tvN ‘How to Become a Building Owner in Korea’
‘How to Become a Building Owner in Korea’ captured home audiences with unpredictable developments and movie-like immersion.
In the first episode of tvN’s new Saturday-Sunday drama ‘How to Become a Building Owner in Korea’ (written by Oh Han-ki / directed by Lim Pil-sung / planned by Studio Dragon / produced by Mindmark and Studio 329 / hereafter ‘Building Owner’), which premiered on March 14, ‘yeongkkeul’ (short for ‘dragging even one’s soul’ to borrow to the hilt) building owner Ki Su-jong (played by Ha Jung-woo) not only faced the crisis of having his building taken away, but also got entangled in a fake kidnapping, kicking off a gripping story.
Episode 1 of ‘Building Owner’ posted a nationwide household average rating of 4.1% with a peak of 5.1%, and a Seoul metro household average of 4.4% with a peak of 5.4%, ranking No. 1 in its time slot across cable and general programming channels for a breezy start. Among tvN’s target of adults 2049, it also ranked No. 1 in its time slot across cable and general programming channels in both the Seoul metro and nationwide. (Based on paid platforms combining cable, IPTV, and satellite / provided by Nielsen Korea)
Although Ki Su-jong had purchased the ordinary three-story Seyun Building by ‘yeongkkeul’, life as a building owner was grueling. To pay his loan interest, he juggled flyering and delivery gigs, and, worrying each month about his repayments, even bought his wife’s birthday gift secondhanda penny-pinching building owner and breadwinner. There was only one reason he kept holding on. Clinging to hope, he said, “Come what may, I have to hold on no matter what until redevelopment comes,” and endured each day.
Then one day, Ki Su-jong received a strange call from a shadowy finance company called Real Capital, notifying him that if he did not repay his loan, he would have to hand over the building. When explaining his situation to the manager Yona (played by Shim Eun-kyung) got him nowhere, he raised his voice, invoking the name of his brother-in-law Kim Gyun (played by Kim Nam-gil), a violent crimes detective. Realizing they had even compiled a list of his creditors, he sensed something was off.
Consumed by the building crisis, Ki Su-jong missed a couples counseling appointment with his wife Kim Seon (played by Lim Soo-jung), and even dipped into their daughter’s study-abroad fund, putting further strain on the marriage. Unwilling to collapse there, he scrambled to raise money anywhere he could, even asking his brother-in-law Kim Gyun for help.
That night, while looking into Real Capital, Kim Gyun died in a car accident. There, Ki Su-jong spotted a funeral director (played by Lee Shin-gi) standing next to Yona. Realizing Real Capital was behind Kim Gyun’s death, Ki Su-jong panicked and fled the scene. At the funeral, he learned that Kim Gyun had even applied for his severance to lend him money, leaving Ki Su-jong crushed with guilt.
The broadcast culminated in a shocking ending. Returning to the Seyun Building and about to call the police, Ki Su-jong heard suspicious thumping from the empty basement freezer room. When he opened the door, there were his friend Min Hwal-seong (played by Kim Jun-han), who had asked questions about the freezer, and Min’s wife Jeon Yi-gyeong (played by Jung Soo-jung), abducted and bound. The sight of Ki Su-jong, suddenly swept into a kidnapping he knew nothing about, closed the episode, stoking curiosity for Episode 2 about the truth behind the fake kidnapping.
Episode 1 of ‘Building Owner’ compellingly began with the daily life of debt-burdened building owner and breadwinner Ki Su-jong, then showed him colliding with unforeseen incidents and commotion. Returning to the small screen after 19 years, Ha Jung-woo exerted a commanding presence that drew viewers in. With his signature lived-in, everyday performance, he depicted Ki Su-jong’s wryly comic reality while conveying moments of crisis with gripping urgency, driving the drama forward.
Lim Soo-jung, who delivered realistic chemistry as Ha Jung-woo’s onscreen wife, and Kim Jun-han and Jung Soo-jung, who capped the episode with the fake-kidnapping ending, heightened expectations for how they will come into play as events unfold. Shim Eun-kyung’s villain, chilling yet tinged with innocence, also left a distinctive impression and sparked curiosity about how she will inject tension into the story.
Above all, viewers kept saying, “It felt like watching a movie.” Reactions included, “So glad to see Ha Jung-woo in a drama,” “That cinematic look and the cast lineup are awesome. Not a crack in the acting,” “This unpredictable from the very first episodecan’t wait for the next,” “The most unexpected ending of any recent drama premiere I’ve seen,” “Looks like the fake kidnapping in Episode 2 is where it really kicks offcan’t wait,” and “Shim Eun-kyung’s villain character feels fresh.”
Meanwhile, Episode 2 of tvN’s Saturday-Sunday drama ‘How to Become a Building Owner in Korea’ airs on Sunday, March 15 at 9:10 p.m.
