Hong Gil-dong (TV series)

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Hong Gil-dong
Promotional poster
GenreHistorical
Comedy
Romance
Action
Written byHong Jung-eun
Hong Mi-ran
Directed byLee Jung-sub
StarringKang Ji-hwan
Sung Yu-ri
Jang Keun-suk
Kim Ri-na
Country of originSouth Korea
Original languageKorean
No. of episodes24
Production
Executive producerChoi Ji-young (KBS Drama Operations Team)
ProducerLee Jung-sub
Production locationKorea
Camera setupMulti-camera
Running time60 minutes on Wednesdays and Thursdays at 21:55 (KST)
Production companyOlive9
Original release
NetworkKBS2
Release2 January (2008-01-02) –
26 March 2008 (2008-03-26)
Hong Gil-dong
Hangul
쾌도 홍길동
Hanja
Revised RomanizationGwaedo Hong Gil-dong
McCune–ReischauerK'waedo Hong Kildong

Hong Gil-dong (Korean쾌도 홍길동; lit. Fast-sword Hong Gil-dong) is a 2008 South Korean television series starring Kang Ji-hwan in the title role, Sung Yu-ri, Jang Keun-suk and Kim Ri-na. The drama is loosely based on Hong Gil-dong, a fictional book about a Robin Hood-like character during Korea's Joseon Dynasty, but with modern influences and comedic tones. It aired on KBS2 from January 2 to March 26, 2008 on Wednesdays and Thursdays at 21:55 for 24 episodes.[1][2]

Synopsis[edit]

Hong Gil-dong is the illegitimate son of a minister. He is very bright and smart, however was told that he could not accomplish anything in this world, due to his illegitimate status. Thus he grew up spending most of his time being lazy and causing trouble for the people around him. However, a local monk thinks he is destined to be much more, and has taught Gil-dong martial arts. As the series progresses, Gil-dong realizes the severity of the injustices of the ranked world, and starts to fight against these injustices, stealing from the rich and giving to the poor.

Heo Yi-nok is an upbeat, naive and carefree girl. At the beginning of the series, she arrives from China with her grandfather, who has raised her. She meets and befriends Gil-dong. Yi-nok has a past she is unaware of: she does not know her grandfather is not her blood-related grandfather, and that her real parents were murdered. She eventually develops feelings for Gil-dong, who reciprocates her feelings.

Lee Chang-hwi also has arrived in Korea from China at the beginning of the series. He seems cold and calculating, as he also has a dark past in which his older brother, the current king of Joseon, tried to murder him. Chang-hwi is planning a revolution, in which he tries to overthrow the king and takes his place as, he believes, the rightful king of Joseon. He coincidentally bumps into both Gil-dong and Yi-nok. Both Gil-dong and Yi-nok help Chang-hwi realize what it takes to become a good king. He forges an alliance with Gil-dong and develops feelings for Yi-nok.

As the question of rightful succession comes into play, Gil-dong and Yi-nok are forced to take sides, all the while having to deal with their own personal problems: their love, Gil-dong with his father issues, Yi-nok with her murdered parents and their revenge.

Cast[edit]

Ratings[edit]

Date Episode Nationwide Seoul
2008-01-02 1 16.2% (6th) 15.9% (6th)
2008-01-03 2 15.3% (7th) 15.0% (7th)
2008-01-09 3 14.9% (6th) 14.8% (7th)
2008-01-10 4 16.2% (7th) 15.7% (7th)
2008-01-16 5 14.5% (8th) 14.2% (8th)
2008-01-17 6 15.8% (8th) 16.1% (9th)
2008-01-23 7 13.9% (9th) 13.1% (10th)
2008-01-24 8 17.0% (8th) 16.8% (8th)
2008-01-30 9 15.7% (7th) 15.3% (8th)
2008-01-31 10 15.6% (8th) 15.1% (8th)
2008-02-06 11 14.8% (6th) 14.3% (6th)
2008-02-07 12 8.5% (15th) 8.5% (15th)
2008-02-13 13 14.0% (9th) 14.2% (9th)
2008-02-14 14 14.8% (9th) 14.9% (9th)
2008-02-20 15 13.4% (10th) 13.2% (11th)
2008-02-21 16 13.2% (9th) 13.3% (9th)
2008-02-27 17 13.6% (8th) 13.1% (8th)
2008-02-28 18 14.3% (9th) 14.0% (10th)
2008-03-05 19 15.4% (6th) 15.3% (6th)
2008-03-06 20 16.0% (7th) 16.0% (8th)
2008-03-12 21 14.5% (6th) 14.6% (6th)
2008-03-19 22 14.5% (6th) 14.4% (6th)
2008-03-20 23 14.2% (8th) 14.4% (7th)
2008-03-26 24 13.8% (8th) 14.5% (8th)
Average 14.6% 14.4%

Source: TNS Media Korea

Awards and nominations[edit]

Year Award Category Recipient Result
2008 Best OST "If" - Kim Taeyeon Nominated
Most Popular Actor (TV) Kang Ji-hwan Won
Most Popular Actress (TV) Sung Yu-ri Won
Best Television Product, Miniseries category Hong Gil-dong Won
Excellence Award, Actress Sung Yu-ri Nominated
Top Excellence Award, Actor Kang Ji-hwan Nominated
Excellence Award, Actor in a Miniseries Jang Keun-suk Nominated
Excellence Award, Actress in a Miniseries Sung Yu-ri Nominated
Best Supporting Actor Jo Hee-bong Nominated
Best Young Actor Maeng Se-chang Nominated
Netizen Award, Actor Kang Ji-hwan Won
Popularity Award, Actor Jang Keun-suk Won
Popularity Award, Actress Sung Yu-ri Won
Best Couple Award Kang Ji-hwan and Sung Yu-ri Won
Jang Keun-suk and Sung Yu-ri Nominated

International broadcast[edit]

In Thailand, the drama aired dubbed into Thai under the title ฮง กิลดอง จอมโจร โดนใจ (Hong Gil-dong Jomjone Donejai; literally Hong Gil-dong The Thief) on the Channel 7 from April 4, 2009 to June 13, 2009 on Saturdays and Sundays at 09:15.[5]

See also[edit]

References[edit]

  1. ^ Oh, Jean (7 January 2008). "New KBS drama takes fusion to extremes". The Korea Herald via Hancinema. Retrieved 2013-08-23.
  2. ^ Kwon, Mee-yoo (1 January 2008). "Epic Dramas Continues to Boom This Year". The Korea Times. Archived from the original on 15 July 2014. Retrieved 2013-08-23.
  3. ^ "2008 M.net Korean Music Festival Winners list" Archived 2012-12-25 at the Wayback Machine. MAMA. Retrieved 2014-06-12.
  4. ^ Han, Sang-hee (13 July 2008). "KBS Drama Wins Award From Roma Fiction Fest". The Korea Times. Archived from the original on 2 April 2015. Retrieved 2013-08-23.
  5. ^ "Hong Gil Dong - ฮง กิลดอง จอมโจร โดนใจ". blike.net (in Thai). 22 October 2015.[permanent dead link]

External links[edit]