# Punch (TV series)

Punch (Korean: 펀치; RR: Peonchi) is a 2014–2015 South Korean television series starring Kim Rae-won, Kim Ah-joong, Cho Jae-hyun, Seo Ji-hye, and On Joo-wan. It aired on SBS from 15 December 2014 to 17 February 2015 on Mondays and Tuesdays at 21:55 for 19 episodes.

## Plot

Punch is a record of the last six months of Park Jung-hwan's life. He is the chief of the anti-corruption investigation team for the Supreme Prosecutors' Office. To get to his position, Jung-hwan has made compromises to achieve what he thought of as the greater good, though it meant losing some of his soul in the process. But when he gets diagnosed with a malignant brain tumor and told that he only has six months left to live, it makes Jung-hwan reexamine his life choices. He decides to pursue justice whatever the cost, even if it means sacrificing his life. This is his last attempt to make things right, one final "punch" against the crooked world. And his main goal is bringing down his boss Prosecutor General Lee Tae-joon, whose friendly public face masks his unscrupulous morals and rampant corruption.
Helping Jung-hwan in his quest is his ex-wife, Shin Ha-kyung. Ha-kyung is an idealistic prosecutor for the Seoul District, and chose her profession over having a lucrative law career. She divorced Jung-hwan because he was obsessed with ambition and never had time for her and their young daughter, Ye-rin. But that doesn't mean she doesn't still care for him, though her concern is mixed with resentment.

## Cast
### Main cast

* Kim Rae-won as Park Jung-hwan
* Kim Ah-joong as Shin Ha-kyung
* Cho Jae-hyun as Lee Tae-joon, Prosecutor General
* Seo Ji-hye as Choi Yeon-jin
* Choi Myung-gil as Yoon Ji-sook, Minister of Justice

### Supporting cast

* On Joo-wan as Lee Ho-sung
* Kim Eung-soo as Jung Gook-hyun
* Lee Han-wi as Oh Dong-choon, detective
* Park Hyuk-kwon as Cho Kang-jae, prosecutor
* Song Ok-sook as Jung-hwan's mother
* Kim Ji-young as Park Ye-rin
* Lee Young-eun as Park Hyun-sun
* Lee Ki-young as Lee Tae-sub
* Jang Hyun-sung as Jang Min-seok
* Kim Hye-yoon as Cho Kang-jae's daughter
* Ryu Seung-soo (cameo)
* Kang Ha-neul (cameo)

## Ratings

In the tables 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 | 15 December 2014 | 6.7% (NR) | 8.6% (19th) | 6.3% (NR) | 8.6% (19th) |
| 2 | 16 December 2014 | 6.6% (NR) | 7.4% (NR) | 6.8% (NR) | 7.4% (NR) |
| 3 | 22 December 2014 | 6.7% (NR) | 7.4% (NR) | 6.6% (NR) | 7.6% (NR) |
| 4 | 23 December 2014 | 7.7% (18th) | 9.2% (17th) | 7.7% (NR) | 8.5% (17th) |
| 5 | 29 December 2014 | 7.7% (NR) | 9.2% (14th) | 8.7% (18th) | 9.3% (14th) |
| 6 | 5 January 2015 | 9.3% (18th) | 11.6% (11th) | 9.6% (16th) | 10.1% (13th) |
| 7 | 6 January 2015 | 9.8% (15th) | 12.7% (7th) | 10.1% (15th) | 10.7% (12th) |
| 8 | 12 January 2015 | 9.8% (15th) | 11.3% (10th) | 9.1% (17th) | 9.6% (15th) |
| 9 | 13 January 2015 | 10.0% (14th) | 12.3% (8th) | 9.6% (16th) | 9.6% (17th) |
| 10 | 19 January 2015 | 10.8% (13th) | 12.7% (8th) | 10.4% (11th) | 10.8% (9th) |
| 11 | 20 January 2015 | 11.5% (9th) | 14.4% (5th) | 12.3% (8th) | 13.3% (5th) |
| 12 | 26 January 2015 | 11.1% (11th) | 13.7% (8th) | 11.4% (8th) | 12.2% (7th) |
| 13 | 27 January 2015 | 11.9% (10th) | 15.3% (4th) | 12.2% (8th) | 13.5% (6th) |
| 14 | 2 February 2015 | 11.2% (13th) | 13.5% (6th) | 12.5% (8th) | 13.8% (6th) |
| 15 | 3 February 2015 | 12.4% (10th) | 15.2% (6th) | 12.8% (6th) | 14.0% (5th) |
| 16 | 9 February 2015 | 12.1% (12th) | 14.4% (6th) | 12.7% (6th) | 14.2% (5th) |
| 17 | 10 February 2015 | 11.9% (11th) | 14.8% (6th) | 11.9% (8th) | 13.1% (5th) |
| 18 | 16 February 2015 | 12.7% (8th) | 15.1% (5th) | 14.0% (5th) | 14.7% (5th) |
| 19 | 17 February 2015 | 14.8% (5th) | 17.2% (4th) | 14.8% (4th) | 14.9% (4th) |
| Average | Average | 10.2% | 12.3% | 10.6% | 11.3% |

## Awards and nominations

| Year | Award | Category | Recipient | Result |
| 2015 | 51st Baeksang Arts Awards | Best Drama | Punch | Nominated |
| 2015 | 51st Baeksang Arts Awards | Best Actor (TV) | Kim Rae-won | Nominated |
| 2015 | 51st Baeksang Arts Awards | Best Actor (TV) | Cho Jae-hyun | Nominated |
| 2015 | 51st Baeksang Arts Awards | Best Screenplay (TV) | Park Kyung-soo | Won |
| 2015 | 15th Gwangju International Film Festival | Grand Prize (Daesang) | Cho Jae-hyun | Won |
| 2015 | 15th Gwangju International Film Festival | Best TV Star | Seo Ji-hye | Won |
| 2015 | 4th APAN Star Awards | Top Excellence Award, Actor in a Miniseries | Kim Rae-won | Nominated |
| 2015 | 4th APAN Star Awards | Best Supporting Actor | Jang Hyun-sung | Nominated |
| 2015 | 4th APAN Star Awards | Best Supporting Actor | Park Hyuk-kwon | Nominated |
| 2015 | 4th APAN Star Awards | Best Writer | Park Kyung-soo | Won |
| 2015 | SBS Drama Awards | Best Actor (medium-length drama) | Cho Jae-Hyun | Won |
| 2015 | SBS Drama Awards | Best Actor (medium-length drama) | Kim Rae-won | Nominated |
| 2015 | SBS Drama Awards | Best Actress (medium-length drama) | Choi Myung-gil | Won |
| 2015 | SBS Drama Awards | Best Actress (medium-length drama) | Kim Ah-joong | Nominated |
| 2015 | SBS Drama Awards | Special Actor (medium-length drama) | Kim Eung-soo | Nominated |
| 2015 | SBS Drama Awards | Special Actor (medium-length drama) | On Joo-wan | Nominated |
| 2015 | SBS Drama Awards | Special Actress (medium-length drama) | Seo Ji-hye | Nominated |
| 2015 | SBS Drama Awards | PD Award (chosen by PDs from KBS, SBS & MBC) | Kim Rae-won | Won |
| 2015 | SBS Drama Awards | PD Award (chosen by PDs from KBS, SBS & MBC) | Cho Jae-Hyun | Nominated |
| 2015 | SBS Drama Awards | Top 10 Stars | Cho Jae-Hyun | Won |
| 2015 | SBS Drama Awards | Best Couple Award | Kim Rae-won and Kim Ah-joong | Nominated |
| 2015 | 4th CARI K Drama Awards | Drama of The Year | Punch | Nominated |
| 2015 | 4th CARI K Drama Awards | PD Award for The Best Ensemble Casts | Punch | Won |
| 2015 | 4th CARI K Drama Awards | Best Director | Lee Myung-Woo | Nominated |
| 2015 | 4th CARI K Drama Awards | Best Screenplay | Park Kyung-soo | Won |
| 2015 | 4th CARI K Drama Awards | Best Actor | Kim Rae-won | Nominated |
| 2015 | 4th CARI K Drama Awards | Best Supporting Actor | Cho Jae-hyun | Won |
| 2015 | 4th CARI K Drama Awards | Best Supporting Actress | Choi Myung-gil | Nominated |

## International broadcast

It aired on ONE TV ASIA in Malaysia, Singapore and Indonesia premiering on 12 January 2015.