Road No. 1 () is a 2010 South Korean television series, starring So Ji-sub, Kim Ha-neul and Yoon Kye-sang. The story revolves around two young soldiers, the woman they both love, and the Korean War that tears all their lives apart. The drama's title, Road No. 1, refers to the route connecting Seoul to Pyongyang, the soldiers' long and brutal road of sacrifice and survival. It aired on MBC from July 23 to August 26, 2010 on Wednesdays and Thursdays at 21:55 for 20 episodes.
Plot Lee Jang-woo (So Ji-sub) would do anything for his childhood sweetheart Soo-yeon (Kim Ha-neul). When Soo-yeon's family falls on hard times, he joins the army in order to earn money to pay for her tuition. While Jang-woo is on his tour of duty, Soo-yeon studies hard and spends her time helping injured soldiers as a doctor. She patiently awaits Jang-woo's return, but one day receives word that he has died in combat. Fate brings another man into her life: Shin Tae-ho, a handsome and generous officer who graduated from the army academy at the top of his class. Though she can't forget Jang-woo, Soo-yeon finally decides to leave the past behind her and marry Tae-ho. On the eve of their wedding, Jang-woo suddenly appears again, revealing that the death notice had been a mistake. He had, in fact, been counting the days until he can return home and reunite with his lover. The next morning - June 25, 1950 - the North Korean army invades South Korea, marking the start of the Korean War. With their lives and love already in turmoil, both Jang-woo and Tae-ho are sent north to the battlefield.
Cast So Ji-sub as Lee Jang-woo Kim Ha-neul as Kim Soo-yeon Kim You-jung as young Soo-yeon Yoon Kye-sang as Shin Tae-ho Choi Min-soo as Yoon Sam-soo, Commander of the 2nd Company Son Chang-min as Oh Jong-ki Kim Jin-woo as Kim Soo-hyuk Nam Bo-ra as Kim Soo-hee Julien Kang as U.S. Marine Corps Platoon Leader Kim Ye-ri as Jo In-sook
Supporting cast
Jin Seon-kyu as Go Man-yong Lee Kwan-hoon as Kwon Jin-chul Kim Dong-gon as Kim Duk-shil Kim Jung-woon as Kim Byung-goo Park Kwan-shik as Kim Bok-soo Han Gook-jin as Kim Sang-gook Cha Hyun-woo as Ma Chang-kil Min Bok-gi as Park Dal-moon Oh Dae-hwan as Park Moon-ho Shin Dam-soo as Lee Geun-bae Kim Dong-hyun as Jang Doo-shik Lee Jin-sung as Jo In-kye Park Byung-eun as Han Young-min Noh Young-hak as Heo Chan-shik Song Jae-hee as Yang Kang-tae Kim Gun as Lee Joo-hwan Jo Wan-ki as Park Hong-ki Kim Soo-hwan as Woo Bum-jin Noh Hyung-ok as Young-soo Yoo Jung-ho as Byun Dae-young Jung Seung-won as trumpeter Jang Min-ho as older Jang-woo Choi Bool-am as older Tae-ho Shin Hyun-joon as North Korean commissioned officer Jo Sang-wi (cameo) Lee Chun-hee as soldier in the Youngchongyo bombing (cameo) Jung Kyung-ho as man who picks up garbage to sell (cameo) Hwang Bo-ra as girl from Jong-ki's hometown (cameo) Oh Man-seok as North Korean soldier (cameo) Moon Chae-won as female soldier taking care of older Jang-woo (cameo) Kim Yeo-jin as wife of soldier in squad 2 (cameo) Jung So-young as (cameo)
Soundtrack Even Becoming the Wild - Hwanhee Even If the World Separates Us - Wheesung Because I'm a Woman - IU Same Heart - Baek Ji-young Idly - Naomi Only You - Kim Jin-woo The Sound of Memory - So Ji-sub Youngchonmyeon - Kim Hyo-soo Call of Korean (Inst.) - Hwang Sang-jun Action No. 1 (Inst.) - Ryu Hyung-wook A Flower On the Ruins (Inst.) - Noh Hyung-woo Victory (Inst.) - Hwang Sang-jun Battlefield (Inst.) - Noh Hyung-woo Jang-woo's Theme (Inst.) - Hwang Sang-jun Who Wanted This War? (Inst.) - Ryu Hyung-wook Requiem (Inst.) - Hwang Sang-jun Even Becoming the Wild (Guitar Version) - Hwanhee Even If the World Separates Us (Piano Version) - Wheesung Because I'm a Woman (Piano Version) - IU Same Heart (Humming Version) - Baek Ji-young
Special Bonus: Call of Korean (TV Version) - Various Artists
Production This was So Ji-sub and Kim Ha-neul's first acting collaboration after they were paired in a commercial shoot for fashion brand Storm in 1997. It was also Kim and Yoon Kye-sang's onscreen reunion following the 2008 film Lovers of Six Years.
In preparation for their roles, the lead actors underwent military training with Korea's Fifth Division Army.
Reception Expectations were high for the big-budget war epic, and it was sold to Japan before it premiered in Korea. But the series did not achieve high ratings, averaging 6% for its run.
Ratings In the ratings below, the highest rating for the show will be in and the lowest rating for the show will be in .
2010AGB NielsenRatings(Nationwide)EpisodeDate123 June9.1%224 June330 June7.2%41 July7.4%57 July6.3%68 July6.4%714 July6.5%815 July6.9%914 July6.5%1015 July5.9%1128 July6.8%1229 July5.1%134 August5.2%145 August5.3%1511 August4.9%1612 August5.2%1718 August1819 August4.8%1925 August5.2%2026 August5.3%
References
External links
Road No. 1 at MBC Global Media