East of Eden (TV series)

East of Eden

Promotional poster for East of Eden
Genre Action
Romance
Drama
Written by Na Yeon-sook
Lee Hong-ku
Directed by So Won-young
Starring Song Seung-heon
Yeon Jung-hoon
Lee Da-hae
Han Ji-hye
Park Hae-jin
Lee Yeon-hee
Opening theme "Reversal of Fate" by SG Wannabe and Kim Jong-wook
Country of origin South Korea
Original language(s) Korean
No. of episodes 56
Production
Producer(s) Kim Jin-man
Choi Byeong-kil
Location(s) Korea
Hong Kong
Macau
Philippines
Cinematography Ha Jae-young
Jung Seung-woo
Running time Mondays and Tuesdays at 21:55 (KST)
Production company(s) Chorokbaem Media
Broadcast
Original channel Munhwa Broadcasting Corporation
Original run 25 August 2008 – 10 March 2009
Chronology
Preceded by Night after Night
Followed by Queen of Housewives
External links
Website
Korean name
Hangul
Hanja 에덴의
Revised Romanization Eden-ui Dong-jjok
McCune–Reischauer Eten-ŭi Tong-tchok

East of Eden (Hangul: 에덴의 동쪽; RR: Eden-ui Dong-jjok) is a 2008 South Korean television series, starring Song Seung-heon,[1] Yeon Jung-hoon, Park Hae-jin, Lee Da-hae, Han Ji-hye,[2] 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 2000, East of Eden tells a saga of the bitter rivalry between two men who are eternally bound by fate.

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 worker's 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's 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) are the closest of brothers. To alleviate their poverty, Dong-chul becomes a gangster, while the younger Dong-wook dreams of becoming a prosecutor to help the family seek revenge on 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.

Until a revelation shakes Dong-chul to his core: that his real brother was raised by Shin Tae-hwan and that the beloved brother that had been beside him all these years is actually the son of his enemy.

Cast

Main characters

Supporting characters

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
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
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

International broadcast

The series aired in Japan in 2009 on TBS and cable channel DATV.[9][10] Selected scenes were also screened in theaters, free of charge, in eight major Japanese cities including Osaka, Sapporo, Fukuoka and Hiroshima over 23 sessions in October 2008. These screenings were sponsored by Hanbang Cosmetics Company to mark lead actor Song Seung-heon's 32nd birthday; Song was the model of the company's ad campaign.[11]

It aired in the Philippines on the GMA Network beginning August 16, 2010.[12]

It aired in Malaysia on TV2 in 2014.

References

  1. "No Longer Just a Pretty Face: Song Seung-hun". The Chosun Ilbo. 5 September 2008. Retrieved 2013-05-21.
  2. Ki, Sun-min (26 November 2008). "Actress Han Ji-hye feels destined for Eden". Korea JoongAng Daily. Retrieved 2013-05-21.
  3. "A delightful banquet among the stars begins soon in East of Eden!". MBC Global Media. 12 August 2008. Retrieved 2013-05-25.
  4. Han, Sang-hee (19 August 2008). "TV Dramas Gear Up for Post-Olympics Race". The Korea Times. Retrieved 2013-05-21.
  5. Deutsch, Brian (11 September 2008). "Drama Sets in Suncheon: Journey to Past". The Korea Times. Retrieved 2013-05-21.
  6. Her last appearance was in episode 40.
  7. Chung, Ah-young (2 November 2008). "Actor Kim Wins Top Prize at Korea Drama Festival Awards". The Korea Times. Retrieved 2013-05-21.
  8. "MBC Should Be Ashamed of Farcical Awards". The Chosun Ilbo. 2 January 2009. Retrieved 2013-05-21.
  9. Kim, Lynn (28 December 2009). "Korean actor Cho Min-ki featured in Mainichi Shimbun". 10Asia. Retrieved 2013-09-21.
  10. http://datv.jp/p000154/
  11. "East of Eden to be Screened in 8 Japanese Cities". KBS Global. 22 September 2008. Retrieved 2013-09-21.
  12. "GMA-7's newest Asianovela East of Eden premieres tonight". Philippine Entertainment Portal. 16 August 2010. Retrieved 2014-04-25.

External links