Mr. Sunshine () is a South Korean television series written by Kim Eun-sook and directed by Lee Eung-bok, starring Lee Byung-hun, Kim Tae-ri, Yoo Yeon-seok, Kim Min-jung, and Byun Yo-han. The series is set in Hanseong (present-day Seoul) in the early 1900s, and focuses on activists fighting for Korea's independence. It aired on tvN from July 7 to September 30, 2018, every Saturday and Sunday at 21:00 (KST), and premiered internationally on Netflix.
Upon its final broadcast, Mr. Sunshine was the third highest-rated series in Korean cable television history, with the last episode reaching 18.129%. Critically, it was acclaimed for its cinematography and storytelling, as well as its strong female characters and portrayal of the common people. At the 55th Baeksang Arts Awards, it received eight nominations and a Best Actor win for Lee Byung-hun.
Synopsis Mr. Sunshine centers on Eugene Choi, who was born into slavery in Joseon. After his father is beaten to death and his mother dies protecting him, young Eugene escapes to the United States at the time of the 1871 Shinmiyangyo incident with the help of a Christian missionary. He grows up in New York City and becomes a Marine Corps officer.
When he returns to Korea as a captain serving in the US legation in Hanseong, Eugene meets and falls in love with Go Ae-shin, a nobleman's granddaughter who is secretly a freedom fighter and a sniper for the Righteous Army. However, their love is challenged by their different classes and the presence of Kim Hui-seong, a nobleman from a prominent family who has been Ae-shin's betrothed since childhood.
Eugene also encounters Gu Dong-mae, a ruthless samurai, and Kudo Hina, the Joseon-born widow of a wealthy Japanese man and owner of the popular Glory Hotel.
As he discovers a plot by the Empire of Japan to colonize Korea, Eugene becomes embroiled in the fight for his birth country's sovereignty.
Cast Main Lee Byung-hun as Eugene Choi / Choi Yu-jin Kim Kang-hoon as child Eugene Choi / Choi Yu-jin Jeon Jin-seo as young Eugene Choi / Choi Yu-jin A captain of the United States Marine Corps and former Joseon slave. After witnessing his parents' death at the hands of their owner, Eugene manages to escape to the United States where he becomes an officer in the Marine Corps and fights in the Spanish–American War. He later returns to Korea on a diplomatic mission and falls in love with Go Ae-shin. Eugene has to choose between helping Ae-shin in her fight for independence or maintaining his neutral position as a US officer.
Kim Tae-ri as Go Ae-shin Heo Jung-eun as child Go Ae-shin An orphaned noblewoman and member of the Righteous Army. Her parents were independence fighters who died in Japan due to their colleague's betrayal. She is raised by her paternal grandfather who helps her train as a sniper. Yoo Yeon-seok as Gu Dong-mae / Ishida Shō Choi Min-young as young Gu Dong-mae The son of a butcher who flees to Japan upon his parents' death and becomes a member of the Musin Society, which is part of the Yakuza. He believes that it is the unjust Joseon social hierarchy that killed his parents and returns to Korea with a mission of helping the Japanese overtake the country. Kim Min-jung as Kudo Hina / Yi Yang-hwa An influential widow who runs a hotel in Korea. Her father forced her to marry an old, rich Japanese man. Upon her husband's mysterious death, she inherited the Glory Hotel and successfully operates it on her own. In order to atone for her father's shameful misdeeds and to also find her mother, Hina helps the emperor in the fight against the Japanese government and the pro-Japanese officials. Byun Yo-han as Kim Hui-seong A nobleman who is considered to be the richest after the emperor in terms of land ownership. He is emotionally tormented by his grandfather's past deeds and lives for over a decade in Japan to avoid marrying the woman his family chose for him.
Recurring Korean government Lee Seung-joon as Emperor Gojong Kang Yi-seok as young Emperor Gojong The Korean monarch who desperately fights for the country's sovereignty. Kang Shin-il as Yi Jung-mun An anti-Japanese official loyal to the emperor. He secretly commands the Righteous Army. Kim Eui-sung as Yi Wan-ik / Rinoie Hiroaki Kudo Hina's father. A selfish and cruel pro-Japanese official who is responsible for the deaths of Go Ae-shin's parents. Kim Joong-hee as Yi Deok-mun A pro-Japanese nobleman. Yi Wan-ik's assistant and Go Ae-sun's abusive husband. Choi Jin-ho as Yi Se-hun The arrogant and corrupt Minister of Foreign Affairs whose actions indirectly led to the deaths of Eugene Choi's parents. Jung Hee-tae as Police Commissioner Jung Shin Mun-sung as Postmaster Yoon as Doctor Matsuyama A Japanese doctor secretly working for Yi Wan-ik. as Yi Wan-yong An infamous pro-Japanese official and one of the Five Eulsa Traitors.
Righteous Army Kim Kap-soo as Hwang Eun-san An accomplished potter who helps a young Eugene Choi flee to the United States. The leader of the Righteous Army. Lee Si-hoon as Yoshino Kō A Japanese man working as an assistant for Hwang Eun-san. Choi Moo-sung as Jang Seung-gu Sung Yoo-bin as young Jang Seung-gu A gunman who trains Go Ae-shin to become a sniper. Due to a misunderstanding he initially despises the emperor, but eventually becomes the head of the palace guards to protect him. Seo Yoo-jung as Hong-pa Jang Seung-gu's wife. A skilled archer and rower. Jang Dong-yoon as Jun-young A young nobleman eager to fight for Korea's sovereignty. Oh Ah-yeon as So-ah A Korean-born geisha who is part of the Righteous Army. Im Chul-soo as Jeon Seung-jae A Righteous Army member and one of the close friends of Go Ae-shin's parents. Ji Seung-hyun as Song Yeong A cousin of Go Ae-shin's mother. He served as an official at the time of the Shinmiyangyo incident and now lives in Japan supporting the Righteous Army. as Yi Sang-mok A jige carrier and Righteous Army member who is briefly captured by Gu Dong-mae. Lee Soon-won as Park Mu-geol The bell keeper who is secretly a member of the Righteous Army. Lee Dong-hee as baker A Righteous Army member and owner of a French bakery/candy store. Park Sung-hoon as blacksmith A friend of Jang Seung-gu who is talented in fixing machinery.
Japanese government and army as Itō Hirobumi The first Resident-General of Korea. as Hayashi Gonsuke The Minister and de facto leader of the Japanese legation. Kim Nam-hee as Mori Takashi A Japanese colonel of noble blood. Sadistic and cruel, he has a heavy dislike for Korea. Eugene Choi was his neighbor in New York City. Gong Dae-yu as Sasaki Soyu An arrogant Japanese major serving under Mori Takashi. Yoon Dae-yul as Hasegawa Yoshimichi The Governor-General of Korea under Itō Hirobumi. Lee Jung-hyun as Second Sergeant Tsuda A fanatically loyal Japanese NCO officer. as Second Sergeant Yamada A Japanese NCO officer. as Hyung-ki A Korean man who works as a translator at the Japanese legation. Jeong Tae-ya as Suzuki A man working at the Japanese legation who develops an enmity with Gu Dong-mae.
Go family's household Lee Ho-jae as Go Sa-hong Go Ae-shin's paternal grandfather. He is a great scholar and the emperor's former teacher. A firm believer in the sovereignty of Korea, he very reluctantly allows his granddaughter to join the Righteous Army. Lee Jung-eun as Ms. Ham-an Go Ae-shin's loyal maid. Shin Jung-geun as Mr. Haeng-rang Go Ae-shin's manservant. Kim Na-woon as Lady Cho Go Ae-shin's maternal figure and wife of her paternal uncle. Park Ah-in as Go Ae-sun Go Ae-shin's cousin and Yi Deok-mun's wife. Unable to bear a son, she is regularly abused by her husband.
United States legation David Lee McInnis as Kyle Moore A major in the US Marine Corps who is both the direct supervisor and friend of Eugene Choi. Jo Woo-jin as Im Gwan-su An English interpreter working at the US legation. He later becomes an English translator for the emperor. as Son Do-mi Kim Min-jae as adult Son Do-mi A young boy who works at the US legation, where he teaches hangul to Eugene Choi. Son Su-mi's younger brother. Lorne Edward Oliver as Horace Newton Allen The corrupt US Minister who considers Eugene Choi more Korean than American.
Kim family Kim Eung-soo as Kim Pan-seo Kim Hui-seong's grandfather. A cruel and extremely wealthy nobleman responsible for the deaths of Eugene Choi's parents. as Kim An-pyeong Lee Hak-joo as young Kim An-pyeong Kim Hui-seong's cowardly father. Kim Hye-eun as Yun Ho-sun Park Ji-yeon as young Yun Ho-sun Kim Hui-seong's mother. Jung Min-ah as Yeon-ju Kim Hui-seong's wife and Jun-young's sister.
People around Gu Dong-mae as Yuzo Gu Dong-mae's loyal subordinate in the Musin Society. Kim Yong-ji as Hotaru A mute Japanese fortune-teller living with Gu Dong-mae. Hakuryu as leader of the Musin Society
Glory Hotel employees Shin Soo-yeon as Son Su-mi Son Do-mi's elder sister. Kim Si-eun as Gwi-dan A maid at the Glory Hotel who is secretly working for Gu Dong-mae.
Others Yoon Byung-hee as Kim Yong-ju A former friend of Go Ae-shin's parents who betrayed them to Yi Wan-ik. Kim Byung-chul as Il-sik A slave hunter who diverted and became the co-owner of a shop that takes care of any need. as Chun-sik A slave hunter who diverted and became the co-owner of a shop that takes care of any need. Jason Nelson as Joseph W. Stenson An American missionary. He helps Eugene Choi escape to the United States and is a paternal figure to him. Ariane Desgagnés-Leclerc as Stella An American missionary working as an English teacher in Korea. as Yun Nam-jong A student at Stella's English school who later becomes Kim Hui-seong's assistant.
Special appearances Lee Si-a as Eugene Choi's mother as Eugene Choi's father Choi Jong-won as Grand Internal Prince Heungseon The emperor's father. Yoon Kyung-ho as Jang Seung-gu's father A gunner killed during the Shinmiyangyo incident. Im Se-mi as Gu Dong-mae's mother Shim Wan-joon as Gu Dong-mae's father Jin Goo as Go Sang-wan Go Ae-sin's father who is killed while plotting to assassinate Yi Wan-ik. Kim Ji-won as Kim Hui-jin Go Ae-shin's mother who is killed by Yi Wan-ik. Kim Joo-ryoung as Imperial Noble Consort Sunheon The emperor's high-ranking concubine and Kudo Hina's close friend. Park Jeong-min as Ahn Chang-ho A Korean independence activist living in the United States.
Background Historical background Unlike most sageuk dramas dealing with the Japanese occupation of Korea, Mr. Sunshine takes place before the Japanese annexation, in the late 19th and early 20th centuries. It has a heavy focus on the Righteous Army and depicts the lives of people who fought for Korea's freedom. Real-life historical events such as the Shinmiyangyo incident, the Spanish-American War, the assassination of Empress Myeongseong, the Russo-Japanese War, Gojong's forced abdication and the Battle of Namdaemun are portrayed or mentioned.
Historical figures such as Emperor Gojong, Itō Hirobumi, Hayashi Gonsuke, Hasegawa Yoshimichi, Horace Newton Allen and the Five Eulsa Traitors appear as recurring characters, with others, such as Theodore Roosevelt, Ahn Chang-ho, Imperial Noble Consort Sunheon, Park Seung-hwan, and Frederick Arthur MacKenzie, also making cameo appearances.
Main historical events described in Mr. Sunshine The Battle of Ganghwa: A major battle that occurred on June 10, 1871 between the United States and Joseon. On June 1, American ships came under fire when they entered the Ganghwa Straits to establish trade and ensure the safety of the shipwrecked sailors of the SS General Sherman, which was destroyed by the Joseon army. As a result of Joseon's refusal to apologize, on June 10, USS Palos and USS Monocacy fired their weapons against the Choji Garrison on Ganghwa Island. The incident is thoroughly portrayed in Mr. Sunshine as one of its characters, Jang Seung-gu, fought in the battle as a teen and lost his father.