Alt Name: | The Equator Man | ||||||||
Native Name: |
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Director: | Kim Yong-soo Han Sang-woo | ||||||||
Starring: | Uhm Tae-woong Lee Joon-hyuk Lee Bo-young Im Jung-eun | ||||||||
Music: | Park Seung-jin | ||||||||
Country: | South Korea | ||||||||
Language: | Korean | ||||||||
Num Episodes: | 20 | ||||||||
Executive Producer: | Jung Hae-ryong (KBS Drama) | ||||||||
Producer: | Kang Byung-taek Moon Jung Soo Kim Hee Yul | ||||||||
Runtime: | 60 minutes | ||||||||
Company: | Pan Entertainment | ||||||||
Channel: | KBS2 | ||||||||
Creator: | KBS Drama |
Man from the Equator (; also known as The Equator Man) is a 2012 South Korean television series, starring Uhm Tae-woong, Lee Joon-hyuk, Lee Bo-young and Im Jung-eun. A tense, emotionally charged tale of brotherhood and betrayal, it follows two best friends with a tragic, twisted history that follows them from youth to adulthood.[1] [2] [3] It aired on KBS2 from March 21 to May 24, 2012 on Wednesdays and Thursdays at 21:55 (KST) for 20 episodes.
After premiering in last place among its more high-profile competitors The King 2 Hearts and Rooftop Prince, the viewership ratings for Man from the Equator steadily climbed due in large part to Uhm Tae-woong's praise-worthy acting and the well-combined plot of romance, fate, revenge and success.[4] [5] [6] Out of a total of 20 episodes, 16 rated number one in its timeslot.[7] [8] [9] [10] [11]
One the driven top student and the other a happy-go-lucky troublemaker, Jang-il (Siwan) and Sun-woo (Lee Hyun-woo) become unlikely buddies in high school, both poor but proud in their own ways. Their fathers both have ties to a powerful businessman who orders Jang-il's father to kill Sun-woo's father. One desperate crime begets another, and the boys' friendship derails in a shocking betrayal. The attack leaves Sun-woo blind and in a coma.[12] Thirteen years later, their fates will come to a head when they meet again as adults. Jang-il (Lee Joon-hyuk) has become a prosecutor haunted by his past, while Sun-woo (Uhm Tae-woong), the young CEO of investment trust company Royal Tree, is plotting his revenge. Their fates are intertwined with the women they love—Ji-won (Lee Bo-young), a volunteer reader for visually impaired people who now works as a VIP party planner at a five-star hotel, and Soo-mi (Im Jung-eun), a hyper-realism painter. As Jang-il and Sun-woo vow to destroy each other, the truth unravels in a harrowing cycle of deception and revenge as the crimes and secrets of yesteryear come to light.[13] [14] [15] [16] [17] [18]
Formerly a problem child with a penchant for getting into fist fights, Sun-woo discovers his new-found passion for learning after he befriends top student Jang-il. One day, Kyung-pil, whom he looked up to as a father, dies mysteriously. While trying to discover the truth behind his death, Sun-woo gets into a fatal accident. Years later, he establishes himself as a successful businessman. His new goal now is to solve the mystery behind Kyung-pil's death while coming face to face with his former childhood best friend and nemesis, Jang-il.
Jang-il is from a poor family and grew up in the countryside. From a young age, he excelled in his academic studies, dreaming of one day making it in the real world. His efforts pay off and he becomes a celebrated public prosecutor. Jang-il's greed and ambition for fame and fortune makes him betray his childhood best friend Sun-woo, and he must now live with his dark and lonely secret.
Sun-woo's biological father
Sun-woo's adoptive father, a timid but kind man.
In the table below,
the blue numbers represent the lowest ratings and the red numbers represent the highest ratings.Episode # | Original broadcast date | Average audience share | |||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
TNmS Ratings[20] | AGB Nielsen[21] | ||||||
width=100 | Nationwide | width=100 | Seoul National Capital Area | width=100 | Nationwide | width=100 | Seoul National Capital Area |
1 | 21 March 2012 | 7.9% | 8.7% | 7.7% | 8.0% | ||
2 | 22 March 2012 | 8.1% | 9.1% | 8.1% | 8.2% | ||
3 | 28 March 2012 | 8.7% | 9.0% | 8.1% | 8.2% | ||
4 | 29 March 2012 | 8.9% | 9.5% | 8.5% | 8.9% | ||
5 | 4 April 2012 | 11.4% | 12.6% | 10.2% | 10.7% | ||
6 | 5 April 2012 | 9.6% | 11.1% | 10.2% | 10.5% | ||
7 | 11 April 2012 | 13.1% | 15.8% | 14.3% | 15.4% | ||
8 | 12 April 2012 | 11.7% | 13.4% | 10.8% | 11.2% | ||
9 | 18 April 2012 | 12.1% | 13.4% | 12.0% | 12.6% | ||
10 | 19 April 2012 | 13.3% | 14.7% | 13.1% | 13.9% | ||
11 | 25 April 2012 | 15.6% | 16.7% | 15.0% | 15.7% | ||
12 | 26 April 2012 | 13.6% | 15.7% | 15.2% | 16.1% | ||
13 | 2 May 2012 | 13.4% | 15.0% | 14.7% | 15.3% | ||
14 | 3 May 2012 | 13.1% | 14.6% | 13.9% | 14.9% | ||
15 | 9 May 2012 | 12.5% | 15.5% | 14.6% | 16.0% | ||
16 | 10 May 2012 | 12.9% | 14.5% | 14.2% | 15.5% | ||
17 | 16 May 2012 | 13.5% | 15.4% | 15.1% | 15.3% | ||
18 | 17 May 2012 | 13.6% | 16.4% | 14.2% | 14.9% | ||
19 | 23 May 2012 | 12.8% | 14.8% | 14.3% | 15.5% | ||
20 | 24 May 2012 | 13.8% | 16.3% | 14.1% | 15.1% | ||
Average | 12.0% | 13.6% | 12.4%% | 13.1% |
Year | Award | Category | Recipient | Result | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
2012 | 5th Korea Drama Awards | Grand Prize (Daesang) | Uhm Tae-woong | ||
Excellence Award, Actress | Kim Hye-eun | ||||
1st K-Drama Star Awards | Excellence Award, Actor | Uhm Tae-woong | |||
KBS Drama Awards | Top Excellence Award, Actor | Uhm Tae-woong | |||
Top Excellence Award, Actress | Lee Bo-young | ||||
Excellence Award, Actor in a Mid-length Drama | Uhm Tae-woong | ||||
Lee Joon-hyuk | |||||
Excellence Award, Actress in a Mid-length Drama | Lee Bo-young | ||||
Actor of the Year (awarded by PDs from all three broadcasters) | Uhm Tae-woong | ||||
Best New Actor | Lee Hyun-woo | ||||
Best New Actress | Park Se-young | ||||
Best Supporting Actor | |||||
Best Supporting Actress | Cha Hwa-yeon | ||||
2013 | 49th Baeksang Arts Awards | Best TV Actor | Uhm Tae-woong |