Misaeng: Incomplete Life () is a 2014 South Korean television series based on the eponymous webtoon series by Yoon Tae-ho. It aired on tvN from October 17 to December 20, 2014, on Fridays and Saturdays at 20:30 (KST) for 20 episodes.
The title translates to Go terminology meaning "an incomplete life" (literally "not yet" () "living/birth" (), 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.
Synopsis Since he was a child, the board game baduk has been everything to Jang Geu-rae (Im Si-wan).Geu-rae could either mean 그렇다 ("yes"), or 그래 of 그래도 ("nevertheless" or "however"). 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 a 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 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 Original broadcast date Average audience share Nielsen Korea Average rating Peak rating 1 October 17, 2014 2 October 18, 2014 2.5% 3.1% 3 October 24, 2014 3.4% 4.6% 4 October 25, 2014 3.6% 4.9% 5 October 31, 2014 4.6% 6.0% 6 November 1, 2014 3.7% 5.4% 7 November 7, 2014 5.2% 6.4% 8 November 8, 2014 5.0% 6.6% 9 November 14, 2014 5.2% 6.7% 10 November 15, 2014 5.9% 7.0% 11 November 21, 2014 6.1% 7.1% 12 November 22, 2014 6.3% 7.8% 13 November 28, 2014 7.9% 14 November 29, 2014 5.8% 15 December 5, 2014 7.2% 9.4% 16 December 6, 2014 7.4% 8.6% 17 December 12, 2014 7.6% 9.7% 18 December 13, 2014 8.0% 9.5% 19 December 19, 2014 7.6% 9.3% 20 December 20, 2014 Average
Awards and nominations Year Award Category Recipient Result 2015 9th Cable TV Broadcasting Awards Grand Prize (Daesang) Misaeng: Incomplete Life Star Award - Best Actor Yim Si-wan Kang Ha-neul 51st Baeksang Arts Awards Best Drama Misaeng: Incomplete Life Best Director (TV) Kim Won-seok Best Actor (TV) Lee Sung-min Best New Actor (TV) Yim Si-wan Kim Dae-myung 10th Seoul International Drama Awards Best Miniseries Misaeng: Incomplete Life Best Director Kim Won-seok 8th Korea Drama Awards Best Drama Misaeng: Incomplete Life Best Production Director Kim Won-seok Best Screenplay Jung Yoon-jung Top Excellence Award, Actor Yim Si-wan Excellence Award, Actor Kim Dae-myung Special Jury Prize Yim Si-wan 4th APAN Star Awards Top Excellence Award, Actor in a Miniseries Lee Sung-min Excellence Award, Actor in a Miniseries Yim Si-wan Excellence Award, Actress in a Miniseries Kang So-ra Best Supporting Actor Kim Dae-myung Lee Geung-young Best New Actor Byun Yo-han Kang Ha-neul 2016 tvN10 Awards Best Actor Lee Sung-min Best Content Award, Drama Misaeng: Incomplete Life Made in tvN, Actor in Drama Yim Si-wan Made in tvN, Actress in Drama Kang So-ra Scene-Stealer Award, Actor Byun Yo-han Kang Ha-neul
Remake Hope: Kitai Zero no Shinnyu Shain Ordinary Glory; starring Bai Jingting, Mark Chao and Qiao Xin.
References
External links
Misaeng webtoon on Daum