New Drama “City Hunter” Exceeds Expectations

“City Hunter” started off with a bang yesterday, literally and figuratively, as viewers were introduced with scenes from Burma in 1983. Many non-Korean and young viewers are probably unaware that the bloody chaos Lee Yoon Sung’s (Lee Min Ho) biological and adopted father witnessed was based on a true story.

The 1983 Rangoon bombing was an assassination attempt on the then-South Korean President Chun Doo Hwan during his state visit to Burma. The former president’s car was delayed by traffic, and he narrowly escaped a disastrous fate. Unfortunately, the bomb killed 21 and wounded 46 people who were on-site waiting for the president. Those killed include presidential advisors, journalists, and security officials. The terror attack was allegedly orchestrated by North Korea; however, the South Korean administration could not uncover specific evidence.

Actors Park Sang Min, who played Lee Yoon Sung’s biological father Park Moo Yeol, and Kim Sang Joong, who plays his adopted father Lee Jin Pyo, displayed their charismatic acting skills with realistic action sequences. Park Sang Min is no stranger to playing a government agent. He received much acclaim for his role as Lee Sung Mo, a skilled Korean Intelligence Agency agent with a vengeance, in last year’s blockbuster drama “Giant.”

After the first episode, netizens commented, “The action scenes were very realistic,” “Park Sang Min and Kim Sang Joong’s acting were incredible,” and “The first episode exceeded my expectations” on “City Hunter’s” official website. According to data from ABG Nielson, “City Hunter’s” first episode achieved 10.5% viewership nationally. It narrowly beat former FinKL star Sung Yuri’s “Romance Town,” which achieved 10.3%. Cha Seung Won and Gong Hyo Jin’s “The Greatest Love” led the Wednesday night drama race with 17.4%