The Duo

The Duo
Promotional poster for The Duo
Also known as	Mate
Genre	Romance Comedy Action Period
Format	Television drama
Written by	Kim Woon-kyung
Directed by	Im Tae-woo Kim Geun-hong
Starring	Chun Jung-myung Lee Sang-yoon Han Ji-hye Seo Hyun-jin
Country of origin	South Korea
Original language(s)	Korean
No. of episodes	32
Production
Producer(s)	Choi Yi-sup
Location(s)	Korea
Running time	Mondays and Tuesdays at 21:55 (KST)
Broadcast
Original channel	Munhwa Broadcasting Corporation
Original run	7 February 2011 (2011-02-07) – 24 May 2011 (2011-05-24)
Chronology
Preceded by	Queen of Reversals
Followed by	Miss Ripley
External links
The Duo official MBC website

The Duo (Hangul: 짝패; RR: Jjakpae) is a 2011 South Korean historical drama series, starring Chun Jung-myung, Lee Sang-yoon, Han Ji-hye and Seo Hyun-jin. It aired on MBC from February 7 to May 24, 2011 on Mondays and Tuesdays at 21:55 for 32 episodes.

Filmed at MBC Dramia in Gyeonggi Province,^[1] the series examines how class determines fate during the Joseon era through two men who swap lives. Switched at birth, Chun-doong and Gwi-dong grow up living each other's lives. Nobleman's son Chun-doong endures great hardships in the lowest caste of society, and becomes a vigilante who steals from the rich. Beggar's son Gwi-dong grows up in a wealthy noble family, and becomes a police chief. Living on opposite sides of the law, their paths cross again when they both fall for the same woman; played by Chun, Lee and Han respectively.

Plot

Around the time of late Joseon Dynasty (1392-1910) when hierarchy between nobles and slaves started to fall apart and riots were common among peasants, two men were born on the same day and at the same time. Chun-doong who grew up in a beggar’s quarters with no knowledge of his parents, dreams of “making this world a better place” by taking part in the peasants’ riot while rich, young noble Gwi-dong who serves as a police official, fights against corruption within the government and speaks for the weak. Although both give their hearts to the same woman, they become the greatest duo ever in order to reform the problematic world.^[2]

The background of the drama is not set in a grand palace but an everyday market and talks not of the success of a great hero but the agony of common people. The Duo portrays the everyday lives and loves of the commoners and outcasts during 19th century Korea: Slaves, beggars, leather shoemakers, thieves, street bums and butchers, people who were poor yet good at heart. It is centered on the humanism and sentiments of those whose life stories have often been neglected in the typical “royal family centered” dramas.^[2][3][4][5]

Main cast

• Chun-doong (played by Chun Jung-myung)^[6] - He was born into a wealthy noble family but lives his life as a beggar and later becomes a heroic outlaw like Robin Hood.^[3]

• Gwi-dong (played by Lee Sang-yoon) - He was born as the son of a beggar but lives Chun-doong’s life as a nobleman and later becomes a police chief.^[3]

• Dong-nyeo (played by Han Ji-hye) - The daughter of a village school teacher, she is learned and clever.^[3]

• Dal-yi (played by Seo Hyun-jin) - Ever since she was a kid, she has always loved Gwi-dong who was from a class different and more importantly, higher than hers.^[3]

Extended cast

Ratings

The Duo received solid ratings, averaging 13.0 percent on Total National Multimedia Statistics' (TNmS) chart and 16.7 percent on AGB Nielsen Media Research's (AGB) poll, coming in first in its primetime slot several times during its run.^{[7][8][9][10][11][12][13][14]}

References

External links

• The Duo official MBC website (Korean)
• The Duo at HanCinema