Misaeng: Incomplete Life

Misaeng: Incomplete Life is a 2014 South Korean television series based on the webtoon series of the same title by Yoon Tae-ho. It aired on tvN from October 17 to December 20, 2014, on Fridays and Saturdays at 20:30 (KST) time slot for 20 episodes.
The title translates to Go terminology meaning "an incomplete life" (literally "not yet" (미) "birth" (생), meaning "not yet alive"). Misaeng: Incomplete Life was the first Korean drama to film on location in Jordan, where actors Im Si-wan and Lee Sung-min shot the series's prologue in Amman, Petra, and Wadi Rum. Yim reprised his role as the protagonist, which he played in an earlier film adaptation, Incomplete Life: Prequel (2013).
The series became a cultural phenomenon and recorded high viewership ratings for a cable network program in Korea. tvN is known for its record breaking dramas.
Synopsis
Since he was a child, the board game baduk has been everything to Jang Geu-rae (Im Si-wan). But when he fails at achieving his dream of becoming a professional baduk player, Geu-rae must leave his isolated existence and enter the real world armed with nothing but a GED high school equivalency diploma on his resume. Through an acquaintance's recommendation, he gets hired as an intern at One International, a large trading company.
There, Geu-rae meets his boss, manager Oh Sang-shik (Lee Sung-min), who's a workaholic and has a warm personality; fellow intern Ahn Young-yi (Kang So-ra), who attracts her colleagues' ire because of her impressive educational credentials and by being extremely competent at any task; and Jang Baek-gi (Kang Ha-neul), a geeky co-worker whose anxious nature masks his inner ambition. Geu-rae learns to navigate and adapt to corporate culture, with baduk as his guide.
Cast
Main
Im Si-wan as Jang Geu-rae
Kim Ye-jun as young Jang Geu-rae
He formerly aspired to be a professional baduk player, to which he had devoted his life since childhood, but, unable to achieve this goal, he joins One International, although he has no formal skills or training. He joins Sales Team 3 as two-year contract employee at One International.
Lee Sung-min as Oh Sang-shik
Kang So-ra as Ahn Young-yi She joins Resource Team as permanent employee at One International.
Kang Ha-neul as Jang Baek-gi He joins Steel Team as permanent employee at One International.
Byun Yo-han as Han Seok-yool. He joins Textile Team as permanent employee at One International.
Supporting
One International Sales Teams
Team 3 (to which Geu-rae is assigned)
Kim Dae-myung as Kim Dong-shik
Park Hae-joon as Chun Kwan-woong
Kim Hee-won as Park Jong-shik
Seo Yoon-ah as Lee Eun-ji (ep. 14)
Kim Won-hae as Park Young-ho (ep. 20)
Team 1
Shin Eun-jung as Sun Ji-young
Kim Sang-won as Mr. Um
Shin Dong-hoon as Cha Soo-jin
Team 2
Ryu Tae-ho as Go Dong-ho
Park Jin-soo as Assistant Manager Hwang
Kim Ga-young as Jang Mi-ra
Others
Yoon Jong-hoon as Lee Sang-hyun
Yeo Eui-joo as Jang Ki-seok
Kim Jong-soo as Kim Boo-ryun
Shin Eun-jung as Sun Ji-young
Kim Kyung-ryong as Lee Shin-tae
Nam Kyung-eup as CEO of One International
Lee Geung-young as Choi Young-hoo
Son Jong-hak as Ma Bok-ryul
Jung Hee-tae as Jung Hee-seok
-- as Cha Jung-ho
Jang Hyuk-jin as Moon Sang-pil
Choi Gwi-hwa as Park Yong-gu
Shin Jae-hoon as Yoo Hyung-ki
Jeon Seok-ho as Ha Sung-joon
Oh Min-suk as Kang Hae-joon
Tae In-ho as Song Jeon-shik
Park Jin-seo as Shin Da-in
Hwang Seok-jeong as Kim Sun-joo
Jo Hyun-sik as Kim Seok-ho
Kim Jung-hak as Lee Seok-joong
Kwak In-joon as Audit team leader
Han Kap-soo as One International Jordan branch manager
Choi Jae-woong as One International Jordan branch employee
Sung Byung-sook as Geu-rae's mother
Nam Myung-ryul as Geu-rae's baduk teacher
Lee Si-won as Ha Jung-yeon
-- as Senior colleague Kim
Oh Yoon-hong as Oh Sang-shik's wife
Lee Seung-joon as Shin Woo-hyun
Cameo appearances
Cho Hun-hyun (cameo)
Yoo Chang-hyuk (cameo)
Oh Jung-se as Husband of Chungsol's CEO (cameo, ep. 20)
Yoo Jae-myung as Factory worker (ep. 16)
Original soundtrack
Part 1
Part 2
Part 3
Part 4
Part 5
Ratings
Awards and nominations
Source material
With his webtoon, author Yoon Tae-ho drew an analogy between life in modern society and the game of baduk, a chess-like strategy board game. He also wrote vivid descriptions of the everyday life and struggles of Korean corporate culture as his flawed characters deal with the fierce competition for survival, interpersonal work relationships and office politics. Misaeng: Incomplete Life gained immense popularity among Korean white-collar workers in their twenties and thirties largely because its realism resonated with their experiences. It drew 1 billion hits when it was published on online portal Daum from September 2012 to October 2013, and the nine-volume paperback version sold 900,000 copies. It is now considered a must-read comic in the country.
Remake
HOPE〜期待ゼロの新入社員〜
Ordinary Glory; starring Bai Jingting, Mark Chao and Qiao Xin.
References
External links
Misaeng webtoon on Daum
2014 South Korean television series debuts
2014 South Korean television series endings
TVN (South Korean TV channel) television dramas
Television shows based on South Korean webtoons
South Korean comedy-drama television series
South Korean workplace television series
South Korean television series remade in other languages