# Man from the Equator

Man from the Equator (Korean: 적도의 남자; Hanja: 赤道의 男子; RR: Jeogdoui Namja; also known as The Equator Man) is a 2012 South Korean television series, starring Uhm Tae-woong, Lee Joon-hyuk, Lee Bo-young and Im Jung-eun. A tense, emotionally charged tale of brotherhood and betrayal, it follows two best friends with a tragic, twisted history that follows them from youth to adulthood. It aired on KBS2 from March 21 to May 24, 2012 on Wednesdays and Thursdays at 21:55 (KST) for 20 episodes.
After premiering in last place among its more high-profile competitors The King 2 Hearts and Rooftop Prince, the viewership ratings for Man from the Equator steadily climbed due in large part to Uhm Tae-woong's praise-worthy acting and the well-combined plot of romance, fate, revenge and success. Out of a total of 20 episodes, 16 rated number one in its timeslot.

## Plot

One the driven top student and the other a happy-go-lucky troublemaker, Jang-il (Siwan) and Sun-woo (Lee Hyun-woo) become unlikely buddies in high school, both poor but proud in their own ways. Their fathers both have ties to a powerful businessman who orders Jang-il's father to kill Sun-woo's father. One desperate crime begets another, and the boys' friendship derails in a shocking betrayal. The attack leaves Sun-woo blind and in a coma. Thirteen years later, their fates will come to a head when they meet again as adults. Jang-il (Lee Joon-hyuk) has become a prosecutor haunted by his past, while Sun-woo (Uhm Tae-woong), the young CEO of investment trust company Royal Tree, is plotting his revenge. Their fates are intertwined with the women they love—Ji-won (Lee Bo-young), a volunteer reader for visually impaired people who now works as a VIP party planner at a five-star hotel, and Soo-mi (Im Jung-eun), a hyper-realism painter. As Jang-il and Sun-woo vow to destroy each other, the truth unravels in a harrowing cycle of deception and revenge as the crimes and secrets of yesteryear come to light.

## Cast

* Uhm Tae-woong as Kim Sun-woo
** Lee Hyun-woo as teenage Sun-woo
    Formerly a problem child with a penchant for getting into fist fights, Sun-woo discovers his new-found passion for learning after he befriends top student Jang-il. One day, Kyung-pil, whom he looked up to as a father, dies mysteriously. While trying to discover the truth behind his death, Sun-woo gets into a fatal accident. Years later, he establishes himself as a successful businessman. His new goal now is to solve the mystery behind Kyung-pil's death while coming face to face with his former childhood best friend and nemesis, Jang-il.
* Lee Joon-hyuk as Lee Jang-il
** Im Si-wan as teenage Jang-il
    Jang-il is from a poor family and grew up in the countryside. From a young age, he excelled in his academic studies, dreaming of one day making it in the real world. His efforts pay off and he becomes a celebrated public prosecutor. Jang-il's greed and ambition for fame and fortune makes him betray his childhood best friend Sun-woo, and he must now live with his dark and lonely secret.
* Lee Bo-young as Han Ji-won
** Kyung Soo-jin as young Ji-won
* Im Jung-eun as Choi Soo-mi
** Park Se-young as young Soo-mi
* Kim Yeong-cheol as Jin No-shik
    Sun-woo's biological father
* Lee Won-jong as Lee Yong-bae
* Lee Jae-yong as Choi Kwang-chun
* Lee Dae-yeon as Kim Kyung-pil
    Sun-woo's adoptive father, a timid but kind man.
* Cha Hwa-yeon as Ma Hee-jung
* Lee Seung-hyung as Department head Cha
* Jeong Ho-bin as Moon Tae-joo
* Kim Soo-hyun as Mr. Koon
* Kang Ji-sub as Prosecutor Choi Yoon-suk
* Kim Hye-eun as Park Yoon-joo
* Park Hyo-jun as Geumjool
* Lee Chan-ho as teenage Geumjool

## Ratings

In the table below, the blue numbers represent the lowest ratings and the red numbers represent the highest ratings.
| Episode # | Original broadcast date | Average audience share | Average audience share | Average audience share | Average audience share |
| Episode # | Original broadcast date | TNmS Ratings | TNmS Ratings | AGB Nielsen | AGB Nielsen |
| Episode # | Original broadcast date | Nationwide | Seoul National Capital Area | Nationwide | Seoul National Capital Area |
| 1 | 21 March 2012 | 7.9% | 8.7% | 7.7% | 8.0% |
| 2 | 22 March 2012 | 8.1% | 9.1% | 8.1% | 8.2% |
| 3 | 28 March 2012 | 8.7% | 9.0% | 8.1% | 8.2% |
| 4 | 29 March 2012 | 8.9% | 9.5% | 8.5% | 8.9% |
| 5 | 4 April 2012 | 11.4% | 12.6% | 10.2% | 10.7% |
| 6 | 5 April 2012 | 9.6% | 11.1% | 10.2% | 10.5% |
| 7 | 11 April 2012 | 13.1% | 15.8% | 14.3% | 15.4% |
| 8 | 12 April 2012 | 11.7% | 13.4% | 10.8% | 11.2% |
| 9 | 18 April 2012 | 12.1% | 13.4% | 12.0% | 12.6% |
| 10 | 19 April 2012 | 13.3% | 14.7% | 13.1% | 13.9% |
| 11 | 25 April 2012 | 15.6% | 16.7% | 15.0% | 15.7% |
| 12 | 26 April 2012 | 13.6% | 15.7% | 15.2% | 16.1% |
| 13 | 2 May 2012 | 13.4% | 15.0% | 14.7% | 15.3% |
| 14 | 3 May 2012 | 13.1% | 14.6% | 13.9% | 14.9% |
| 15 | 9 May 2012 | 12.5% | 15.5% | 14.6% | 16.0% |
| 16 | 10 May 2012 | 12.9% | 14.5% | 14.2% | 15.5% |
| 17 | 16 May 2012 | 13.5% | 15.4% | 15.1% | 15.3% |
| 18 | 17 May 2012 | 13.6% | 16.4% | 14.2% | 14.9% |
| 19 | 23 May 2012 | 12.8% | 14.8% | 14.3% | 15.5% |
| 20 | 24 May 2012 | 13.8% | 16.3% | 14.1% | 15.1% |
| Average | Average | 12.0% | 13.6% | 12.4%% | 13.1% |

## Awards and nominations

| Year | Award | Category | Recipient | Result |
| 2012 | 5th Korea Drama Awards | Grand Prize (Daesang) | Uhm Tae-woong | Nominated |
| 2012 | 5th Korea Drama Awards | Excellence Award, Actress | Kim Hye-eun | Nominated |
| 2012 | 1st K-Drama Star Awards | Excellence Award, Actor | Uhm Tae-woong | Nominated |
| 2012 | KBS Drama Awards | Top Excellence Award, Actor | Uhm Tae-woong | Nominated |
| 2012 | KBS Drama Awards | Top Excellence Award, Actress | Lee Bo-young | Nominated |
| 2012 | KBS Drama Awards | Excellence Award, Actor in a Mid-length Drama | Uhm Tae-woong | Won |
| 2012 | KBS Drama Awards | Excellence Award, Actor in a Mid-length Drama | Lee Joon-hyuk | Nominated |
| 2012 | KBS Drama Awards | Excellence Award, Actress in a Mid-length Drama | Lee Bo-young | Won |
| 2012 | KBS Drama Awards | Actor of the Year (awarded by PDs from all three broadcasters) | Uhm Tae-woong | Won |
| 2012 | KBS Drama Awards | Best New Actor | Lee Hyun-woo | Nominated |
| 2012 | KBS Drama Awards | Best New Actress | Park Se-young | Nominated |
| 2012 | KBS Drama Awards | Best Supporting Actor | Lee Jae-yong | Nominated |
| 2012 | KBS Drama Awards | Best Supporting Actress | Cha Hwa-yeon | Nominated |
| 2013 | 49th Baeksang Arts Awards | Best TV Actor | Uhm Tae-woong | Nominated |