War of Money

War of Money

Promotional poster for War of Money
Also known as Money's Warfare
Money War
Written by Lee Hyang-hee
Yoo Jung-soo
Directed by Jang Tae-yoo
Starring Park Shin-yang
Park Jin-hee
Shin Dong-wook
Kim Jung-hwa
Original language(s) Korean
No. of episodes 20 (16 + 4)
Production
Producer(s) Kim Young-sup
Running time Wednesdays and Thursdays at 21:55 (KST)
Production company(s) Victory Production
Distributor Seoul Broadcasting System
Release
Original network Seoul Broadcasting System
Original release May 16 (2007-05-16) – July 19, 2007 (2007-07-19)
Chronology
Preceded by Witch Yoo Hee
Followed by How to Meet a Perfect Neighbor
External links
Website
War of Money at Victory Production

War of Money (Hangul: 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.

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

Awards and nominations

Year Award Category Recipient Result
2007
SBS Drama Awards[3]
Daesang (Grand Prize) Park Shin-yang Won
Top Excellence Award, Actress Park Jin-hee Won
Best Supporting Actor in a Miniseries Lee Won-jong Won
Best Supporting Actress in a Miniseries Kim Jung-hwa Nominated
New Star Award Shin Dong-wook Won
Lee Young-eun Won
Top 10 Stars Park Shin-yang Won
Park Jin-hee Won
Netizen Popularity Award Park Shin-yang Won
Achievement Award Shin Goo Won
2008
44th Baeksang Arts Awards
 Best Drama War of Money Won
Best Director (TV) Jang Tae-yoo Nominated
Best Actor (TV) Park Shin-yang Won
Best Actress (TV) Park Jin-hee Nominated

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-bin, 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%.[4]

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.[5][6]

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.[7][8]

After a three-year absence on television, the ban on Park was lifted in 2011.[9]

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. ↑ "Money War Special Round (DVD) (English Subtitled) (SBS TV Drama)". YesAsia. Retrieved 2013-08-14.
  5. ↑ Park, Si-soo (8 May 2009). "Actor Park Shin-yang Wins Legal Battle". The Korea Times. Retrieved 2013-08-14.
  6. ↑ "Actor Wins Legal Battle Over Unpaid Guarantees". The Korea Times. 2 November 2009. Retrieved 2013-08-14.
  7. ↑ Han, Sang-hee (11 December 2008). "Park Banned From Major Production Companies Works". The Korea Times. Retrieved 2013-08-14.
  8. ↑ Lee, Seon-min (12 December 2008). "Should TV Actors Be Paid Exorbitant Fees?". The Chosun Ilbo. Retrieved 2013-08-14.
  9. ↑ Park, Si-soo (26 June 2013). "Who is the highest paid actor?". The Korea Times. Retrieved 2013-08-14.
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