War of Money

War of Money (Korean: 쩐의 전쟁; RR: Jjeonui Jeonjaeng; also known as Money's Warfare) is a 2007 South Korean television drama series adaptation of Park In-kwon's comic of the same name. Starring Park Shin-yang and Park Jin-hee,[1][2] it aired on SBS from May 16 to July 19, 2007 on Wednesdays and Thursdays at 21:55 for 20 episodes.

War of Money
Promotional poster for War of Money
Also known asMoney's Warfare
Money War
Written byLee Hyang-hee
Yoo Jung-soo
Directed byJang Tae-yoo
StarringPark Shin-yang
Park Jin-hee
Shin Dong-wook
Kim Jung-hwa
Music by
  • Jo Yoon-jong (Music Director)
  • (1st album)
  • Kim Hyeong-sik
  • (2nd album)
  • Um Ki-eup
  • Ha Kwang-suk
Original languageKorean
No. of episodes20 (16 + 4)
Production
Executive producersLee Yong-suk
Kim Young-sup
(SBS Drama Division)
ProducersSeo Jeong-pil
Jo Yoon-jong
Running timeWednesdays and Thursdays at 21:55 (KST)
Production companyVictory Production
Release
Original networkSBS TV
Original releaseMay 16 (2007-05-16) 
July 19, 2007 (2007-07-19)

Originally scheduled for 16 episodes, due to its popularity it was extended to 20, but only Park Shin-yang starred in the four-episode "bonus round."

Plot

Geum Na-ra was once a top-ranked investment banker, until his life falls apart when his debt-ridden father commits suicide after constantly being harassed by loan sharks. Traumatized, his mother collapses and is rushed to the hospital. Na-ra applies for a bank loan but is flatly denied, and his disgruntled boss takes advantage of Na-ra's troubles and uses them as an excuse to fire him. His mother eventually dies, despite his and his sister Eun-ji's (Lee Young-eun) desperate efforts to obtain cash to pay for her hospital fees. Newlywed Eun-ji had become a room salon hostess, while Na-ra agreed to break up with his longtime girlfriend Lee Cha-yeon (Kim Jung-hwa) in exchange for cash from Cha-yeon's disapproving grandmother Madam Bong (Yeo Woon-kay). Believing that it's the source of all evil, Na-ra declares war on money and becomes obsessed with avenging his parents' deaths. However, realizing the only way to defeat his enemy is to understand the enemy, Na-ra decides to become a loan shark himself, and begins working as a ruthless money collector for the notorious loan shark Ma Dong-po (Lee Won-jong), while learning the trade secrets along with life's philosophies from the old and legendary pro Dokgo Chul (Shin Goo) who reluctantly takes Na-ra under his wing.

Na-ra enters into a rivalry with Ha Woo-sung (Shin Dong-wook), another moneylender who works for Madam Bong and has secretly loved Cha-yeon for years. Then Na-ra meets Seo Joo-hee (Park Jin-hee). Joo-hee was supposed to marry a divorced man to solve her family's financial problems, but on the day of the wedding, Na-ra showed up to collect the debts and ended up ruining her plans. Joo-hee vows to take her revenge on him but she falls in love with him instead. When Na-ra learns that his gangster boss Ma Dong-po was the very man responsible for his father's death, he keeps his cool, waiting for the right time and the right place to seek his revenge. Meanwhile, competition between banks and loan sharks is getting tense and a war over money threatens to erupt.

Cast

Main characters

Supporting characters

  • Shin Goo as Dokgo Chul
  • Lee Won-jong as Ma Dong-po
  • Lee Young-eun as Geum Eun-ji
  • Jung Jae-soon as Lee Kyung-ja
  • Nam Il-woo as Geum Sang-soo
  • Park In-hwan as Seo In-chul
  • Jung Soo-young as Kim Hyun-jung
  • Jang Dong-jik as Kang In-hyuk
  • Yeo Woon-kay as Madam Bong
  • Kim Roi-ha as Kim Dong-goo
  • Lee Moon-sik as boss of securities company
  • Kim Hyung-bum as Jo Chul-soo
  • Lee Jae-yong as Oh Jae-bong
  • Choi Sung-ho as Lee Young-suk
  • Kim Kwang-sik as Soo-pyo
  • Kim Hee-jung as Dong-po's wife
  • Jo Sang-ki as wayward son
  • Lee Ki-yeol as insurance examiner
  • Min Ji-young as Eun-joo
  • Lee Byung-joon as Kim Min-goo
  • Lee Dol-hyung as homeless person
  • Im Sung-eun as swindler
  • Choi Min as inspector of So-Mang bank
  • Park Seung-jae as the CEO
  • Kim Yong-il as the CEO's right-hand man

Awards and nominations

YearAwardCategoryRecipientResult
2007 Daesang (Grand Prize)Park Shin-yangWon
Top Excellence Award, ActressPark Jin-heeWon
Best Supporting Actor in a MiniseriesLee Won-jongWon
Best Supporting Actress in a MiniseriesKim Jung-hwaNominated
New Star AwardShin Dong-wookWon
Lee Young-eunWon
Top 10 StarsPark Shin-yangWon
Park Jin-heeWon
Netizen Popularity AwardPark Shin-yangWon
Achievement AwardShin GooWon
2008 Best DramaWar of MoneyWon
Best Director (TV)Jang Tae-yooNominated
Best Actor (TV)Park Shin-yangWon
Best Actress (TV)Park Jin-heeNominated

Ratings

  • In the table below, the blue numbers represent the lowest ratings and the red numbers represent the highest ratings.
  • NR denotes that the drama did not rank in the top 20 daily programs on that date.
Ep. Original broadcast date Average audience share
TNmS[4] AGB Nielsen[5]
Nationwide Seoul Nationwide Seoul
1 May 16, 2007 17.3% (5th) 18.8% (4th) 16.4% (7th) 17.9% (6th)
2 May 17, 2007 23.3% (2nd) 25.2% (2nd) 22.5% (2nd) 24.2% (2nd)
3 May 23, 2007 26.5% (2nd) 29.4% (1st) 24.5% (2nd) 26.4% (2nd)
4 May 24, 2007 28.8% (2nd) 30.9% (1st) 26.6% (2nd) 28.3% (2nd)
5 May 30, 2007 27.3% (2nd) 28.7% (1st) 25.5% (2nd) 26.0% (2nd)
6 May 31, 2007 30.5% (1st) 32.3% (1st) 30.0% (1st) 31.0% (1st)
7 June 6, 2007 33.5% (1st) 35.2% (1st) 32.5% (1st) 33.1% (1st)
8 June 7, 2018 31.9% (1st) 33.2% (1st) 34.1% (1st) 36.0% (1st)
9 June 13, 2007 33.4% (1st) 35.6% (1st) 33.5% (1st) 34.8% (1st)
10 June 14, 2007 34.6% (1st) 37.1% (1st) 33.9% (1st) 34.5% (1st)
11 June 20, 2007 34.6% (1st) 36.7% (1st) 34.9% (1st) 37.0% (1st)
12 June 21, 2007 35.3% (1st) 35.9% (1st) 35.2% (1st) 35.6% (1st)
13 June 27, 2007 34.3% (1st) 36.5% (1st) 33.3% (1st) 35.0% (1st)
14 June 28, 2007 34.2% (1st) 36.0% (1st) 34.6% (1st) 35.6% (1st)
15 July 4, 2007 34.5% (1st) 36.3% (1st) 34.8% (1st) 35.7% (1st)
16 July 5, 2007 36.0% (1st) 37.3% (1st) 36.3% (1st) 36.6% (1st)
Average % % % %

War of Money Bonus Round

Because of the series' high viewership ratings of over 30%, SBS filmed an additional four episodes featuring new characters and a new plot not found in the original comic, titled War of Money Bonus Round. Park Shin-yang was the only main cast member who reprised his role (Park Jin-hee and Shin Goo were unable due to scheduling conflicts). Among his costars were Kim Ok-vin, who played Geum Na-ra's girlfriend, and Park Hae-mi, who portrayed a physically-challenged moneylending tycoon. Under the theme "poetic justice" or "dilemma," the bonus round did not focus on revenge, but on Na-ra's new challenges as an ingenious debt collector. Ratings were also successful, recording over 25%.[6]

Cast

Controversy

According to his contract, Park Shin-yang was paid ₩45 million per episode for the original 16 episodes. But to appear in the four extra episodes, he negotiated a fee of ₩170 million per episode.

The producers agreed, but later reneged on the deal, alleging that Park tried to capitalize on the drama's high popularity by asking for too much money. Park took legal action, and in November 2009, he won the lawsuit, with the Seoul District Court ruling (upheld by the Seoul High Court) that "although the guarantees promised in the extra contract were three times higher than those paid for Park's appearances in the original contract," the two contracts were independent of each other, and the second contract was legal and binding.[7][8]

Consequently, the Corea Drama Production Association (CODA) banned Park from appearing in any dramas produced by members of the association for an indefinite period. Calling Park's ₩170 million per episode fee higher than the fee paid to an outsourcing production company by a broadcaster, CODA said such exorbitant actor's salaries shouldn't be tolerated since it adversely affects the drama production industry, from writers and producers to technical staff. Following CODA's announcement, about 5,600 overseas fans issued a joint petition to denounce the decision.[9][10]

After a three-year absence on television, the ban on Park was lifted in 2011.[11]

Remake

A Japanese drama remake also titled War of Money (銭の戦争, Zei no Senso), starring Tsuyoshi Kusanagi and Yuko Oshima, will air on Fuji TV in January 2015.

References

  1. "Park Jin-hee Earns Her Paycheck in War of Money". The Chosun Ilbo. 22 June 2007. Retrieved 2013-08-14.
  2. "Finance Ministry Hires Loan Shark Stars for PR". The Chosun Ilbo. 19 July 2007. Retrieved 2013-08-14.
  3. "2007 Year-end Korean drama awards round-up". Hancinema. 7 January 2008. Retrieved 2013-08-25.
  4. "TNMS Daily Ratings: this links to current day-select the date from drop down menu". TNMS Ratings (in Korean). Retrieved November 22, 2017.
  5. "AGB Daily Ratings: this links to current day-select the date from drop down menu". AGB Nielsen Media Research (in Korean). Archived from the original on March 17, 2017. Retrieved November 22, 2017.
  6. "Money War Special Round (DVD) (English Subtitled) (SBS TV Drama)". YesAsia. Retrieved 2013-08-14.
  7. Park, Si-soo (8 May 2009). "Actor Park Shin-yang Wins Legal Battle". The Korea Times. Retrieved 2013-08-14.
  8. "Actor Wins Legal Battle Over Unpaid Guarantees". The Korea Times. 2 November 2009. Retrieved 2013-08-14.
  9. Han, Sang-hee (11 December 2008). "Park Banned From Major Production Companies Works". The Korea Times. Retrieved 2013-08-14.
  10. Lee, Seon-min (12 December 2008). "Should TV Actors Be Paid Exorbitant Fees?". The Chosun Ilbo. Retrieved 2013-08-14.
  11. Park, Si-soo (26 June 2013). "Who is the highest paid actor?". The Korea Times. Retrieved 2013-08-14.
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