First Love (1996 TV series)

First Love (Korean: 첫사랑) is a South Korean television series starring Bae Yong-joon, Choi Soo-jong and Lee Seung-yeon. It aired on KBS2 from September 7, 1996 to April 20, 1997 on Saturday and Sunday at 19:55 for 66 episodes.

First Love
Promotional image
Hangul
첫사랑
Revised RomanizationCheotsarang
McCune–ReischauerChǒtsarang
GenreRomance
Written byJo So-hye
Directed byLee Eung-jin
Starring
Country of originSouth Korea
Original languageKorean
No. of episodes66
Production
ProducerKBS
Release
Original networkKBS2
Original release7 September 1996 (1996-09-07) –
20 April 1997 (1997-04-20)

It is currently the second highest-rated Korean drama of all time, based on single episode viewership ratings, reaching 65.8% on its final broadcast on April 20, 1997. Its average rating for its entire run was 52.6%. In 1997, the series aired on China Central Television to commercial success and is widely considered the beginning of the Korean Wave.[1]

Plot

Brothers Sung Chan-woo and Sung Chan-hyuk and their sister Sung Chan-ok live in the poor countryside outside with their father Sung Duk-bae, trying to get by as a farming family.

The stern and hard-working Chan Woo and his older brother Chan Hyuk, an aspiring artist, are both in love with Hyo-kyung. She returns Chan-hyuk 's affection. After learning the two are dating, Chan-woo finds it hard to be around her, though she tries to continue to be friendly with him. Lee Jae-ha (Jo Kyung Hwan), Hyo Kyeong's gangster father, is against her dating a poor artist.

A mysterious accident leaves Chan-hyuk paralyzed. Chan-woo, now a law student, gives up his career and joins the underground world of the mafia to seek revenge on Hyo Kyung's family for his own family's suffering.

As the series progresses, Chan-woo is still in love with Hyo-kyung and is torn between his love, the loyalty to his brother and desire for revenge. As the paralyzed Chan-hyuk grows distant to Hyo-kyung, she became drawn to Chan-woo. There was also the childhood friend Kang Suk-hee with a crush on Chan-woo.

Cast

International broadcast

Due to Bae Yong-joon's popularity post-Winter Sonata, First Love was aired in Japan on NHK in 2005.[4]

See also

Notes
  1. In Episode 26, there is a scene where Choi Soo-jong and Lee Seung-yeon look around the tomb of Sin Sung-gyeom in Chuncheon,[2] after that, 4 years after the end of first love, Choi Soo-jong playing the role of Taejo in Taejo Wang Geon, and the scene appears that he weeps loudly when he sees Sin Sung-gyeom serving as bait and going to die.[3]

References
  1. East Asian pop culture : analysing the Korean wave. Beng Huat Chua, Kōichi Iwabuchi. Hong Kong: Hong Kong University Press. 2008. p. 25. ISBN 978-988-8052-22-6. OCLC 650784863.{{cite book}}: CS1 maint: others (link)
  2. "첫사랑 속 신숭겸 장군묘 장면을 보니..." [Seeing the grave scene of General Shin Sung-gyeom in First Love...]. Naver Blog (in Korean). 17 December 2017. Retrieved 2 June 2023.
  3. [꿀드] [태조왕건 모음.Zip] ※감동※ 왕건을 대신해 죽음을 택한 고려의 개국공신 신숭겸⭐️ ｜ KBS방송 [[Kkulde] [Taejo Wang Geon Collection.Zip] ※Impression※ Sin Sung-gyeom, a founding contributor of Goryeo who chose death in place of Wang Geon⭐️ ｜ KBS Broadcasting] (in Korean). KBS Drama Classic (published 6 October 2001). 1 October 2020. Retrieved 2 June 2023.
  4. "KBS drama First love shows an audience rating of eye-opening 2% level in Japan". Hancinema. 7 April 2005. Retrieved 2013-07-11.
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