Strongest Chil Woo (; also known as ''Chilwu the Mighty'') is a 2008

South Korea South Korea, officially the Republic of Korea (ROK), is a country in East Asia, constituting the southern part of the Korea, Korean Peninsula and sharing a Korean Demilitarized Zone, land border with North Korea. Its western border is formed ...

n historical drama that aired on

KBS2 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, ...

. The titular hero is similar to a

Zorro Zorro ( Spanish for 'fox') is a fictional character created in 1919 by American pulp writer Johnston McCulley, appearing in works set in the Pueblo of Los Angeles in Alta California. He is typically portrayed as a dashing masked vigilant ...

during the

Joseon Joseon (; ; Middle Korean: 됴ᇢ〯션〮 Dyǒw syéon or 됴ᇢ〯션〯 Dyǒw syěon), officially the Great Joseon (; ), was the last dynastic kingdom of Korea, lasting just over 500 years. It was founded by Yi Seong-gye in July 1392 and ...

period. The drama served as the last project of actor Lee Eon, who died on August 21, 2008, in a motorcycle accident.

Synopsis

The series starts by stating: "Rather than being a person born in chaotic times, better to be reborn as a dog in peaceful times. However, there are some people who are born as dogs in chaotic times. This is their story." The series occurs during the reign (1623–1649) of

King Injo Injo of Joseon (7 December 1595 – 17 June 1649), born Yi Jong, was the sixteenth ruler of the Joseon Dynasty of Korea. He was the grandson of King Seonjo and son of Prince Jeongwon. He was the king during the Later Jin invasion of Joseon, in ...

, the 16th ruler of

. Injo was the son of Prince Jeongwon, who himself was the 7th son of

King Seonjo Seonjo of Joseon (26 November 1552 – 16 March 1608) was the fourteenth king of the Joseon Dynasty of Korea from 1567 to 1608. He was known for encouraging Confucianism and renovating state affairs at the beginning of his reign. However, politi ...

, the 14th ruler of Joseon with Royal Noble Consort In of the Suwon Kim clan. The 15th ruler, King Gwanghaegun, was the 3rd son of Seonjo with Gongbin of the Gimhae Kim clan and therefore the Injo's uncle. In 1623, Gwanghaegun was ousted of power by a political plot from the Western faction, that puts Injo on the throne. The turmoil of the civil war was thereafter increased by the Manchu invasions of 1627 and 1636. Two events are the cornerstones of the series and are stepwise described during numerous flashbacks. Both of them were instigated by the conservative Western faction. One of them is the bloody extermination of the "Rising Sun Utopia" (Muryundang), occurring during the year of the Snake (Gisa year, 1629, Injo '6), and the other is the assassination of Crown Prince Sohyeon by his father in 1645 (Injo '22). The main action is situated circa 1648. While elements of these former plots are re-emerging from the past despite a series of murders, a group of mysterious assassins is avenging the sadness of the poor people.

Episodes

There are 20 episodes. The action is not linear, with many flash-backs. # A sister to avenge # The zealous murderer of his daughter-in-law # Random murders at Naksu Bridge # Manchu varlet takes a riding lesson # Last love song of a betrayed poetess # A thief behind an elephant at Inseong-gun # The murder of the Unggi's leader # Eight years ago # Fake maebungu, true rapists # Russian attack at Qing's border # A broken sword # Headbands from the past # Malaria # Encounter at Muryun Dang # Legacy of Crown Prince Sohyeon # The Secret Record disappears # Prince's son presentation # A cursed twist of fate # A treacherous king # Bad guys are dying, too

Cast

Main cast

* Eric Mun as Chil-woo (칠우), sergeant at the ''

Uigeumbu Uigeumbu (in Hangul:의금부, in Hanja: 義禁府) refers to the judiciary organ during Goryeo and Joseon dynasty in Korea. Another names are Geum-o or Wangbu (The ministry of the King). The structure was in charge of questioning the case of trea ...

'' in Seoul **Choi Su-han as young Chil-woo * Ku Hye-sun as Yun So-yun (윤소윤), government slave at ''Uigeumbu'' **Lee Han-na as young So-yun * Yoo Ah-in as Heuk-san (흑산), adopted as Kim Hyuk (김혁) by Kim Ja-seon **Ku Bon-sung as young Heuk-san * Jeon No-min as Min Seung-guk (민승국), historiographer of ''

Chunchugwan Chunchugwan () was a government office during the Joseon dynasty. It refers to the office for recording history. During the Goryeo dynasty, it was known as Yemun Chunchugwan (예문춘추관; 藝文春秋館) or Munhanseo (문한서; 文翰署), but ...

'' * Lee Eon as Jaja (자자), former bodyguard of Crown Prince Sohyeon * Im Ha-ryong as Choi Nam-deuk (최남득), Chil-woo's adoptive father *

Song Ha-yoon A song is a musical composition intended to be performed by the human voice. This is often done at distinct and fixed pitches (melodies) using patterns of sound and silence. Songs contain various forms, such as those including the repetition ...

as Yeon-du (연두) *Jang Jun-yeong as Cheol-seok (철석)

Extended cast

Kim Young-ok Kim Young-ok, a Korean name consisting of the family name Kim and the given name Young-ok, may refer to: * Young-Oak Kim (1919–2005), Korean American men soldier * Kim Young-ok (actress) (born 1937), South Korean actress * Kim Soo-mi (born Kim ...

as Chil-woo's adoptive grandmother * Choi Ran as Chil-woo's adoptive mother * Im Hyuk as Chief State Councilor Kim Ja-seon (김자선) *

Choi Jung-woo Choi Jung-woo (born February 17, 1957) is a South Korean actor. He began his acting career in theater, then became active as a supporting actor in film and television, notably in the sitcom '' Standby'' and the procedural dramas '' Quiz of God'' ...

* Song Yong-tae as ''Uigeumbu'' Commissioner * Jeong Won-jung as ''Uigeumbu'' Captain * Son Kwang-eob as Lieutenant at ''Uigeumbu'' * Jeong Jin as Sergeant Sa (사 나장) *

Shin Seung-hwan Shin Seung-hwan is a South Korean actor. Filmography Film Television series Web series Television show Web shows References External links * * * Shin Seung-hwanat Daum Shin Seung-hwanat Naver Naver (Hangul: 네이버) is ...

as Sergeant Oh (오 나장) *

Park Jun-seo A park is an area of natural, semi-natural or planted space set aside for human enjoyment and recreation or for the protection of wildlife or natural habitats. Urban parks are green spaces set aside for recreation inside towns and cities. N ...

as Sergeant Jeong (정 나장) * Nam Myung Ryul as Jin Mu-yang, birth father of Heuk-san * Park Yong-gi as Heo Won-do (허원도) * Park Bo-young as Woo-yeong (우영), Chil-woo's younger sister * Kim Byeong-chan, Butler Song * Oh Ji-young as Han Do-yeong's mother * Cha Jae-dol as Han Do-yeong (한도영) * Kang Jae as Jo An-jung (조안중), Son of Jinsang-gun * Lee Ho Seong as Jinsang-gun * Han Ye-in as Seo Geuk-ok (서금옥), daughter of the murdered night watchman *

Woo Hyun Woo Hyun (born 1964) is a South Korean actor, and former democracy activist. Filmography Film Television series Variety show References External links * Living people People from Gwangju South Korean male television actors So ...

as Kim Mal-jung (김말중), interpreter * Park Hyo-bin as Sam-wol (삼월) * Ko Jeong-min as Ok-byong (옥봉), famous woman poet Seok Hyeong * Kim Hong-pyo as Kim Jo-hyeon (김조현) * Lee Ji-eun as Song Ju-hee (송주희) * Jeon Yeong-bin as Mak-su (막수), leader of Heuk-san's militia * Lee Seung-hyo as Boon-nyeo (분녀) * Min Ah-ryeong as Min Eun-hee (민은희), Min Seung-guk's sister * Kim Ju-yong as Yong Gol Dae (용골대), General of

Qing The Qing dynasty ( ), officially the Great Qing,, was a Manchu-led imperial dynasty of China and the last orthodox dynasty in Chinese history. It emerged from the Later Jin dynasty founded by the Jianzhou Jurchens, a Tungusic-speak ...

* Son Il-kwon as Lee Chi-seo (이치서) * Kim Kyu-chul as Choe Won-sik (최원식) *

Nam Seong-jin Nam, Nam, or The Nam are shortened terms for: * Vietnam, which is also spelled ''Viet Nam'' * The Vietnam War Nam, The Nam or NAM may also refer to: Arts and media * Nam, a fictional character in anime series ''Dragon Ball'' * ''NAM'' (video ...

as Jo Seong-du (조성두) * Yang So-min as Crown Princess Minhoe of the Gang clan, Wife of Crown Prince Sohyeon *

Lee Seung-hyung Lee Seung-hyung is a South Korean actor. He is best known as a supporting actor in television dramas, notably in ''Brilliant Legacy ''Brilliant Legacy'' (; also known as ''Shining Inheritance'') is a 2009 South Korean television series starr ...

as spy ''Yusaeng'' * Moon Won-joo as Villager * Cha Soon-bae as ''Park Geom-yeol''

Cameos

Nam Il-wu Nam, Nam, or The Nam are shortened terms for: * Vietnam, which is also spelled ''Viet Nam'' * The Vietnam War Nam, The Nam or NAM may also refer to: Arts and media * Nam, a fictional character in anime series ''Dragon Ball'' * ''NAM'' (video ...

as Kim Hong-jo (김홍조), Woo-yeong's adoptive father (episode 1~3 & 13) * Oh Man-seok as Kang San-ha (강산하), Chil-woo's birth father (episode 1) * Kim Ji-seok as Petitioner (episode 1) *

Kang In Duk Kang may refer to: Places * Kang Kalan, Punjab * Kang District, Afghanistan * Kang, Botswana, a village * Kang County, Gansu, China * Kang, Isfahan, Iran, a village * Kang, Kerman, Iran, a village * Kang, Razavi Khorasan, Iran, a village * Kham ( ...

as boss Woong-gi (episode 7) * Im Ho as Crown Prince Sohyeon (episode 13)

Ratings

Source
TNS Media Korea

References

External links

* http://www.kbs.co.kr/drama/chilwoo/ {{DEFAULTSORT:Strongest Chil Woo (Tv Series) Korean Broadcasting System television dramas 2008 South Korean television series debuts 2008 South Korean television series endings Korean-language television shows Television series set in the Joseon dynasty South Korean action television series South Korean historical television series