The Slave Hunters
The Slave Hunters (Korean: 추노; Hanja: 推奴; RR: Chuno) is a 2010 South Korean action historical drama set in the Joseon Dynasty about a slave hunter (played by Jang Hyuk) who is tracking down a general-turned-runaway slave (Oh Ji-ho) as well as searching for the woman he loves (Lee Da-hae).[1][2][3][4][5] It aired on KBS2 from January 6 to March 25, 2010 on Wednesdays and Thursdays at 21:55 for 24 episodes.
| The Slave Hunters | |
|---|---|
 Poster for The Slave Hunters | |
| Also known as | Chuno |
| Genre | Action Historical Drama |
| Written by | Chun Sung-il |
| Directed by | Kwak Jung-hwan |
| Starring | Jang Hyuk Oh Ji-ho Lee Da-hae Gong Hyung-jin Lee Jong-hyuk |
| Country of origin | South Korea |
| Original language(s) | Korean |
| No. of episodes | 24 |
| Production | |
| Production location(s) | South Korea |
| Running time | Wednesdays and Thursdays at 21:55 (KST) 70 min |
| Production company(s) | Chorokbaem Media |
| Release | |
| Original network | Korean Broadcasting System |
| Original release | January 6 – March 25, 2010 |
| Chronology | |
| Preceded by | IRIS |
| Followed by | Cinderella's Sister |
| External links | |
| Website | |
| The Slave Hunters | |
| Hangul | 추노 |
|---|---|
| Hanja | |
| Revised Romanization | Chuno |
| McCune–Reischauer | Ch'uno |
An adequate display of muscular brawn, intricate yet gritty fight scenes, bawdy humor and eloquent moments of pathos and humanity made the series both visually and intellectually appealing to audiences. Critics gave special mention to director Kwak Jung-hwan's[6] lush cinematography, the use of a Red One camera giving each shot its theater-worthy luster.[7] The hit series topped the ratings chart for 7 consecutive weeks, averaging 31.7% and reaching a peak of 35.9%.[8][9][10][11]
In 2010, the series was honored at the Seoul International Drama Awards,[12][13][14][15] and the KBS Drama Awards (notably the highest prize Daesang for lead actor Jang Hyuk).[16] Jang also received a best actor nomination from the 2011 International Emmy Awards for his performance.[17][18]
Synopsis
Set during the Joseon Dynasty, The Slave Hunters follows the story of Lee Dae-gil, Song Tae-ha, and Kim Hye-won.
Lee Dae-gil is a man from a noble family, whose life is ruined by Keun-nom (큰놈이/Big One), a slave owned by Dae-gil's family. Because Keun-nom's sister Un-nyun and the young master Dae-gil are in love, Dae-gil's parents lock Un-nyun in a shed and leave her to die of dehydration. So Keun-nom burns down Dae-gil's house while rescuing her, then uses a sickle to slash Dae-gil's face. The house collapses shortly after, and Keun-nom and Un-nyun believe Dae-gil to be dead.
Keun-nom runs away with Un-nyun and eventually accumulates enough wealth to buy Jokbo of a noble family. Assuming the identity of the yangban Kim family, he then changes his name to Kim Seong-hwan and his sister Un-nyun's name to Kim Hye-won.
Driven by his desire for revenge as well as his obsession/love for Un-nyun, Dae-gil endures ten harsh years on the street and makes his name as a slave hunter. Dae-gil carries a sketch of Un-nyun at all times and searches for her wherever he goes.
Song Tae-ha is a military general who has spent years serving Crown Prince Sohyeon in China; Sohyeon has been held as a hostage after Joseon lost the war with the Qing Dynasty. Upon their release to Joseon, they find themselves embroiled in an even bigger political turmoil. The crown prince dies under suspicious circumstances shortly after returning to Joseon, the crown princess and two of his three young sons are also killed, and the youngest son is exiled on Cheju island. Tae-ha is framed for stealing military rations and is demoted to a slave along with his loyal subordinates.
When Tae-ha learns that the exiled youngest son of the late prince, who he believes to be the only rightful heir to the crown, is in danger, he is determined to protect him and have him declared the new crown prince. He escapes forced labor and sets off his journey to Jeju island. Along the way, Tae-ha comes across Hye-won/Un-nyun, who is on the run from an arranged marriage to a powerful noble, and saves her from danger. Dae-gil is hired to capture Tae-ha and chases after him, who, unbeknownst to Dae-gil, is now traveling and starting a romantic relationship with the woman for whom he has been obsessively searching for ten years.[19][20]
Cast
Main
- Jang Hyuk as Lee Dae-gil[21][22][23]
- Oh Ji-ho as Song Tae-ha[24][25][26]
- Lee Da-hae as Un-nyun / Kim Hye-won[27][28]
- Gong Hyung-jin as Eop-bok
- Lee Jong-hyuk as Hwang Chul-woong
- Han Jung-soo as Janggoon Choi ("General Choi")[29][30]
- Kim Ji-seok as Wang-son ("big hand")[31]
- Sung Dong-il as Chun Ji-ho
- Kim Eung-soo as Lee Gyeong-sik
- Kim Ha-eun as Seol-hwa
Supporting
- Min Ji-ah as Cho-bok[32]
- Yoon Gi-won as Won Ki-yoon
- Danny Ahn as Baek-ho
- Yoon Ji-min as Yoon-ji
- Jo Jae-wan as Keun-nom / Kim Seong-hwan
- Ahn Suk-hwan as Hwabaek Bang
- Lee Han-wi as Pogyo Oh
- Yoon Mun-sik as Horse doctor
- Jo Mi-ryung as Keun Jumo ("elder hostess")
- Yoon Joo-hee as Jakeun Jumo ("young hostess")
- Cho Jin-woong as Kwak Han-seom
- Park Ki-woong as Geu boon ("that person")
- Kim Ha-yoon as Crown Princess Kang
- Yoon Dong-hwan as Long Guda (General Qing)
- Kim Young-ae as Mogabi
- Kim Kap-soo as King Injo
- Ha Si-eun as Lee Sun-young (Chul-woong's wife)
- Jo Sung-il as Lee Kwang-jae
- Kim Jin-woo as Lee Seok-gyeon
- Kang Sung-min as Crown Prince Sohyeon
- Lee In as Grand Prince Bongrim
- Lee Dae-ro as Im Yeong-ho
- Choi Deok-moon as Seonbi Jo
- Joo Da-young as Eun-sil
- Ahn Gil-kang as Jjak-gui ("slat ear")
- Yoon Jin-ho as Park Jong-soo
- Kim Young-ok as Chul-woong's mother
- Song Seo-yeon as Kisaeng Chan
- Go Joon-hee as Je-ni
- Wi Yang-ho as Bandit boss
- Lee Dae-yeon as Bhikkhu Myung-ahn
- Jo Hee-bong as Kkeut-bong
- Sa Hyun-jin as Jang Pil-soon
- Park Hee-jin as Village woman
- Hwang Hyeon-hee as Spy at the inn
- Kim Kyeong-jin as Boatman
- Jang Dong-min as Bookstore owner
- Jung Ho-bin as General Shin
- Jeon Se-hyeon as Wang-son's lover
Special appearances
- Lee Won-jong as Double-acting slave at the training site
- Yoo Chae-yeong as Wang-son's lover
- Choi Cheol-ho as Monk inside the jail
- Oh Ji-heon as Bandit
- Jo Sung-ha as Lee Jae-joon
- Marco as Yangban
- Kim Sung-soo as Citizen
- Kim Chang-ryul as Citizen
- Lee Ha-neul as Citizen
- Han Min-kwan as Citizen
Original soundtrack
| The Slave Hunter OST | |
|---|---|
| Soundtrack album by Various artists | |
| Recorded | 2010 |
| Genre | Soundtrack |
| Language | Korean |
| Label | Pony Canyon Korea |
| No. | Title | Artist | Length |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1. | "Change" (바꿔) | Gloomy30s | 4:26 |
| 2. | "Stigma" (낙인) | Yim Jae-beom | 4:46 |
| 3. | "The Moon has passed" (달에지다) | Beige | 4:13 |
| 4. | "Minechan" (민초의난) | MC Sniper | 3:22 |
| 5. | "Damned Love" (지독한사랑) | WoongSan | 4:29 |
| 6. | "Chuno" | Kim Jong Chun and Choi Chul Ho | 2:51 |
| 7. | "Akto" | Kim Jong Chun and Choi Chul Ho | 4:46 |
| 8. | "Alive" | Kim Jong Chun and Choi Chul Ho | 2:35 |
| 9. | "Black Wind Mountain" | Kim Jong Chun and Choi Chul Ho | 2:32 |
| 10. | "Do not cry black" | Kim Jong Chun and Choi Chul Ho | 3:58 |
| 11. | "Flower route" | Kim Jong Chun and Choi Chul Ho | 2:58 |
| 12. | "Incense" | Kim Jong Chun and Choi Chul Ho | 2:14 |
| 13. | "Lost Paradise" | Kim Jong Chun and Choi Chul Ho | 3:10 |
| 14. | "Irrational interest" | Flower star | 3:10 |
| 15. | "Wanted" | Kim Jong Chun and Choi Chul Ho | 3:10 |
| 16. | "Yelling in the heaven" | Kim Jong Chun and Choi Chul Ho | 2:11 |
| No. | Title | Artist | Length |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1. | "Stray Child" (미아) | JeA (Brown Eyed Girls) | 4:26 |
Ratings
| Date | Episode | Nationwide | Seoul |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2010-01-06 | 1 | 22.9 (4th) | 23.8 (3rd) |
| 2010-01-07 | 2 | 24.8 (2nd) | 25.3 (3rd) |
| 2010-01-13 | 3 | 27.2 (2nd) | 27.6 (3rd) |
| 2010-01-14 | 4 | 30.8 (2nd) | 31.4 (2nd) |
| 2010-01-20 | 5 | 30.3 (2nd) | 31.0 (1st) |
| 2010-01-21 | 6 | 33.7 (1st) | 34.9 (1st) |
| 2010-01-27 | 7 | 31.6 (1st) | 31.7 (1st) |
| 2010-01-28 | 8 | 33.5 (1st) | 34.3 (1st) |
| 2010-02-03 | 9 | 34.6 (1st) | 35.2 (1st) |
| 2010-02-04 | 10 | 35.0 (1st) | 35.8 (1st) |
| 2010-02-10 | 11 | 32.5 (1st) | 32.6 (1st) |
| 2010-02-11 | 12 | 33.9 (1st) | 34.0 (1st) |
| 2010-02-17 | 13 | 32.5 (1st) | 32.4 (1st) |
| 2010-02-18 | 14 | 31.9 (1st) | 31.7 (1st) |
| 2010-02-24 | 15 | 31.9 (1st) | 32.2 (1st) |
| 2010-02-25 | 16 | 33.4 (1st) | 33.6 (1st) |
| 2010-03-03 | 17 | 31.6 (1st) | 31.8 (1st) |
| 2010-03-04 | 18 | 33.8 (1st) | 33.8 (1st) |
| 2010-03-10 | 19 | 33.5 (1st) | 34.0 (1st) |
| 2010-03-11 | 20 | 32.0 (1st) | 31.5 (1st) |
| 2010-03-17 | 21 | 31.2 (1st) | 30.9 (1st) |
| 2010-03-18 | 22 | 30.4 (1st) | 29.6 (1st) |
| 2010-03-24 | 23 | 32.8 (1st) | 33.2 (1st) |
| 2010-03-25 | 24 | 35.9 (1st) | 36.3 (1st) |
| Average | 31.7% | 32.0% | |
Source: TNS Media Korea
Awards and nominations
| Year | Award | Category | Recipient | Result |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2010 | Best Drama | The Slave Hunters | Nominated | |
| Best Actor (TV) | Jang Hyuk | Nominated | ||
| Best New Director (TV) | Kwak Jung-hwan | Nominated | ||
| Best Screenplay (TV) | Chun Sung-il | Won | ||
| Best Miniseries | The Slave Hunters | Won | ||
| Outstanding Korean Drama Prize Category: Grand Prize (Daesang) | Won | |||
| Outstanding Korean Drama Prize Category: Best Director | Kwak Jung-hwan | Won | ||
| Outstanding Korean Drama Prize Category: Best Actor | Jang Hyuk | Won | ||
| Best Drama | The Slave Hunters | Won | ||
| Best Actor | Jang Hyuk | Won | ||
| Best Writer in a Miniseries | Chun Sung-il | Won | ||
| Grand Prize (Daesang) | The Slave Hunters | Won | ||
| Best Short TV Drama | Won | |||
| Best Director | Kwak Jung-hwan | Won | ||
| Best Screenplay | Chun Sung-il | Won | ||
| Grand Prize | Kim Jae-hwan, Son Hyung-sik | Won | ||
| Best Actor | Jang Hyuk | Won | ||
| Grand Prize (Daesang) | Jang Hyuk | Won | ||
| Top Excellence Award, Actor | Jang Hyuk | Nominated | ||
| Kim Kap-soo | Won | |||
| Lee Jong-hyuk | Nominated | |||
| Top Excellence Award, Actress | Lee Da-hae | Nominated | ||
| Excellence Award, Actor in a Mid-length Drama | Oh Ji-ho | Won | ||
| Excellence Award, Actress in a Mid-length Drama | Lee Da-hae | Nominated | ||
| Best Supporting Actor | Sung Dong-il | Won | ||
| Best Supporting Actress | Jo Mi-ryung | Nominated | ||
| Best New Actress | Kim Ha-eun | Nominated | ||
| Netizen Award, Actor | Jang Hyuk | Nominated | ||
| Oh Ji-ho | Nominated | |||
| Netizen Award, Actress | Lee Da-hae | Nominated | ||
| Best Couple Award | Jang Hyuk and Lee Da-hae | Won | ||
| 2011 | Best Actor | Jang Hyuk | Nominated | |
International broadcast
The broadcasting rights to the series were sold to Japan even before its television premiere in South Korea. It began airing on April 20, 2010 on Japanese cable channel So-net,[34] with reruns on Mnet Japan beginning November 1, 2010.[35]
It also aired in Poland on Tele 5 beginning October 4, 2010 under the name Łowcy niewolników.[36]
It aired in Thailand on Channel 3 beginning November 26, 2011.[37]
It aired in the Philippines on GMA Network's midnight timeblock from May 7 to July 7, 2012.[38]
See also
References
- "PREVIEWS: 추노 (Slave Hunters)". Twitch Film. November 9, 2009. Archived from the original on November 17, 2011. Retrieved November 18, 2012.
- Yoon, Hee-seong (December 22, 2009). "PREVIEW: KBS TV series Chuno". 10Asia. Retrieved November 18, 2012.
- Oh, Jean (January 4, 2010). "Six dramas revamping 2010 lineup". The Korea Herald. Retrieved November 18, 2012.
- Kang, Myoung-seok (February 11, 2010). "A sneak peak into TV series The Slave Hunters". 10Asia. Retrieved November 18, 2012.
- Chung, Ah-young (March 9, 2010). "Fact vs. Fiction in Slave Hunters". The Korea Times. Retrieved November 18, 2012.
- Cho, Ji-eun (December 31, 2010). "2010 10Asia's Awards: Drama & Director of the Year". 10Asia. Retrieved November 18, 2012.
- Oh, Jean (January 21, 2010). "KBS dominates prime time line-up". The Korea Herald. Retrieved November 18, 2012.
- Kim, Lynn (January 8, 2010). "TV series Chuno debuts with flying colors". 10Asia. Retrieved November 18, 2012.
- Kim, Lynn (January 15, 2010). "Chuno ratings storm ahead". 10Asia. Retrieved November 18, 2012.
- Hong, Lucia (January 22, 2010). "Slave Hunters continues to draw larger audience". 10Asia. Retrieved November 18, 2012.
- Hong, Lucia (February 26, 2010). "Slave Hunters maintains grip on Wednesday and Thursday nights". 10Asia. Retrieved November 18, 2012.
- Kim, Jessica (August 23, 2010). "Slave Hunters top 'Hallyu' content at Seoul Drama Awards". 10Asia. Retrieved November 18, 2012.
- Han, Sang-hee (August 24, 2010). "Drama fest to offer diversity". The Korea Times. Retrieved November 18, 2012.
- Oh, Jean (September 12, 2010). "The Slave Hunters sweeps four honors". The Korea Herald. Retrieved May 31, 2013.
- "Outstanding Korean Drama Prize Category – Winners (2010)". Seoul International Drama Awards. Retrieved November 13, 2012.
- Cho, Bum-ja (January 3, 2011). "Jang Hyuk scores top prize at KBS Drama Awards". 10Asia. Retrieved November 18, 2012.
- Kim, Yoon-mi (October 4, 2011). "Korea gets 2 International Emmy nominations". The Korea Herald. Retrieved November 18, 2012.
- Cho, Jae-eun (October 5, 2011). "Korea represented at Intl. Emmys". Korea Joongang Daily. Retrieved November 18, 2012.
- Kim, Jessica (January 7, 2010). "REVIEW: Premiere episode of KBS2 TV series Chuno". 10Asia. Retrieved November 18, 2012.
- Kang, Myoung-seok (March 30, 2010). "REVIEW: Final episode of The Slave Hunters". 10Asia. Retrieved November 18, 2012.
- Kang, Myoung-seok (March 11, 2010). "INTERVIEW: Actor Jang Hyuk – Part 1". 10Asia. Retrieved November 18, 2012.
- Kang, Myoung-seok (March 11, 2010). "INTERVIEW: Actor Jang Hyuk – Part 2". 10Asia. Retrieved November 18, 2012.
- Choi, Ji-eun (December 31, 2010). "2010 10Asia's Awards: Writer & Actor of the Year". 10Asia. Retrieved November 18, 2012.
- Kang, Hye-ran; Sung, So-young (February 18, 2010). "Rom-com Romeo takes tougher role: As a runaway slave, actor Oh Ji-ho wields a sword and bites into reptiles". Korea JoongAng Daily. Retrieved December 7, 2012.
- Wee, Geun-woo (April 9, 2010). "INTERVIEW: Actor Oh Ji-ho – Part 1". 10Asia. Retrieved November 18, 2012.
- Wee, Geun-woo (April 9, 2010). "INTERVIEW: Actor Oh Ji-ho – Part 2". 10Asia. Retrieved November 18, 2012.
- Han, Sang-hee (January 5, 2010). "Heroines Line Up for Dramas in 2010". The Korea Times. Retrieved November 18, 2012.
- "Lee Da-hae Has Big Plans After Slave Hunters Success". The Chosun Ilbo. April 10, 2010. Retrieved November 18, 2012.
- Choi, Ji-eun (May 28, 2010). "INTERVIEW: Han Jeong-su – Part 1". 10Asia. Retrieved November 18, 2012.
- Choi, Ji-eun (May 28, 2010). "INTERVIEW: Han Jeong-su – Part 2". 10Asia. Retrieved November 18, 2012.
- Choi, Ji-eun (January 19, 2010). "MY NAME IS: Kim Ji-suk". 10Asia. Retrieved November 18, 2012.
- Yoon, Hee-seong (February 25, 2010). "MY NAME IS: Min Ji-ah". 10Asia. Retrieved November 18, 2012.
- "The Slave Hunters, Best Program in 2010". KBS Global. September 9, 2010. Retrieved September 8, 2014.
- Kim, Lynn (June 3, 2010). "Jang Hyuk to promote The Slave Hunters in Japan". 10Asia. Retrieved April 27, 2013.
- Hong, Lucia (September 27, 2010). "Jang Hyuk to promote The Slave Hunters in Japan". 10Asia. Retrieved April 27, 2013.
- Łowcy niewolników- serial Tele5 (premiera 04.10.10)
- "แทกิล ยอดพยัคฆ์นักล่า The Slave Hunters". kodhit.com (in Thai). September 5, 2015. Archived from the original on November 23, 2015. Retrieved September 5, 2015.
- "GMA will air new Korean period drama, Chuno, starting May 7". PEP.ph. May 6, 2012.