''Seoul 1945'' () is a 2006 South Korean period television series starring

Ryu Soo-young Ryu Su-young (born Eo Nam-seon on September 5, 1979) is a South Korean actor. He made his first appearance on television as a college student on a cooking show in 1998, then starred in the controversial film '' Summertime'' (2001). This was follo ...

Han Eun-jung Han Eun-jung also known as Han Da-Gam (born July 10, 1980) is a South Korean comedienne and actress. She is known for '' Successful Story of a Bright Girl'' (2002), '' Full House'' (2004) and ''Two Guys'' (2004). Filmography Television seri ...

So Yoo-jin So Yu-jin (; born August 11, 1981) is a South Korean actress. She is best known for her leading roles in the television dramas ''Rookie'' (2000), '' Delicious Proposal'' (2001), ''Fox and Cotton Candy'' (2001), as well as in ''Rival'' (2002) and ' ...

Kim Ho-jin Kim Ho-jin (born May 5, 1970) is a South Korean actor and food show host. Kim has played leading roles in the television dramas ''Tender Hearts'' (2001), ''Sunshine Hunting'' (2002), ''Yellow Handkerchief'' (2003), ''New Wise Mother, Good Wife'' ...

, and

Park Sang-myun Park Sang-myun (; born January 27, 1968) is a South Korean actor. He is best known for his comic roles, notably in '' My Wife Is a Gangster'' (2001). Career Park Sang-myun graduated in 1987 with a Theater degree from Seoul Institute of the Art ...

. It aired on

KBS1 The Korean Broadcasting System (KBS) () is the national broadcaster of South Korea. Founded in February 1927, it is one of the leading South Korean television and radio broadcasters. KBS operates seven radio networks, ten television channels, ...

from January 1 to September 26, 2006 on Saturdays and Sundays at 21:30 for 71 episodes. Set around 1945 right after Korea's liberation from Japanese colonial rule when the nation was engulfed by ideological turmoil, the story revolves around the rivalry between Suk-kyoung (So), a renowned pianist and daughter of a rich pro-Japanese politician, and Hae-kyung (Han), a headstrong servant; both women love Woon-hyuk (Ryu), whose ambition to become a lawyer gets thwarted due to his political ideology.

Plot

The series takes place during turbulent times in Korea, spanning from the end of the Japanese occupation to the eventual split of the country into North and South. The story revolves around the lives of four young adults who grew up together. Choi Woon-hyuk (

) is a child prodigy born into a family of poor miners; Kim Hae-kyung (

) is the eldest daughter of

tenant farmer A tenant farmer is a person ( farmer or farmworker) who resides on land owned by a landlord. Tenant farming is an agricultural production system in which landowners contribute their land and often a measure of operating capital and managemen ...

s; Lee Dong-woo (

) is the heir to a wealthy, well-connected family; and Moon Suk-kyung (

) is the only child of an affluent and powerful political ally of Japan. In a blend of personal choices and circumstances beyond their control, each individual embarks on different paths that reflect the chaotic nature of the time as well as their true character. As their paths collide, love, friendship, loyalty, vengeance, moral conscience, and ideology become driving forces to irrevocably change the course of their lives.

Cast

Main characters

as Choi Woon-hyuk **

Kim Seok Kim Seok (born 9 September 1991) is a South Korean football player who plays as a forward. Career He dropped out of school and moved to France in 2001. He joined the FC Metz's youth academy at the age of ten and played until 2005 summer. Fro ...

as young Woon-hyuk *

as Kim Ke-hee / Kim Hae-kyung **

Ko Joo-yeon Ko Joo-yeon (born February 22, 1994) is a South Korean actress who has gained attention in the Korean film industry for her roles in ''Blue Swallow'' (2005) and '' The Fox Family'' (2006).So Yoo-jin So Yu-jin (; born August 11, 1981) is a South Korean actress. She is best known for her leading roles in the television dramas ''Rookie'' (2000), '' Delicious Proposal'' (2001), ''Fox and Cotton Candy'' (2001), as well as in ''Rival'' (2002) and ' ...

as Moon Suk-kyung / Yukei **

Park Eun-bin Park Eun-bin (, born September 4, 1992) is a South Korean actress. A former child actress, she is known for her lead roles in the television series '' Hello, My Twenties!'' (2016–2017), '' Hot Stove League'' (2019–2020), '' Do You Like Brah ...

as young Suk-kyung *

as Lee Dong-woo **Kim Soo-min as young Dong-woo *

as Park Chang-joo **

Ko Kyu-pil Ko Kyu-pil (born May 2, 1982) is a South Korean actor. He debuted in the 1993 South Korean children's film '' Kid Cop'' and has thus appeared in notable television series and films in a supporting role. Filmography Film Television ser ...

as young Chang-joo

Supporting characters

Jang Hang-sun Jang Hang-sun (born Kim Bong-soo on February 22, 1947) is a South Korean actor. Filmography Film Television series Awards and nominations References External links * * * * 1947 births Living people 20th-century S ...

as Kim Pan-chul, Ke-hee's father *

Go Doo-shim Go Doo-shim (; born May 22, 1951) is a South Korean actress. Career A native of Jeju Island, Go Doo-shim made her acting debut in 1972 and since then she had a prolific career on television, film and theater. Best known for playing the quintes ...

as Jung Hyang-geum, Ke-hee's mother * Jo An as Kim Ma-ri / Kim Yeon-kyung, Ke-hee's sister *Jung Han-yong as Choi Eun-kwan, Woon-hyuk's father *Lee Deok-hee as Jo Soon-yi, Woon-hyuk's mother *

Park Shin-hye Park Shin-hye (, born February 18, 1990) is a South Korean actress and singer. She gained recognition as a child on TV shows such as '' Stairway to Heaven'' (2003), and '' Tree of Heaven'' (2006). Later on, she would achieve further success whe ...

as Choi Geum-hee, Woon-hyuk's older sister *Yoon Hye-kyung as Choi Eun-hee, Woon-hyuk's younger sister ** Jin Ji-hee as young Eun-hee * Kim Yeong-cheol as Baron Moon Jung-kwan, Suk-kyung's father *

Lee Bo-hee Lee Bo-hee (born 25 May 1959) is a South Korean actress. Lee won a number of awards for her film roles in the 1980s, including Best New Actress for ''The Green Pine Tree'' at the 22nd Grand Bell Awards, Best Actress for '' Eoudong'' at the 22nd K ...

as Ame Kaori, Baron Moon's mistress * Hong Yo-seob as Moon Dong-ki, Suk-kyung's uncle *Kim Kyung-sook as Yoon Jung-ja * Choi Jong-won as Lee In-pyung, Dong-woo's father *

Kim Se-ah Kim Se-ah is a South Korean actress and model. She is known for roles in dramas such as '' Seoul 1945'', ''Janghwa Hongryeon jeon Janghwa Hongryeon jeon (literally ''The Story of Janghwa and Hongryeon'') is a Joseon-era Korean folktale. ...

as Jo Young-eun, Dong-woo's governess * Jo Soo-min as Mal-hee *Son Jong-beom as Park Sung-joo *Lee Byung-wook as Oh Chul-hyung *Lee Gun as Kim Ki-soo *Han Min as Choi Song-hee *Kwon Sung-deok as

Syngman Rhee Syngman Rhee (, ; 26 March 1875 – 19 July 1965) 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 Provisional Government of the Republic of Ko ...

*Yoon Seung-won as Jung Bong-doo * Lee Mi-young as Ji Kye-ok *Shin Hyun-tak as Jung Dol-yi *Kim Dong-hyun as

Chang Taek-sang Chang Taek-sang or Jang Taek-sang (October 22, 1893 – August 1, 1969) was a Korean Independence activist and South Korean policeman and politician. He was the third prime minister of South Korea and 1st Minister of Foreign Affairs.Yahu! Baekg ...

*Kim Hyo-won as Park Heon-young *

Shin Goo Shin Goo (; born Shin Sun-gi, ; August 13, 1936) is a South Korean actor. Filmography Film Television series Variety show Theater Awards and nominations State honors Notes References External links Shin Goo Fan Cafeat Daum ...

as Lyuh Woon-hyung *Park Chul-ho as chairman *Song Yong-tae as vice chairman *Park Yong-jin as North Korean officer *Hyun Won as North Korean officer *Jang Dong-jik as South Korean soldier * Kim Ji-young

Awards and nominations

Controversy

At a press conference held in June 2006, 254 right-wing conservative groups accused the state-run KBS network of distorting history. They complained that ''Seoul 1945'' had a left-wing bias, with its portrayal of

as "a Japanese collaborator whose lust for power leads him to abandon a unified Korea, while characters of the Left are usually portrayed as considerate and concerned for the future of the nation," and that the drama accuses Rhee and others of involvement in the assassination of the center-left leader Lyuh Woon-hyung. They asked for a halt to the broadcast and threatened a campaign to boycott the television subscription fee. In July 2006, Rhee In-soo, adopted son of South Korea's first president

, and Jang Byung-hye, daughter of former prime minister Jang Taek-sang, filed a lawsuit against the producers of ''Seoul 1945'', claiming that the drama distorts history and belittles the achievements of their late fathers. In May 2007, Seoul Central District Court dismissed the lawsuit, stating that since the drama is based on fiction rather than historical facts, KBS is not responsible for

defamation Defamation is the act of communicating to a third party false statements about a person, place or thing that results in damage to its reputation. It can be spoken (slander) or written (libel). It constitutes a tort or a crime. The legal defi ...

of character. In its ruling, the court said, "Such a description is part of artistic expression, which should be respected in producing soap opera that is based on fiction rather than facts." The court also said since there are historical documents that support the idea that former President Rhee was pro-Japanese and pro-American, the drama did not seriously distort facts.

References

External links

''Seoul 1945'' official KBS website
*{{hancinema drama, Seoul_1945, Seoul 1945 Korean-language television shows Korean Broadcasting System television dramas 2006 South Korean television series debuts 2006 South Korean television series endings South Korean historical television series South Korean action television series Television series set in Korea under Japanese rule