Capital Scandal

Capital Scandal (Hangul: 경성 스캔들; RR: Gyeongseong Seukaendeul; lit. "Scandal in Gyeongseong") is a 2007 South Korean television series starring Kang Ji-hwan, Han Ji-min, Ryu Jin and Han Go-eun. It aired on KBS2 from June 6 to August 2, 2007 on Wednesdays and Thursdays at 21:55 for 16 episodes.

Based on Lee Sun-mi's novel Love Story in the Capital,^[1] the story juxtaposes the heroic anti-Japanese movement with young romance by depicting the capital Seoul of the 1930s during colonial rule, called "Gyeongseong" (hence its alternate title Scandal in Old Seoul). It was a time when the nation's independence fighters fought against pro-Japanese traitors, while traditional Joseon-era Confucian values clashed and coexisted with a more modern way of life. The series portrays one of the darkest periods of Korean history with a mixture of tragedy, comedy and romance.

Synopsis

Sunwoo Wan (Kang Ji-hwan) is the one of the capital's most notorious womanizers who alleges that he can seduce any woman within 10 minutes. The handsome, fashionable and rich boy doesn't have worries about the fate of his country. He gambles with his colleagues on his ability to seduce Na Yeo-kyeong (Han Ji-min) whose nickname is Jomaja (the last woman of the Joseon Dynasty). She is known as a woman who doesn't care about her appearance and has no interest at all in dating. She runs a small bookstore while working as a volunteer teacher for poor children. Yeo-kyung is a very determined woman and has strong faith that her country will be liberated from Japan in the near future. Dating a guy or getting married is something she'll do only after the independence of her native land.

At first Wan doesn't take his bet seriously, but as events escalate in the capital, he finds himself falling in love with Yeo-kyung. She opens his eyes to the social injustices around him, which transforms him into becoming an independence movement activist himself. As Wan says, "Love is the strongest and most effective strategy for independence and revolution."

Cast

• Kang Ji-hwan as Sunwoo Wan^[2]

A thoroughly "modern boy," Sunwoo Wan is always dressed fashionably in the latest trends and likes jazz, gambling and women. He frequents the night clubs and has his face splashed on the tabloids. The most famous playboy in Gyeongseong, Wan is confident that it takes him only ten minutes to seduce a girl. One day he makes a bet that he will break his record by seducing not some pretty and sophisticated girl, but the prudish independence fighter nicknamed Jomaja. But what begins as false love later evolves into genuine feelings. He experiences real love for the first time, which later evolves into patriotism. The former hedonist turns into an enthusiastic independence fighter.

• Han Ji-min as Na Yeo-kyung

Unlike most young women of the era, Yeo-kyung has received an advanced education but still prioritizes pre-modern moral values. She still wears a traditional white blouse and a black skirt. She is strong-willed and stubborn -- to the extent that she makes others want to challenge her. Many young men have tried to approach her but failed. Rumor has it that she scolded on man for a full hour for daring to ask her out. That's why Gyeongseong guys have given up on her; they just sarcastically and disparagingly call her Jomaja, meaning "the last woman of Joseon."

• Ryu Jin as Lee Soo-hyun

Having received an elite education in Tokyo, Soo-hyun has outstanding work abilities, good manners and neat looks, and he is quickly climbing up the promotion ladder at the Japanese government in Korea. Everybody knows that Japanese high-ranking official Ueda Mamoru fully trusts and relies on him. But as talented as he is, Soo-hyun also has many enemies, including his Japanese coworkers, Korean underlings and even his childhood friend Sunwoo Wan. He merely ignores people who accuse him of betraying his country. His face is always expressionless and doesn't betray his secrets, and he only smiles briefly at decisive moments.

• Han Go-eun as Cha Song-joo

A famous gisaeng, Song-joo has spellbinding looks that can charm anyone, and enviable skills at dancing and singing. Only men of high social status can meet with her. Those who don't have enough money or power to meet with her in person can hear her songs on Gyeongseong Radio or see her smiling face on Japanese government PR posters hanging at the train station. Song-joo is the top celebrity of the era when there were no entertainers in Joseon yet.

Supporting cast

• Kang Nam-gil as Kim Tak-gu
• Lee Kyung-jin as Choi Hak-hee
• Ahn Yong-joon as Kang In-ho
• Yoon Gi-won as Lee Kang-goo
• Ahn Suk-hwan as Ueda Mamoru
• Choi Phillip as Yamashita Kouji
• Kim Hye-ok as Ueda Sachiko
• Park Ha-sun as So Young-rang
• Yoon Joo-sang as Sunwoo Kwan
• Yoon Ye-hee as Heo Young-hwa
• Heo Jeong-min as Shin Se-ki
• Go Myung-hwan as Wang Gol
• Jang Tae-seong Chu Geun-deok
• Seo Hyun-ki as Mang-chi
• Uhm Hyun-kyung as Ueda Miyuki
• Choi Yeo-jin (cameo, ep 1)

Awards

2007 KBS Drama Awards^[3]

• Excellence Award, Actor in a Miniseries: Kang Ji-hwan
• Excellence Award, Actress in a Miniseries: Han Ji-min
• Best Supporting Actress: Han Go-eun
• Best Child Actor: Choi Woo-hyuk
• Netizen Award: Han Ji-min
• Best Couple Award: Kang Ji-hwan and Han Ji-min

2008 Banff World Media Festival

• Rockie Award

Original Soundtrack

• 1. Gyeongseong Scandal - Eru
• 2. Because of you - Jeon So-young
• 3. Elegy
• 4. Dance with me
• 5. You who believe this is the end - Jay
• 6. No Life Without You (feat. Soseol)
• 7. Winds of Gyeongseong
• 8. Gyeongseong Scandal (Inst.)
• 9. Sweet Song - Noh Jin-young
• 10. Gyeongseong BLUES
• 11. Mong (dream)
• 12. Waltz of Destiny
• 13. Elegy Tango
• 14. You who believe this is the end (Inst.)
• 15. One Summer
• 16. Because of you (Inst.)
• 17. In a Mood

References

External links

• Capital Scandal official KBS website (Korean)
• Capital Scandal Fan Cafe at Daum (Korean)
• Capital Scandal at HanCinema