

from 2 April 1981 to 11 February 1982. According to some sources, it is considered the first

political drama A political drama can describe a Theatre, play, film or TV program that has a politics, political component, whether reflecting the author's political opinion, or describing a politician or series of political events. Dramatists who have written p ...

television series in South Korean history, and the first to depict a recent president during an era of heavy media censorship. It covers the

First Republic of Korea The First Republic of Korea () was the government of South Korea from August 1948 to June 1960. The First Republic was founded on 15 August 1948, and it became the first independent republican government in Korea. Syngman Rhee was the first p ...

: the government of South Korea between 1948 and 1960. The series consisted of 39 episodes, each around an hour long, and led to multiple sequel series over the next few decades that covered each of the Five Republics of Korea, including the 2005 ''5th Republic'' TV series.

Premise

The show covers events from 1945 to 1960, including the 1945 liberation of Korea from the Japanese Empire, the 1950

Korean War The Korean War (25 June 1950 – 27 July 1953) was an armed conflict on the Korean Peninsula fought between North Korea (Democratic People's Republic of Korea; DPRK) and South Korea (Republic of Korea; ROK) and their allies. North Korea was s ...

, and the 1960 establishment of the

Second Republic of Korea The Second Republic of Korea () was the government of South Korea from June 1960 to May 1961. The Second Republic was founded months after the April Revolution mass protests against President Syngman Rhee, succeeding the First Republic of Korea, ...

Cast

Choi Bool-am Choi Bool-am (; born June 15, 1940) is a South Korean retired actor and a professor. Biography Choi was born in the neighborhood of , Dong District, Incheon, Korea, Empire of Japan in 1940. He is of the Haeju Choe clan. Choi was the only son ...

Syngman Rhee Syngman Rhee (; 26 March 1875 – 19 July 1965), also known by his art name Unam (), was a South Korean politician who served as the first president of South Korea from 1948 to 1960. Rhee was also the first and last president of the Provisiona ...

* Lee Young-hoo as

Kim Ku Kim Ku (; August 29, 1876 – June 26, 1949), also known by his art name Paekpŏm, was a Korean independence activist and statesman. He was a leader of the Korean independence movement against the Empire of Japan, head of the Provisional Gove ...

* Park Gyu-chae as

Lee Ki-poong Lee Ki-poong (20 December 1896 – 28 April 1960) was a South Korean politician and Vice President elect. He was the Minister of National Defense (May 7, 1951 – March 29, 1952) and Mayor of Seoul (June 6, 1949 – May 8, 1951). He was the le ...

* Kook Jong-hwan as

Kim Il Sung Kim Il Sung (born Kim Song Ju; 15 April 1912 – 8 July 1994) was a North Korean politician and the founder of North Korea, which he led as its first Supreme Leader (North Korean title), supreme leader from North Korea#Founding, its establishm ...

* Shim Yang-hong as

Yu Chin-san Yu Chin-san (; 18 October 1905 – 28 April 1974) was a South Korean politician and Korean independence activist. He was born with the name Youngpil () but adopted the name Chin-san and the art name Okgye () later in life. Biography Yu Chin ...

Lee Jung-gil Lee Jung-gil (born October 1, 1944) is a South Korean actor. After making his acting debut in 1967 in the stage play ''Sakhalinsk's The Sky and the Earth'', Lee has had a prolific career in Korean television and film. Filmography Television ser ...

Chang Taek-sang Chang Taek-sang (; October 22, 1893 – August 1, 1969), also spelled Jang Taek-sang, was a Korean independence activist and South Korean policeman and politician. He was the prime minister of South Korea and Minister of Foreign Affairs.Yahu! B ...

Kim Mu-saeng Kim Mu-saeng (16 March 1943 – 16 April 2005) was a South Korean actor. Early life and education Kim was born in the town of Daesan in March 1943. He studied at Dongguk University in Seoul, beginning his career as a voice actor for Tongyang Bro ...

Chough Pyung-ok Chough Pyung-ok (; 1894 – 1960) was a South Korean politician. He ran against incumbent president Syngman Rhee in the 1960 presidential election but died on February 15, one month before the election on March 15. Rhee received 90% of the ...

* Park Jong-gwan as Cho Man-shik *

Kim Yong-gun Kim Yong-gun (; born May 8, 1946) is a South Korean actor. His sons Ha Jung-woo and Cha Hyun-woo are also actors. Filmography Film Television series Variety shows Music video Awards References External links * * * {{DEFAULTSO ...

Yun Chi-young Yun Chi-Young (; 10 February 1898 – 9 February 1996) was a Korean independence activist, journalist, and politician, diplomat of South Korea. He was the first Interior Minister (1948), 2nd Republic of Korea Ambassador to France from 1950 to ...

* Choi Myeong-soo as

Kim Chun-yon Kim Chun-yon (; 1895–1971) was a South Korean politician and journalist who served as the fourth minister of justice for South Korea from November 23, 1950, to May 6, 1951. Biography Kim was born in 1895 during the 32nd year of King Gojong' ...

* Kim Gil-ho as

Lyuh Woon-hyung Lyuh Woon-hyung (; 25 May 1886 – 19 July 1947), also known by his art name Mongyang (), was a Korean independence movement, Korean independence activist and Korean reunification, reunification activist. Lyuh was a prominent figure in the Pro ...

Park Geun-hyung Park Geun-hyung (born June 7, 1940) is a South Korean actor. His career in film, television and theater has spanned over five decades. Career He was born in Suseong-ri, Jeongju-eup, Jeongeup-gun, Jeollabuk-do during the Japanese colonial peri ...

Song Jin-woo Song Jin-woo (; born February 16, 1966) is a South Korean retired left-handed pitcher. Song played in the KBO League for 21 seasons between and with the Hanwha Eagles. He currently holds several pitching records for the KBO, including his 21 ...

* Park Yeong-ji as

Kim Tu-bong Kim Tu-bong (; 16 February 1889 – March 1958 or later) was the first Chairman of the Workers' Party of North Korea (one of two predecessors of today's Workers' Party of Korea, the other being Workers' Party of South Korea) from 1946 to 1949. ...

* Lee Mug-won as

Kim Kyu-sik Kim Kyu-sik (, January 29, 1881 – December 10, 1950), also spelled Kimm Kiusic, was a Korean politician and academic during the Korean independence movement and a leader of the Provisional Government of the Republic of Korea. Kim served in var ...

* Han In-su as Chang Deok-soo *

Im Hyun-sik Im Hyun-sik (born December 31, 1945) is a South Korean actor. He is best known for his leading role in the family drama ''Three Families Under One Roof'' (1986-1993), and supporting roles in the period epics '' Hur Jun'' (1999) and '' Jewel in ...

Choe Hyon Choe Hyon (, 6 May 1907 – 10 April 1982), also known as Sai Ken (after the Japanese pronunciation of his name), was a North Korean general and politician. Born in China to ethnic Korean parents, Choe fought in the anti-Japanese struggle from ...

* Kang In-deok as Kim Du-han * Park Woong as

Kwak Sang-hoon Kwak Sang-hoon (; 21 October 1896 – 19 January 1980) was a South Korean independence activist and politician who served as the 1st to 5th National Assembly member and served as acting president of South Korea for 7 days. Early life Kwak Sang ...

* Kim Ae-gyeong as Maria Kim *

Jung Ae-ri Jung Ae-ri (; born August 11, 1960) is a South Korean actress. Career Jung Ae-ri made her acting debut after she was chosen at the KBS talent audition in 1978. In 1980, she moved to another network, MBC. She rose to stardom in the 1984 drama ...

as Kim Soo-im * Bak Il as Park In-soo * Jo Kyung-hwan as Lee Jeong-jae * O Yeong-su as Military Prosecutor

Production

The series was created just after Chun Doo-hwan seized power at the beginning of the

Fifth Republic of Korea The Fifth Republic of Korea () was the government of South Korea from February 1981 to February 1988. The Fifth Republic was established in February 1981 by Chun Doo-hwan, a military colleague of long-time president and dictator Park Chung Hee, ...

, shortly after Park Chung Hee was assassinated in 1979. During both the Chun and Park eras, media censorship was common, making dramas depicting political topics extremely sensitive. The president of MBC at the time, , closely monitored the creation of the show, to ensure it did not draw the ire of the government. Go later served as the head of the

Korea Creative Content Agency The Korea Creative Content Agency (KOCCA; ) is a South Korean government agency which is affiliated with the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism and is charged with governing cultural content. As part of its partnership the Export-Import B ...

in the Korean Government from 2007 to 2009.

Episodes

Notes

References

Sources

Books

Online

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External links

* {{Official website, 1=https://playvod.imbc.com/templete/VodList?bid=1001695100000100000 (streaming available in South Korea only) Korean-language television shows 1981 South Korean television series debuts MBC TV television dramas South Korean military television series Works about coups d'état South Korean historical television series South Korean political television series Korean War television series