# Coffee Prince (2007 TV series)

Coffee Prince (Korean: 커피프린스 1호점; RR: Keopipeurinseu 1 Hojeom; lit. The 1st Shop of Coffee Prince) is a 2007 South Korean television series starring Gong Yoo, Yoon Eun-hye, Lee Sun-kyun, and Chae Jung-an. Based on the novel of the same name written by Lee Sun-mi, it was aired on MBC's Mondays and Tuesdays at the 21:55 (KST) from July 2 and August 28, 2007 consisting of 17 episodes.
The drama portrays the story of an unlikely romance between a tomboyish woman, who dresses like a man in order to get work, and a young food empire mogul. It contains homoerotic elements, as the man does not initially know of the tomboy's true sex. Hailed as a hit for its high ratings, the drama received positive reviews from critics and won multiple awards.

## Synopsis

Choi Han-gyeol (Gong Yoo) is the grandson of chairwoman Bang (Kim Young-ok) of Dong-in Foods, a company that has a thriving coffee business. He has never had a job and does not care for responsibility. Han-gyeol is hung up on his first love, Han Yoo-joo (Chae Jung-an), who only sees him as a friend. Go Eun-chan (Yoon Eun-hye) is a 24-year-old tomboy who is often mistaken for a guy. Her father died when she was 16 years old and since then she has taken over as the breadwinner in her family. When Han-gyeol and Eun-chan meet, he, not knowing that she is a girl, decides to hire her to pretend to be his gay lover so that he can escape the blind dates arranged by his grandmother.
After getting an ultimatum from his grandmother, Han-gyeol takes over a rundown old coffee shop, later renamed "Coffee Prince," to prove that he's capable, both to his grandmother and to Yoo-joo. In order to attract female customers, he only hires good-looking male employees. Eun-chan, desperate for money, continues to hide her gender to get a job at Coffee Prince.
Soon, feelings start to develop between Eun-chan and Han-gyeol. As Han-gyeol is unaware that Eun-chan is a woman, he starts to question his sexuality and is thrown into turmoil.

## Cast
### Main

* Gong Yoo as Choi Han-gyeol
    The grandson of chairwoman Bang of Dongin Foods, a company that has a thriving coffee business. He is an intelligent man but is fiercely independent and abhors the thought of being tied down by one career in his life.
* Yoon Eun-hye as Go Eun-chan
    A cheerful, friendly girl with a large appetite, she works multiple jobs to support her family. With her short haircut, baggy clothes and flat chest, Eun-chan resembles a boy and is often mistaken for one.
* Lee Sun-kyun as Choi Han-sung
    A talented record producer and Han-gyeol's cousin.
* Chae Jung-an as Han Yoo-joo
    Han-gyeol's first love, and Han-sung's ex-girlfriend, a talented professional painter.

### Supporting

* Lee Eon as Hwang Min-yeop
    Coffee Prince waiter. Strong and sweet-natured but not very smart, he is slavishly devoted to Eun-sae, who treats him with disdain, and is the first to discover Eun-chan's true gender.
* Kim Dong-wook as Jin Ha-rim
    Coffee Prince waiter. Outgoing and hot-tempered, he is fond of Eun-chan.
* Kim Jae-wook as Noh Sun-ki
    Coffee Prince chef. A taciturn half-Japanese heartthrob, he is recruited to make his popular waffles at the cafe.
* Kim Chang-wan as Hong Gae-shik
    Coffee Prince co-manager. His cafe is failing before Han-gyeol is ordered in to clean it up and relaunch it.
* Kim Young-ok as Han-gyeol and Han-sung's grandmother
    A stern and powerful woman, she is the head of the family and threatens to withdraw her financial support of Han-gyeol unless he proves he can run a business and be responsible.
* Kim Ja-ok as Han-gyeol's mother
* Choi Il-hwa as Han-gyeol's father
* Han Ye-in as Go Eun-sae
    Eun-chan's younger sister. Eun-sae has dreams of becoming a rich and famous music star.
* Park Won-sook as Eun-chan and Eun-sae's mother
* Lee Han-wi as Mr. Ku, a butcher who is infatuated with Eun-chan's mother
* Kim Jung-min as DK, Yoo-joo's ex-boyfriend
* Ban Hye-ra as Yoo-joo's mother
* Choi Eun-seo as Ha Da Young, the girl who wants to learn to make waffles
* Nam Myeong-ryeol as Myung Jae, Han-gyeol's real father
* Han Da-min as Han Byul
* Yoon Seung-ah as girl playing cards with Han-gyeol on the plane (bit part, ep 1)

## Production
### Filming locations

Many of the scenes filmed on location in Seoul are as follows:
* The "Coffee Prince" was an old coffee shop in Hongdae area, which was remodeled for the filming. The eponymous cafe was reopened after filming concluded with the wall flowers painting by Han Yoo-joo and other props from the drama on display.
* Seoul Animation Center at the foot of Namsan in Yejang-dong, Jung-gu: The roof top was used as the exterior terrace of Choi Han-gyeol's house. You can see this rooftop garden thoroughly from this scene Coffee Prince, 17회, Sweet Scene
* Yeonhui Matgil (or Yeonhee Street of Flavors), Yeomni-dong in Mapo-gu: the location of the Chinese restaurant where Han-gyeol and Eun-chan ate.
* The jogging course at Palgakjeong on the Bugak Skyway, Pyeongchang-dong, Jongno-gu: Where Han-gyeol goes jogging; and where he met Yoo-joo and Eun-chan who brought competing packed meals for him.
* The interior and exterior of the Gwanghwamun branch of Kyobo Book Centre: Where Han-gyeol buys books on coffee to encourage Eun-chan to become a barista.
* Hongdae Playground (or Hongik Children's Park) in Hongdae area: Where Han-gyeol bought Yoo-joo a hat from a street vendor (along Wausan-ro between the playground and Hongik University).
* Stone wall road between Duksung Girls High School and Pungmoon Girls High School, across the road from the start of Insa-dong Street that runs from Insa-dong to Samcheong-dong in Jongno-gu: Where Han-gyeol helped Eun-chan in the rain, when she encounters a bully on her way home while carrying bags of dolls for sewing work.
In 2011, the Hongdae area and the coffee shop were featured in a National Geographic Channel-produced documentary on the Korean Wave titled Seoul's Got Soul.

## Original soundtrack

| Album | Track listing |
| Coffee Prince OST Released: July 26, 2007 Artist: Various artists Format: 1CD Label: Pony Canyon Korea | Track listing Lalala, It's Love! - The Melody White Love Story - As One How About a Cup of Coffee? - Humming Urban Stereo feat. Yozoh Go Go Chan!! - Tearliner feat. Yozoh How About a Cup of Coffee? (Guitar Inst.) For a While - MNI Min-jae Mocha - Casker Ocean Voyage (Choi Han-sung ver.) - Lee Sun-kyun 햇살 한 조각 (A Ray of Sunlight) (Inst.) - Tearliner Polly - The Melody 알콩달콩 (Lovey Dovey) (Inst.) - Tearliner Ocean Voyage - Tearliner Double Shot - Casker 좋은 기억 (Good Memories) (Inst.) - Tearliner 바람에 살며시 앉다 (Ocean Voyage Piano ver.) - Oh Soo-kyung Go Go Chan!! (On-Air ver.) - Tearliner feat. Yozoh |
| Soundtrack from Coffee Prince Released: September 14, 2007 Artist: Various artists Music compiled and selected by Tearliner Format: 2CD Label: Pastel Music | Track listing CD1 Love Is Weaken When It Comes Out of Mouth - Low-end Project "A Reunion and a Bagel" - Yoo-joo & Han-sung's Dialogue Good Bye - The Melody May - Belle Epoque Again (Acoustic Ver.) - Cloud Cuckoo Land A Desired Confession - Casker Gazer Razer (Studio Live Ver.) - Tearliner "Making Up" - Eun-chan & Han-kyul's Dialogue Make up - Adult Child I'll Be a Virgin, I'll Be a Mountain - Maximilian Hecker November - Fanny Fink "Eun-chan Cries Out Loud" - Eun-chan's Dialogue Raincoat (A Passing Rain Ver.) - Tearliner To the Top - Misty Blue Yoo-joo & Han-sung's Dialogue Alien - Arco CD2 "Han-kyul's Confession" - Han-kyul's Dialogue Sad Thing - Adult Child "Brotherhood" - Eun-chan & Han-kyul's Dialogue I Messed Up The Relationship - Low-end Project Oh My Gosh! - Kim Chang-wan Coffee is - Cloud Cuckoo Land Running - Donawhale "A Maturing Love" - Eun-chan & Han-kyul's Dialogue A Good Person - Fanny Fink Wishy-Washy Boy - Tearliner Last Arpeggios - Bluedawn "The Discovery of Love" - Eun-chan & Han-kyul's Dialogue Balloons & Champagne - Ephemera Novaless - Tearliner "Eun-chan, Come Quickly! Eun-chan, I Miss You!" - Han-kyul's Dialogue Perfect World (Restraint) - Arco Space Island (Moon Version) - Tearliner |

## Ratings

| Date | Episode | Nationwide | Seoul |
| 2007-07-02 | 1 | 14.4% (7th) | 15.5% (7th) |
| 2007-07-03 | 2 | 15.3% (7th) | 16.2% (7th) |
| 2007-07-09 | 3 | 18.1% (6th) | 18.6% (5th) |
| 2007-07-10 | 4 | 19.0% (4th) | 19.8% (4th) |
| 2007-07-16 | 5 | 19.3% (3rd) | 20.1% (2nd) |
| 2007-07-17 | 6 | 23.2% (2nd) | 23.9% (2nd) |
| 2007-07-23 | 7 | 25.2% (2nd) | 25.3% (2nd) |
| 2007-07-24 | 8 | 26.8% (2nd) | 28.1% (2nd) |
| 2007-07-30 | 9 | 25.2% (2nd) | 26.2% (2nd) |
| 2007-07-31 | 10 | 25.9% (2nd) | 27.3% (2nd) |
| 2007-08-06 | 11 | 28.4% (2nd) | 30.8% (1st) |
| 2007-08-07 | 12 | 29.9% (2nd) | 31.4% (2nd) |
| 2007-08-13 | 13 | 29.3% (2nd) | 32.1% (2nd) |
| 2007-08-14 | 14 | 28.1% (2nd) | 30.5% (2nd) |
| 2007-08-20 | 15 | 27.1% (2nd) | 29.0% (2nd) |
| 2007-08-21 | 16 | 28.5% (2nd) | 30.8% (1st) |
| 2007-08-27 | 17 | 27.7% (2nd) | 30.5% (2nd) |
| Average | Average | 24.2% | 25.6% |
Source: TNS Media Korea

## Awards and nominations

| Year | Award | Category | Recipient | Result |
| 2007 | 1st Korea Drama Awards | Most Popular Actor | Kim Dong-wook | Won |
| 2007 | 1st Korea Drama Awards | Most Popular Actor | Kim Jae-wook | Won |
| 2007 | 1st Korea Drama Awards | Most Popular Actor | Lee Eon | Won |
| 2007 | 1st Korea Drama Awards | Most Popular Actor | Lee Han-wi | Won |
| 2007 | MBC Drama Awards | Top Excellence Award, Actress | Yoon Eun-hye | Won |
| 2007 | MBC Drama Awards | Excellence Award, Actor | Gong Yoo | Won |
| 2007 | MBC Drama Awards | Excellence Award, Actor | Lee Sun-kyun | Nominated |
| 2007 | MBC Drama Awards | Excellence Award, Actress | Chae Jung-an | Nominated |
| 2007 | MBC Drama Awards | Best New Actor | Lee Eon | Nominated |
| 2007 | MBC Drama Awards | PD Award | Kim Chang-wan | Won |
| 2007 | MBC Drama Awards | Viewer's Favorite Drama of the Year | Coffee Prince | Nominated |
| 2007 | MBC Drama Awards | Popularity Award, Actor | Gong Yoo | Nominated |
| 2007 | MBC Drama Awards | Popularity Award, Actress | Yoon Eun-hye | Nominated |
| 2007 | MBC Drama Awards | Best Couple Award | Yoon Eun-hye and Gong Yoo | Nominated |
| 2007 | MBC Drama Awards | Best Couple Award | Chae Jung-an and Lee Sun-kyun | Nominated |
| 2008 | 44th Baeksang Arts Awards | Best Drama | Coffee Prince | Nominated |
| 2008 | 44th Baeksang Arts Awards | Best Actress (TV) | Yoon Eun-hye | Won |
| 2008 | 44th Baeksang Arts Awards | Best New Director (TV) | Lee Yoon-jung | Won |
| 2008 | 44th Baeksang Arts Awards | Best Screenplay (TV) | Lee Jung-ah, Jang Hyun-joo | Nominated |
| 2008 | 20th Korea PD Awards | Best Drama | Coffee Prince | Won |
| 2008 | 3rd Seoul International Drama Awards | Best Actress | Yoon Eun-hye | Nominated |

## Remake

In 2012, the TV series was remade in Thailand and the Philippines (for the latter, see Coffee Prince (2012 TV series)).
In 2017, the Malaysian remake of Coffee Prince directed by Michael Ang was aired on Astro Ria.
In 2018, a Chinese remake of the series titled Prince Coffee Lab, directed by Kang Shin-hyo of The Heirs, was aired.