| The Chaser | |
|---|---|
|  Promotional poster | |
| Hangul | 추적자 | 
| Genre | |
| Created by | SBS TV | 
| Written by | Park Kyung-soo | 
| Directed by | 
 | 
| Creative director | Lee Jung-heum | 
| Starring | |
| Composer | Park Se-joon | 
| Country of origin | South Korea | 
| Original language | Korean | 
| No. of episodes | 16 + 2 specials | 
| Production | |
| Executive producer | Lee Hyun-jin | 
| Producers | 
 | 
| Cinematography | 
 | 
| Editor | Bang Soo-yun | 
| Camera setup | Single-camera | 
| Running time | 60 min | 
| Production companies | 
 | 
| Original release | |
| Network | SBS TV | 
| Release | 28 May – 15 July 2012 | 
| Korean name | |
| Hangul | 추적자 | 
|---|---|
| Hanja | 追跡者 | 
| Revised Romanization | Chujeokja | 
| McCune–Reischauer | Ch'ujŏkcha | 
The Chaser (Korean: 추적자; RR: Chujeokja) is a 2012 South Korean television drama series about a grieving father out for revenge against corrupt officials.[1]
Despite no hype or big stars, the thriller gave a strong performance in the ratings, ending its run at 22.1% (number one in its timeslot). Its rise in popularity was based on the tightly written and well-structured storyline, solid direction, and cast members' acting skills.[2][3]
Plot
The series tells the story of Detective Baek Hong-suk, a happily married family man whose life is shattered when his 15-year-old daughter is killed in a car accident, causing his wife to go into a state of shock, eventually killing herself and leaving Hong-suk a widower. He later discovers his daughter's death was the result of a conspiracy led by politician Kang Dong-yoon, to secure his political future as a presidential candidate. Hong-suk goes from loving, doting father and cop to harrowed man hellbent on revenge, as Kang continues to rise in power. With the help of Kang's sister-in-law, a reporter, Hong-suk takes revenge against the man who ruined his life.
Cast
Main
- Son Hyun-joo as Detective Baek Hong-suk
- Kim Sang-joong as Presidential candidate Kang Dong-yoon
Supporting
- Go Joon-hee as Reporter Seo Ji-won
- Kim Sung-ryung as Seo Ji-soo
- Ryu Seung-soo as Choi Jung-woo
- Park Hyo-joo as Detective Jo
- Kang Shin-il as Squad Chief Detective Hwang
- Lee Yong-woo as PK Joon
- Jang Shin-young as Shin Hye-ra
- Lee Hye-in as Baek Soo-jung (Hong-suk's and Mi-yeon's daughter)
- Kim Do-yeon as Song Mi-yeon
- Jo Jae-yoon as Park Yong-sik
- Choi Joon-young as Yoon Chang-min
- Lee Re as Yoon Chang-min's daughter
- Park Geun-hyung as Company president Seo
- Jeon No-min as Seo Young-wook
- Nam Da-reum as Kang Min-sung
- Jeon Gook-hwan as Jang Byung-ho
- Song Jae-ho as Yoo Tae-jin
- Ryohei Otani as Bae Sang-moo
- Kim Min-ha as Hyo-jin
Special appearance
- Lee Jung-gil as Jo Dong-soo
- Jung Soo-in as Choi's secretary
- Jo Young-jin as Kim Chang-jae
Original soundtracks
| The Chaser OST Album | |
|---|---|
| Soundtrack album by Various Artists | |
| Released | 10 July 2012 | 
| Genre | Soundtrack | 
| Length | 23:01 | 
| Language | Korean | 
| Label | Sony Music (소니뮤직) | 
The Chaser OST
| No. | Title | Artist | Length | 
|---|---|---|---|
| 1. | "Saying "I Love You" (Acoustic Ver.)" (사랑한다는 이 말 (Acoustic Ver.)) | The One | 4:30 | 
| 2. | "Lily" (나리꽃) | Lee Hye-in | 5:40 | 
| 3. | "A Dream (Drama Ver.)" (꿈 (Drama Ver.)) | The One | 3:46 | 
| 4. | "Good Person" (좋은 사람) | Ivy | 4:15 | 
| 5. | "Saying "I Love You"" (사랑한다는 이 말) | The One | 4:31 | 
| 6. | "Callus" (굳은살) | Kim Bum-soo | 4:08 | 
| 7. | "A Dream" (꿈) | The One | 3:30 | 
| 8. | "The Chaser (Opening Title)" | Various Artists | 1:58 | 
| 9. | "Father's Original Story" (아버지 (Original Story)) | Various Artists | 3:11 | 
| 10. | "Black Box" | Various Artists | 2:17 | 
| 11. | "The Truth is Far Away" (진실은 멀어진다) | Various Artists | 2:03 | 
| 12. | "Lily Guitar Story" (나리꽃 Guitar Story) | Various Artists | 1:54 | 
| 13. | "Wait for Kang Dong-yoon" (기다려라 강동윤) | Various Artists | 3:33 | 
| 14. | "Devil's Tears (Father's Sad Trumpet Story)" (악마의 눈물 (아버지 Sad Trumpet Story)) | Various Artists | 2:15 | 
| 15. | "I Run" (나는 달린다) | Various Artists | 1:46 | 
| 16. | "Jin-soo (Father's Guitar Story)" (지수야 (아버지 Guitar Story)) | Various Artists | 1:42 | 
| 17. | "I'm Sorry" (미안합니다) | Various Artists | 3:32 | 
| 18. | "Counterstrike" | Various Artists | 1:42 | 
| 19. | "Hong Seok-Yi's Dream" (홍석이의 꿈) | Various Artists | 2:54 | 
| 20. | "In Front of a Corpse" (주검앞에서) | Various Artists | 3:00 | 
| 21. | "The Beginning of Revenge" (복수의 시작) | Various Artists | 1:37 | 
| 22. | "The Dreams of the Poor" (가난한 자들의 꿈) | Various Artists | 2:22 | 
| 23. | "A Lonely Fight" (외로운 싸움) | Various Artists | 1:47 | 
| 24. | "The Chairman (Father's Waltz Story)" (The Chairman (아버지 Waltz Story)) | Various Artists | 3:08 | 
| Total length: | 23:01 | ||
| The Chaser OST Special | |
|---|---|
| Soundtrack album by Heo Gong (허공) | |
| Released | 17 July 2012 | 
| Genre | Soundtrack | 
| Length | 7:04 | 
| Language | Korean | 
| Label | Sony Music (소니뮤직) | 
The Chaser OST Special
| No. | Title | Artist | Length | 
|---|---|---|---|
| 1. | "How Can I Forget You?" (어찌 너를 잊어요) | Heo Gong (허공) | 3:32 | 
| 2. | "How Can I Forget You? (Inst.)" (어찌 너를 잊어요 (Inst.)) | 3:32 | |
| Total length: | 07:04 | ||
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.
| Episode # | Original broadcast date | Average audience share | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| TNmS Ratings[4] | AGB Nielsen[5] | ||||
| Nationwide | Seoul National Capital Area | Nationwide | Seoul National Capital Area | ||
| 1 | 28 May 2012 | 10.0% | 12.6% | 9.3% (13th) | 10.3% (8th) | 
| 2 | 29 May 2012 | 10.9% | 13.5% | 9.9% (9th) | 11.0% (6th) | 
| 3 | 4 June 2012 | 11.6% | 14.7% | 9.2% (16th) | 9.7% (11th) | 
| 4 | 5 June 2012 | 11.5% | 14.1% | 9.8% (9th) | 10.3% (9th) | 
| 5 | 11 June 2012 | 13.2% | 16.5% | 10.6% (7th) | 10.7% (7th) | 
| 6 | 12 June 2012 | 12.5% | 15.1% | 11.1% (5th) | 11.9% (4th) | 
| 7 | 18 June 2012 | 13.2% | 14.5% | 11.5% (5th) | 12.4% (4th) | 
| 8 | 19 June 2012 | 13.2% | 14.1% | 13.3% (4th) | 14.2% (4th) | 
| 9 | 25 June 2012 | 13.6% | 16.3% | 12.4% (4th) | 13.1% (4th) | 
| 10 | 26 June 2012 | 13.8% | 15.8% | 13.2% (4th) | 14.2% (4th) | 
| 11 | 2 July 2012 | 14.0% | 15.9% | 13.1% (4th) | 13.9% (4th) | 
| 12 | 3 July 2012 | 15.3% | 16.2% | 13.5% (4th) | 14.3% (4th) | 
| 13 | 9 July 2012 | 20.0% | 22.4% | 17.9% (3rd) | 19.7% (3rd) | 
| 14 | 10 July 2012 | 23.1% | 26.7% | 20.7% (3rd) | 22.3% (2nd) | 
| 15 | 16 July 2012 | 22.1% | 26.6% | 20.4% (3rd) | 21.5% (1st) | 
| 16 | 17 July 2012 | 25.1% | 28.3% | 22.6% (2nd) | 23.8% (1st) | 
| Average | 15.2% | 17.7% | 13.7% | 14.6% | |
Awards and nominations
| Year | Award | Category | Recipient | Result | 
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2012 | Best Drama | The Chaser | Nominated | |
| Top Excellence Award, Actor | Son Hyun-joo | Nominated | ||
| Kim Sang-joong | Won | |||
| Excellence Award, Actress | Jang Shin-young | Nominated | ||
| Grand Prize (Daesang) | Son Hyun-joo | Won | ||
| Top Excellence Award, Actor | Kim Sang-joong | Nominated | ||
|  25th Grimae Awards | Excellence Award in Visuals | Jung Ki-hyun, Kim Dae-kwon | Won | |
|  20th Korean Culture and Entertainment Awards | Popularity Award, Drama category | Go Joon-hee | Won | |
| Grand Prize (Daesang) | Son Hyun-joo | Won | ||
| Top Excellence Award, Actor in a Miniseries | Son Hyun-joo | Nominated | ||
| Excellence Award, Actor in a Miniseries | Kim Sang-joong | Won | ||
| Excellence Award, Actress in a Miniseries | Kim Sung-ryung | Won | ||
| Special Acting Award, Actor in a Miniseries | Ryu Seung-soo | Nominated | ||
| Jo Jae-yoon | Nominated | |||
| Special Acting Award, Actress in a Miniseries | Jang Shin-young | Won | ||
| Kim Do-yeon | Nominated | |||
| Producers' Award | Park Geun-hyung | Won | ||
| Top 10 Stars | Son Hyun-joo | Won | ||
| New Star Award | Park Hyo-joo | Won | ||
| Go Joon-hee | Won | |||
|  24th Korean PD Awards | Best Drama | The Chaser | Won | |
| 2013 | Best Drama | The Chaser | Won | |
| Best Actor (TV) | Son Hyun-joo | Won | ||
| Best Director (TV) | Jo Nam-kook | Nominated | ||
| Best Screenplay (TV) | Park Kyung-soo | Won | ||
| 40th Korea Broadcasting Awards | Best Mid-length Drama | The Chaser | Won | |
| Best Actor | Son Hyun-joo | Won | ||
| Best Screenwriter | Park Kyung-soo | Won | ||
| Silver Bird Prize (Runner-up, Best Series Drama) | The Chaser | Won | ||
International broadcast
It aired in Japan on cable channel KNTV from 20 September – 8 November 2013,[10] and was re-aired on cable channel BS-Fuji.[11]
It aired in Thailand on Workpoint TV in midyear 2015.[12]
References
- ↑  Kim, Hyo-eun (20 June 2012). "Searching for the killer takes its toll off the set". Korea JoongAng Daily. Archived from the original on 25 August 2012. Retrieved 18 November 2012.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: unfit URL (link)
- ↑ Lee, In-kyung (16 June 2012). "Top Two Male Dramas Take Over TV". enewsWorld. Archived from the original on 29 January 2013. Retrieved 18 November 2012.
- ↑ Hong, Lucia (18 July 2012). "THE CHASER ends Mon-Tues primetime race at No. 1". 10Asia. Retrieved 18 November 2012.
- ↑ "TNMS Daily Ratings: this links to current day-select the date from drop down menu". TNMS Ratings (in Korean). Retrieved 28 May 2012.
- ↑ "AGB Daily Ratings: this links to current day-select the date from drop down menu". AGB Nielsen Media Research (in Korean). Retrieved 28 May 2012.
- ↑ "'K드라마어워즈' 대상 손현주 "박근형 선생님께 이 상 보여드릴 것"". TV Report (in Korean). 8 December 2012. Archived from the original on 21 February 2014. Retrieved 9 December 2012.
- ↑ Hicap, Jonathan M. (5 April 2013). "49th Baeksang Arts Awards nominees revealed". Manila Bulletin. Retrieved 11 April 2013.
- ↑  Yim, Seung-hye (10 May 2013). "Ryu Seung-ryong gets top Paeksang Award". Korea JoongAng Daily. Archived from the original on 15 June 2013. Retrieved 10 May 2013.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: unfit URL (link)
- ↑ Lee, Hye-ji (6 September 2013). "Israeli Series Prisoners of War 2 Grabs Top Prize at Seoul Drama Awards". 10Asia. Archived from the original on 31 March 2014. Retrieved 6 September 2013.
- ↑ "Kntv ドラマ 追跡者(チェイサー)". Archived from the original on 22 July 2014. Retrieved 15 August 2014.
- ↑ "<韓国ドラマ>『追跡者〔チェイサー〕』 - オフィシャルサイト - Bsフジ".
- ↑ "เรื่องย่อละคร The Chaser โหด/ดิบ/ไล่ล่า". truelife (in Thai). 13 September 2015.
External links
- The Chaser official SBS website (in Korean)
- The Chaser at HanCinema
- The Chaser at IMDb