# Yong-pal

Yong-pal (Korean: 용팔이; RR: Yongpal-i) is a 2015 South Korean drama series starring Joo Won, Kim Tae-hee, Chae Jung-an and Jo Hyun-jae. It aired on SBS from August 5 to October 1, 2015, on Wednesdays and Thursdays at 21:55 for 18 episodes. Originally slated for 16 episodes, due to the high ratings and popularity of the drama, it was extended by two episodes.
This drama reunites Kim Tae-hee and Jo Hyun-jae who first worked together in the 2004 drama Forbidden Love.

## Synopsis

Kim Tae Hyun is a talented surgeon. Desperate for money to pay for his sister's medical bills, he adopts the code name Yong-pal and offers his medical skills to those in need of medical attention but who cannot do so publicly, dealing with criminals and corrupt plutocrats. Joining a team of corrupt physicians Kim rescues "sleeping beauty" Han Yeo Jin, a chaebol heiress, from a medically induced coma, leading to unintended consequences.

## Cast
### Main

* Joo Won as Kim Tae-hyun
** Jung Yoon-seok as young Tae-hyun
    A skilled surgeon, who under the alias Yong-pal moonlights as a mercenary doctor for hire. He falls in love with Yeo-jin.
* Kim Tae-hee as Han Yeo-jin
    A chaebol heiress placed in a coma by her enemies to get their revenge. She falls in love with Tae-hyun.
* Jo Hyun-jae as Han Do-joon
    Han Yeo-jin's half-brother, who covets his sister's inheritance.
* Chae Jung-an as Lee Chae-young
    Han Do-joon's wife.

### Supporting

* Jung Woong-in as Chief Lee Ho-joon
* Stephanie Lee as Cynthia Park
* Song Kyung-chul as Doo-chul
* Min Jin-Woong as Lee Sang-Chul
* Ahn Se-ha as Man-sik
* Bae Hae-sun as Nurse Hwang
* Im Kang-sung as Cha Sae-hoon
* Jo Bok-rae as Park Tae-yong
* Cha Soon-bae as Chief Shin
* Kim Mi-kyung as Kang Soo-min, Charge nurse, surgery
* Oh Na-ra as Charge nurse, intensive care
* Park Pal-young as Hospital director
* Park Hye-su as Kim So-hyun
* Choi Joon-Yong as Tae-hyun's father
* Kim Na-woon as Tae-hyun's mother
* Nam Myeong-ryeol as Chae-young's father
* Jang Gwang as Chairman Go
* Yoo Seung-mok as Detective Lee Hyung-sa
* Jo Hwi as Detective Kim
* Choi Min as Choi Sung-hoon (guest)

### Special appearances

* Lim Hwa-young as Han Song-yi
* Kim Jae-young as Yong Pal 2 (ep.18)

## Viewership

Since it began airing, Yong-pal recorded steadily increasing viewership ratings, eventually hitting an impressive 20 percent by its sixth episode. It consistently topped other shows in its Wednesday-Thursday timeslot, eventually becoming one of the top-rated Korean drama primetime miniseries of 2015.
| Ep. | Original broadcast date | Average audience share | Average audience share | Average audience share | Average audience share |
| Ep. | Original broadcast date | Nielsen Korea | Nielsen Korea | TNmS | TNmS |
| Ep. | Original broadcast date | Nationwide | Seoul | Nationwide | Seoul |
| 1 | August 5, 2015 | 11.6% (4th) | 12.9% (3rd) | 9.2% (9th) | 11.2% (5th) |
| 2 | August 6, 2015 | 14.1% (3rd) | 16.0% (3rd) | 11.8% (5th) | 14.9% (3rd) |
| 3 | August 12, 2015 | 14.5% (3rd) | 16.3% (3rd) | 12.5% (5th) | 15.8% (3rd) |
| 4 | August 13, 2015 | 16.3% (3rd) | 17.8% (2nd) | 15.3% (3rd) | 18.8% (2nd) |
| 5 | August 19, 2015 | 18.0% (2nd) | 20.3% (2nd) | 16.4% (3rd) | 19.4% (2nd) |
| 6 | August 20, 2015 | 20.4% (2nd) | 22.2% (2nd) | 18.1% (3rd) | 20.7% (2nd) |
| 7 | August 26, 2015 | 19.2% (2nd) | 21.4% (1st) | 17.1% (3rd) | 21.2% (2nd) |
| 8 | August 27, 2015 | 20.5% (2nd) | 22.8% (2nd) | 18.4% (2nd) | 21.9% (1st) |
| 9 | September 2, 2015 | 17.0% (3rd) | 19.1% (2nd) | 15.7% (4th) | 18.2% (2nd) |
| 10 | September 3, 2015 | 17.4% (2nd) | 19.3% (2nd) | 16.3% (2nd) | 19.3% (2nd) |
| 11 | September 9, 2015 | 19.3% (2nd) | 21.7% (2nd) | 15.9% (3rd) | 18.4% (2nd) |
| 12 | September 10, 2015 | 19.1% (2nd) | 21.0% (2nd) | 18.2% (2nd) | 21.3% (2nd) |
| 13 | September 16, 2015 | 21.5% (2nd) | 23.7% (1st) | 18.0% (2nd) | 21.0% (2nd) |
| 14 | September 17, 2015 | 20.9% (2nd) | 22.3% (2nd) | 19.5% (2nd) | 21.8% (2nd) |
| 15 | September 23, 2015 | 20.0% (2nd) | 22.3% (2nd) | 17.8% (2nd) | 20.0% (2nd) |
| 16 | September 24, 2015 | 20.2% (2nd) | 22.3% (2nd) | 19.2% (2nd) | 21.0% (1st) |
| 17 | September 30, 2015 | 18.4% (3rd) | 20.0% (2nd) | 16.4% (3rd) | 18.2% (2nd) |
| 18 | October 1, 2015 | 20.4% (2nd) | 21.6% (2nd) | 19.6% (2nd) | 21.4% (2nd) |
| Average | Average | 18.3% | 20.2% | 16.4% | 19.1% |
| In the table above, the blue numbers represent the lowest ratings and the red numbers represent the highest ratings. ||||||

## Awards and nominations

| Year | Award | Category | Recipient | Result |
| 2015 | 8th Korea Drama Awards | Grand Prize (Daesang) | Joo Won | Nominated |
| 2015 | 8th Korea Drama Awards | Best Drama | Yong-pal | Nominated |
| 2015 | 8th Korea Drama Awards | Top Excellence Award, actress | Kim Tae-hee | Won |
| 2015 | 8th Korea Drama Awards | Best Screenplay | Jang Hyuk-rin | Won |
| 2015 | 4th APAN Star Awards | Top Excellence Award, Actor in a Miniseries | Joo Won | Nominated |
| 2015 | 4th APAN Star Awards | Top Excellence Award, Actress in a Miniseries | Kim Tae-hee | Nominated |
| 2015 | 4th APAN Star Awards | Best Supporting Actress | Chae Jung-an | Won |
| 2015 | 2015 Hallyu Awards | Best Drama | Yong-pal | Won |
| 2015 | Grimae Awards | Grand Prize | Yoon Dae-young, Choi Je-rak | Won |
| 2015 | Grimae Awards | Best Director | Oh Jin-seok | Won |
| 2015 | 23rd SBS Drama Awards | Grand Prize (Daesang) | Joo Won | Won |
| 2015 | 23rd SBS Drama Awards | Top Excellence Award, Actor in a Miniseries | Joo Won | Nominated |
| 2015 | 23rd SBS Drama Awards | Top Excellence Award, Actress in a Miniseries | Kim Tae-hee | Won |
| 2015 | 23rd SBS Drama Awards | Special Award, Actor in a Miniseries | Jung Woong-in | Nominated |
| 2015 | 23rd SBS Drama Awards | Special Award, Actor in a Miniseries | Jo Hyun-jae | Nominated |
| 2015 | 23rd SBS Drama Awards | Special Award, Actress in a Miniseries | Bae Hae-sun | Nominated |
| 2015 | 23rd SBS Drama Awards | PD Award | Joo Won | Nominated |
| 2015 | 23rd SBS Drama Awards | Top 10 Stars | Joo Won | Won |
| 2015 | 23rd SBS Drama Awards | Top 10 Stars | Kim Tae-hee | Won |
| 2015 | 23rd SBS Drama Awards | Chinese Netizen Popularity Award | Joo Won | Won |
| 2015 | 23rd SBS Drama Awards | Chinese Netizen Popularity Award | Kim Tae-hee | Nominated |
| 2015 | 23rd SBS Drama Awards | Netizen Popularity Award | Joo Won | Nominated |
| 2015 | 23rd SBS Drama Awards | Netizen Popularity Award | Kim Tae-hee | Nominated |
| 2015 | 23rd SBS Drama Awards | Best Couple Award | Joo Won and Kim Tae-hee | Won |
| 2016 | 52nd Baeksang Arts Awards | Best Actor (TV) | Joo Won | Nominated |

## Remake

There was a talk that the drama Yong-pal which starred Joo Won and Kim Tae-hee could be remade for American audiences. It was reported in December 2015 that a Russian remake produced by Sony Pictures Studios was in development.