East of Eden (South Korean TV series)

Korean name
Hangul	에덴의 동쪽
Hanja	에덴의 東쪽
Revised Romanization	Eden-ui Dong-jjok
McCune–Reischauer	Eten-ŭi Tong-tchok

*East of Eden*
East of Eden
	Promotional poster for East of Eden
Genre	Action; Romance;
Written by	Na Yeon-sook; Lee Hong-ku;
Directed by	Kim Jin-man; Choi Byeong-kil;
Starring	Song Seung-heon; Yeon Jung-hoon; Lee Da-hae; Han Ji-hye; Lee Yeon-hee; Park Hae-jin;
Music by	Kim Soo-han
Country of origin	South Korea
Original language	Korean
No. of episodes	56
Production
Executive producer	So Won-young
Producers	Kim Kwang-soo; Kim Kwang-il; Kim Ki-bum;
Production locations	South Korea; Hong Kong; Macau; Philippines;
Cinematography	Ha Jae-young; Jung Seung-woo;
Editor	Bae Hee-kyung
Production companies	Core Contents Media; Jellybox; Chorokbaem Media;
Budget	₩25 billion
Original release
Network	MBC TV
Release	August 25, 2008 –; March 10, 2009

East of Eden (Korean: 에덴의 동쪽; RR: Eden-ui Dong-jjok) is a 2008 South Korean television series, starring Song Seung-heon,^[1] Yeon Jung-hoon, Lee Da-hae, Han Ji-hye,^[2] Park Hae-jin and Lee Yeon-hee. It was produced by Chorokbaem Media as a 47th Anniversary Special Project Drama for MBC, on which it aired from August 25, 2008, to March 10, 2009, on Mondays and Tuesdays at 21:55 for 56 episodes. The ₩25 billion drama tells the story of the brothers Dong-chul (Song) and Dong-wook (Yeon). Their fates diverge after the murder of their coal miner father, with one joining the mob and the other becoming a successful lawyer.^[3]^[4]^[5]

Plot

A period epic that spans the years 1960 to 2000s, East of Eden tells a saga of the bitter rivalry between two men who are eternally bound by fate. Historic events are referenced, such as the rapid industrialization of the 1970s and 1980s, Taebaek coal miners' strikes and student-led democracy movements.

Shin Tae-hwan (Jo Min-ki) is the managing director of a coal mine in Taebaek. The true embodiment of ruthless ambition, he strives to inherit the coal mining company Taesung Group. In the process, he kills Lee Ki-chul (Lee Jong-won), a miner crusading for workers' rights who has been blocking his path to success. He also seduces Yoo Mi-ae (Shin Eun-jung), a nurse at Taebaek Hospital, only to coldly brush her away after he is tired of her.

At the same moment that Yang Chun-hee (Lee Mi-sook), wife of the deceased Ki-chul, is giving birth to a son at Taebaek Hospital, Shin Tae-hwan's wife also gives birth to a baby boy. Filled with rage at Shin Tae-hwan's betrayal, the nurse Mi-ae comes up with a scheme to fulfill her own revenge. She switches the two babies. By doing so, she viciously transforms the fates of not just two lives, but those around them.

Years later, Chun-hee's sons Lee Dong-chul (Song Seung-heon) and Lee Dong-wook (Yeon Jung-hoon) have taken different paths in life. To alleviate their poverty, Dong-chul becomes a gangster, while the younger Dong-wook dreams of becoming a prosecutor to avenge his family by using the law against Shin Tae-hwan. Two women enter Dong-chul's life: the smart and sensible Min Hye-rin (Lee Da-hae), and Gook Young-ran (Lee Yeon-hee), the willful daughter of his gang boss (Yoo Dong-geun). Meanwhile, Shin Myung-hoon (Park Hae-jin), who's been molded in his father Tae-hwan's spiteful, selfish image, sets his eye on Kim Ji-hyun (Han Ji-hye), Dong-wook's sweetheart.

Although Dong-chul is on the other side of the law, he remains protective of Dong-wook, but a revelation shakes him to his core: that his nemesis Shin Myung-hoon is actually his biological brother while the beloved brother that had been beside him all these years is actually the biological son of his enemy.

Cast

Main characters

Song Seung-heon as Lee Dong-chul
- Shin Dong-woo as Dong-chul (5 years old)
- Kim Bum as Dong-chul (15 years old)
Yeon Jung-hoon as Lee Dong-wook
- Park Gun-woo as Dong-wook (10 years old)
Lee Da-hae as Min Hye-rin^[6]
Han Ji-hye as Kim Ji-hyun
- Nam Ji-hyun as Ji-hyun (10 years old)
Park Hae-jin as Shin Myung-hoon
- Won Deok-hyun as Myung-hoon (10 years old)
Lee Yeon-hee as Gook Young-ran / Grace
Jo Min-ki as Shin Tae-hwan (Myung-hoon's father)
Lee Mi-sook as Yang Chun-hee (Dong-chul and Dong-wook's mother)
Yoo Dong-geun as Gook Dae-hwa (Young-ran's father)

Supporting characters

Dennis Oh as Mike Packard (Young-ran's fiancé)
Lee Jong-won as Lee Ki-chul (Dong-chul and Dong-wook's father)
Jeon Mi-seon as Jung-ja (Ki-soon's mother)
Park Hyun-sook as Yang Ok-hee (Chun-hee's sister)
Jeon So-min as Lee Ki-soon
- Jin Ji-hee as Ki-soon (9 years old)
Kim Sung-kyum as resident Oh
Na Hyeon-hui as Oh Yoon-hee
Lee Won-jae as Kyung-tae
Shim Hye-jin as Young-ran's mother
Yoon Dong-hwan as lawyer Kim Tae-seon
Jung Hye-young as Janice / Jae-hee
Shin Eun-jung as Yoo Mi-ae / Rebecca
Hwang Jung-eum as Kim So-jung
Kang Eun-tak as Han Soo-jae
Jeon Sung-hwan as stationmaster Kim Gab-soo (Ji-hyun's grandfather)
Lee Seok-joon as Father Han
Kim Hyung-min as Wang-geon
Go Yoon-hoo as Dok-sa
Park Chan-hwan as Uncle Chang
Kim Hak-chul as Kang Gi-man
Park Geun-hyung as President Min (Hye-rin's father)
Jung Young-sook as Bae Hwa-mi (Mr. Min's wife)
Jung So-young as Min Hye-ryung (Hye-rin's sister)
Park Sung-woong as Baek Sung-hyun
Lee Sol-gu as Choi Hak-sung
Jung Yoon-seok as Yo-seob

Awards and nominations

Year	Award	Category	Recipient	Result
2008	2nd Korea Drama Awards^[7]	Netizen Popularity Award	Kim Bum	Won
	21st Grimae Awards	Grand Prize (Daesang)	Ha Jae-young, Jung Seung-woo (cinematographers)	Won
	21st Grimae Awards	Best Production Director	Kim Jin-man	Won
	MBC Drama Awards	Grand Prize (Daesang)^[8]	Song Seung-heon	Won
		Top Excellence Award, Actor	Song Seung-heon	Nominated
		Top Excellence Award, Actress	Lee Mi-sook	Won
		Excellence Award, Actor	Jo Min-ki	Won
		Excellence Award, Actress	Han Ji-hye	Won
		Excellence Award, Actress	Lee Da-hae	Nominated
		Golden Acting Award, Actor in a Serial Drama	Park Geun-hyung	Won
		Golden Acting Award, Supporting Actress	Shin Eun-jung	Won
		Golden Acting Award, Veteran Actor	Yoo Dong-geun	Won
		PD Award	Yeon Jung-hoon	Won
		Best New Actor	Park Hae-jin	Won
		Best New Actress	Lee Yeon-hee	Won
		Best Child Actor/Actress	Park Gun-tae	Won
			Shin Dong-woo	Won
			Nam Ji-hyun	Won
		Writer of the Year	Na Yeon-sook	Won
		Viewer's Favorite Drama of the Year	East of Eden	Nominated
		Popularity Award, Actor	Song Seung-heon	Won
		Popularity Award, Actress	Lee Yeon-hee	Won
		Best Couple Award	Song Seung-heon and Lee Yeon-hee	Won
2009	45th Baeksang Arts Awards	Best Actor (TV)	Song Seung-heon	Nominated
		Best Actress (TV)	Han Ji-hye	Nominated
		Best New Actor (TV)	Kim Bum	Nominated
		Best New Actress (TV)	Lee Yeon-hee	Nominated

References

^ "No Longer Just a Pretty Face: Song Seung-hun". The Chosun Ilbo. September 5, 2008. Archived from the original on March 8, 2022. Retrieved May 21, 2013.
^ Ki, Sun-min (November 26, 2008). "Actress Han Ji-hye feels destined for Eden". Korea JoongAng Daily. Archived from the original on June 10, 2013. Retrieved May 21, 2013.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: unfit URL (link)
^ "A delightful banquet among the stars begins soon in East of Eden!". MBC Global Media. August 12, 2008. Archived from the original on August 19, 2014. Retrieved May 25, 2013.
^ Han, Sang-hee (August 19, 2008). "TV Dramas Gear Up for Post-Olympics Race". The Korea Times. Archived from the original on November 5, 2013. Retrieved May 21, 2013.
^ Deutsch, Brian (September 11, 2008). "Drama Sets in Suncheon: Journey to Past". The Korea Times. Archived from the original on April 26, 2014. Retrieved May 21, 2013.
^ Her last appearance was in episode 40, but last credit at episode 41.
^ Chung, Ah-young (November 2, 2008). "Actor Kim Wins Top Prize at Korea Drama Festival Awards". The Korea Times. Archived from the original on May 21, 2014. Retrieved May 21, 2013.
^ "MBC Should Be Ashamed of Farcical Awards". The Chosun Ilbo. January 2, 2009. Archived from the original on August 11, 2017. Retrieved May 21, 2013.

External links

East of Eden official MBC website (in Korean)
East of Eden at MBC Global Media
East of Eden at HanCinema
East of Eden at IMDb

[1] "No Longer Just a Pretty Face: Song Seung-hun". The Chosun Ilbo. September 5, 2008. Archived from the original on March 8, 2022. Retrieved May 21, 2013.

[2] Ki, Sun-min (November 26, 2008). "Actress Han Ji-hye feels destined for Eden". Korea JoongAng Daily. Archived from the original on June 10, 2013. Retrieved May 21, 2013.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: unfit URL (link)

[3] "A delightful banquet among the stars begins soon in East of Eden!". MBC Global Media. August 12, 2008. Archived from the original on August 19, 2014. Retrieved May 25, 2013.

[4] Han, Sang-hee (August 19, 2008). "TV Dramas Gear Up for Post-Olympics Race". The Korea Times. Archived from the original on November 5, 2013. Retrieved May 21, 2013.

[5] Deutsch, Brian (September 11, 2008). "Drama Sets in Suncheon: Journey to Past". The Korea Times. Archived from the original on April 26, 2014. Retrieved May 21, 2013.

[6] Her last appearance was in episode 40, but last credit at episode 41.

[7] Chung, Ah-young (November 2, 2008). "Actor Kim Wins Top Prize at Korea Drama Festival Awards". The Korea Times. Archived from the original on May 21, 2014. Retrieved May 21, 2013.

[8] "MBC Should Be Ashamed of Farcical Awards". The Chosun Ilbo. January 2, 2009. Archived from the original on August 11, 2017. Retrieved May 21, 2013.

[1]

[2]

[3]

[4]

[5]

[6]

[7]

[8]