''Coffee Prince'' () is a 2007 South Korean television series starring

Yoon Eun-hye Yoon Eun-hye (; born October 3, 1984) is a South Korean actress, singer, entertainer and model. She debuted as a member of girl group Baby Vox, staying with the group from 1999 to 2005. Yoon has since moved on to acting and is best known for st ...

Gong Yoo Gong Ji-cheol (; born July 10, 1979), better known by his stage name Gong Yoo (), is a South Korean actor. He is best known for his roles in the television dramas '' Coffee Prince'' (2007), '' Guardian: The Lonely and Great God'' (2016–2017), ...

Lee Sun-kyun Lee Sun-kyun (born March 2, 1975) is a South Korean actor. After beginning his career in musical theatre, for many years Lee was relegated to minor and supporting roles onscreen, only getting to play lead characters in one-act dramas on KBS '' ...

, and

Chae Jung-an Chae Jung-an (born Jang Jung-an on October 21, 1977) is a South Korean actress and singer. Philanthropy On March 11, 2022, Chae made a donation. millions to the Hope Bridge Disaster Relief Association to help the victims of the massive wildfi ...

. Based on the novel of the same name written by Lee Sun-mi, it was aired on MBC's Mondays and Tuesdays at the 21:55 ( KST) time slot from July 2 and August 28, 2007 consisting of 17 episodes. The drama portrays the story of an unlikely romance between a tomboyish woman, who dresses like a man in order to get work, and a young food empire mogul. It contains homoerotic elements, as the man does not initially know of the tomboy's true sex. Hailed as a hit for its high ratings, the drama received positive reviews from critics and won multiple awards.

Synopsis

The first coffeeprince shop in restaurants of Location

Choi Han-gyeol (

) is the grandson of chairwoman Bang ( Kim Young-ok) of Dong-in Foods, a company that has a thriving coffee business. He has never had a job and does not care for responsibility. Han-gyeol is hung up on his first love, Han Yoo-joo (

), who only sees him as a friend. Go Eun-chan (

) is a 24-year-old

tomboy A tomboy is a term for a girl or a young woman with masculine qualities. It can include wearing androgynous or unfeminine clothing and actively engage in physical sports or other activities and behaviors usually associated with boys or men. W ...

who is often mistaken for a guy. Her father died when she was 16 years old and since then she has taken over as the breadwinner in her family. When Han-gyeol and Eun-chan meet, he, not knowing that she is a girl, decides to hire her to pretend to be his gay lover so that he can escape the blind dates arranged by his grandmother. After getting an ultimatum from his grandmother, Han-gyeol takes over a rundown old coffee shop, later renamed "Coffee Prince," to prove that he's capable, both to his grandmother and to Yoo-joo. In order to attract female customers, he only hires good-looking male employees. Eun-chan, desperate for money, continues to hide her gender to get a job at Coffee Prince. Soon, feelings start to develop between Eun-chan and Han-gyeol. As Han-gyeol is unaware that Eun-chan is a woman, he starts to question his sexuality and is thrown into turmoil.

Cast

Main

as Go Eun-chan :A cheerful, friendly girl with a large appetite, she works multiple jobs to support her family. With her short haircut, baggy clothes and flat chest, Eun-chan resembles a boy and is often mistaken for one. *

as Choi Han-gyeol :The grandson of chairwoman Bang of Dongin Foods, a company that has a thriving coffee business. He is an intelligent man but is fiercely independent and abhors the thought of being tied down by one career in his life. *

as Choi Han-sung :A talented music producer and cousin of Han-gyeol. Despite being in a complicated romantic relationship with Yoo-joo, he develops feelings for Eun-chan as well. *

as Han Yoo-joo :Han-gyeol's first love, and Han-sung's ex-girlfriend. She is a talented professional artist who left Han-sung to go to New York with another man, but complicates his life by returning to Korea.

Supporting

Lee Eon Lee Eon (5 February 1981 – 21 August 2008) was a South Korean actor and model. Early life and career Lee Eon was born Park Sang-min on 5 February 1981. Lee began practicing ssireum while in elementary school, going on to win gold medals at K ...

as Hwang Min-yeop :Coffee Prince waiter. Strong and sweet-natured but not very smart, he is slavishly devoted to Eun-sae, who treats him with disdain, and is the first to discover Eun-chan's true gender. *

Kim Dong-wook Kim Dong-wook (born July 29, 1983) is a South Korean actor. After appearing in student short films and several minor parts, Kim became a star through his supporting role in the popular TV series '' Coffee Prince'' (2007), followed by box office ...

as Jin Ha-rim :Coffee Prince waiter. Outgoing and hot-tempered, he is fond of Eun-chan. *

Kim Jae-wook Kim Jae-wook (born April 2, 1983) is a South Korean model and actor. He is best known for his roles in the hit series '' Coffee Prince'' (2007), comedy film ''Antique'' (2008), mystery drama '' Who Are You?'' (2013), thriller ''Voice'' (2017), ...

as Noh Sun-ki :Coffee Prince chef. A taciturn half-Japanese heartthrob, he is recruited to make his popular waffles at the cafe. *

Kim Chang-wan Kim Chang Wan (born February 22, 1954) is a South Korean singer, composer, musician, actor, host, radio DJ and writer. Career Sanulrim Kim Chang-wan, along with his younger brothers Kim Chang-hoon and Kim Chang-ik, began composing music d ...

as Hong Gae-shik :Coffee Prince co-manager. His cafe is failing before Han-gyeol is ordered in to clean it up and relaunch it. * Kim Young-ok as Han-gyeol and Han-sung's grandmother :A stern and powerful woman, she is the head of the family and threatens to withdraw her financial support of Han-gyeol unless he proves he can run a business and be responsible. *

Kim Ja-ok Kim Ja-ok (October 11, 1951 – November 16, 2014) was a South Korean actress. Kim was born in Busan in 1951. Kim dropped out of Hanyang University majoring in Film. Kim started her acting career after admitted to a public recruit by MBC TV. ...

as Han-gyeol's mother *

Choi Il-hwa Choi Il-hwa (born May 9, 1959) is a South Korean actor. He joined the Madang Sesil Theatre Group in 1983, and has since continued acting in Korean theater, television and film. Filmography Film *'' No Tomorrow (2016) *''Wonderful Nightmare'' ...

as Han-gyeol's father * Han Ye-in as Go Eun-sae :Eun-chan's younger sister. Eun-sae has dreams of becoming a rich and famous music star. *

Park Won-sook Park Won-sook (; born January 19, 1949) is a South Korean actress. Filmography Television series Film Variety show Music video Theater Books Awards References External links * * * {{DEFAULTSORT:Park, Won-so ...

as Eun-chan's mother *

Lee Han-wi Lee Han-wi (born June 17, 1961) is a South Korean actor. Since his acting debut in 1983, Lee has become a prolific supporting actor on Korean film and television. He is particularly known for his mastery of ad-libbing In music and other pe ...

as Mr. Ku, a butcher who is infatuated with Eun-chan's mother *Kim Jung-min as DK, Yoo-joo's ex-boyfriend *Ban Hye-ra as Yoo-joo's mother *Choi Eun-seo as Ha Da Young, the girl who wants to learn to make waffles *Nam Myung-ryul as Myung Jae, Han-gyeol's real father *

Han Da-min Han Da-min (born Ham Mi-na on November 1, 1983) is a South Korean actress. She starred in the television drama ''You're Only Mine ''You're Only Mine'' () is a 2014 South Korean morning soap opera broadcast by SBS starring Lee Min-young, J ...

as Han Byul *

Yoon Seung-ah Yoon Seung-ah (; born September 29, 1983) is a South Korean actress. She debuted as a magazine model, and first gained attention in 2006 by appearing in two music videos by Alex Chu and Ji Sun. After finishing her art major, Yoon pursued an ac ...

as girl playing cards with Han-gyeol on the plane (

bit part In acting, a bit part is a role in which there is direct interaction with the principal actors and no more than five lines of dialogue, often referred to as a five-or-less or under-five in the United States, or under sixes in British television, ...

, ep 1)

Production

Filming locations

Many of the scenes filmed on location in

Seoul Seoul (; ; ), officially known as the Seoul Special City, is the capital and largest metropolis of South Korea.Before 1972, Seoul was the ''de jure'' capital of the Democratic People's Republic of Korea (North Korea) as stated iArticle 103 ...

are as follows: * The "Coffee Prince" was an old coffee shop in

Hongdae area Hongdae () is a neighborhood in Seoul, South Korea near Hongik University, after which it is named. It is known for its urban arts and indie music culture, local shops, clubs and entertainment. The area is located in Mapo-gu in the western end ...

, which was remodeled for the filming. The eponymous cafe was reopened after filming concluded with the wall flowers painting by Han Yoo-joo and other props from the drama on display. * Seoul Animation Center at the foot of Namsan in Yejang-dong, Jung-gu: The roof top was used as the exterior terrace of Choi Han-gyeol's house. You can see this rooftop garden thoroughly from this scen
Coffee Prince, 17회, Sweet Scene
* Yeonhui Matgil (or Yeonhee Street of Flavors), Yeomni-dong in

Mapo-gu Mapo District () is one of the 25 districts of Seoul, South Korea. Mapo has a population of 381,330 (2015) and has a geographic area of 23.87 km2 (9.22 sq mi), and is divided into 24 '' dong'' (administrative neighborhoods). Mapo is located in w ...

: the location of the Chinese restaurant where Han-gyeol and Eun-chan ate. * The jogging course at Palgakjeong on the Bugak Skyway,

Pyeongchang-dong Pyeongchang-dong is a ''dong (neighbourhood), dong'', neighbourhood of Jongno-gu in Seoul, South Korea. Sometimes called the "Beverly Hills of Seoul" (a title shared with but more prominently held by the Gangnam District), due to it being a pref ...

Jongno-gu Bosingak bell pavilion Jongno District () is a district () in central Seoul, South Korea. It takes its name from a major local street, Jongno, which means "Bell Road". Characteristics Jongno District has been the center of the city for 600 yea ...

: Where Han-gyeol goes jogging; and where he met Yoo-joo and Eun-chan who brought competing packed meals for him. * The interior and exterior of the Gwanghwamun branch of

Kyobo Book Centre The ''Kyobo Book Centre'' (, also known as ''Kyobo Mungo'') is the largest bookstore chain in South Korea. It has ten stores in seven cities, with the flagship Main Store, or Gwanghwamun-jeom in Seoul, which is located in the basement of the Kyobo ...

: Where Han-gyeol buys books on coffee to encourage Eun-chan to become a barista. * Hongdae Playground (or Hongik Children's Park) in

: Where Han-gyeol bought Yoo-joo a hat from a street vendor (along Wausan-ro between the playground and

Hongik University Hongik University (, colloquially ''Hongdae'') is a private university in Seoul, South Korea. Founded by an activist in 1946, the university is located in Mapo-gu district of central Seoul, South Korea with a second campus(branch campus) in S ...

). * Stone wall road between Duksung Girls High School and Pungmoon Girls High School, across the road from the start of Insa-dong Street that runs from

Insa-dong Insa-dong is a ''dong'', or neighborhood in the Jongno-gu district of Seoul. The main street is Insadong-gil, which is connected to a multitude of alleys that lead deeper into the district,David Armstrong (June 3, 2007)''SEOUL lives life on the e ...

Samcheong-dong Samcheong-dong is a '' dong'', neighbourhood of Jongno-gu in Seoul, South Korea. It lies north of Jongno and east of Gyeongbokgung. This hilly neighborhood is characterized by numerous small art galleries, shops, and restaurants. Visitors to t ...

: Where Han-gyeol helped Eun-chan in the rain, when she encounters a bully on her way home while carrying bags of dolls for sewing work. In 2011, the

and the coffee shop were featured in a

National Geographic Channel National Geographic (formerly National Geographic Channel; abbreviated and trademarked as Nat Geo or Nat Geo TV) is an American pay television television network, network and flagship (broadcasting), flagship channel owned by the National Geograp ...

-produced documentary on the Korean Wave titled ''Seoul's Got Soul''.

Original soundtrack

Ratings

Source
TNS Media Korea

Awards and nominations

International broadcast

It aired in Japan on

Fuji TV JOCX-DTV (channel 8), branded as and colloquially known as CX, is a Japanese television station based in Odaiba, Minato, Tokyo, Japan. Owned and operated by the it is the key station of the Fuji News Network (FNN) and the Fuji Network Sys ...

beginning August 11, 2010 as part of the network's " Hallyu Alpha Summer Festival." It aired in the Philippines on

GMA Network GMA Network (Global Media Arts or simply GMA) is a Philippine free-to-air television and radio network. It is the flagship property of publicly traded GMA Network, Inc. Its first broadcast on television was on October 29, 1961. GMA Network (f ...

from January 1 to March 19, 2008, and received high ratings during its run. The series was re-aired with English subtitles on

Animax Asia Animax is the pay television channel in Asia owned by KC Global Media Asia which broadcasts Japanese language anime and Simulcast anime, anime programming through English-language feeds in Southeast Asia (formerly including Brunei), South Asia (ex ...

in 2010, and on

GMA News TV GMA News TV (GNTV; visually rendered in its logo in all capital letters as GMA NEWS TV) is a 24-hour Philippine-based international pay television channel owned by Citynet Network Marketing and Productions Inc., a wholly owned subsidiary of GM ...

from September 19 to October 14, 2016 at 11:00pm. It aired in Thailand on Channel 7 beginning April 19, 2008. The series aired in Malaysia in 2010 on

with Malay Dub and English subtitles. It aired in the Middle East on

MBC 4 MBC 4 is a television channel in the Middle East. It was launched on 1 February 2005 at 5:00 P.M. (GMT) and is owned by the Middle East Broadcasting Center. MBC 4 airs international programmes with Arabic language subtitles. Programming is ta ...

beginning December 8, 2013, dubbed as ''Makha al amir''. It was dubbed in

Tamil Tamil may refer to: * Tamils, an ethnic group native to India and some other parts of Asia **Sri Lankan Tamils, Tamil people native to Sri Lanka also called ilankai tamils **Tamil Malaysians, Tamil people native to Malaysia * Tamil language, nativ ...

and aired in

India India, officially the Republic of India (Hindi: ), is a country in South Asia. It is the seventh-largest country by area, the second-most populous country, and the most populous democracy in the world. Bounded by the Indian Ocean on the so ...

Puthuyugam TV Puthuyugam TV is an Indian Tamil-language general entertainment channel based in Chennai, India. It complements its sister channel Puthiya Thalaimurai TV, which was launched on 23 October 2013. It is run by Chennai-based The New Era Media Corpo ...

beginning October 2014. It aired in

Chile Chile, officially the Republic of Chile, is a country in the western part of South America. It is the southernmost country in the world, and the closest to Antarctica, occupying a long and narrow strip of land between the Andes to the east a ...

ETC * Etc. or et cetera, a Latin expression meaning "and the other things" or "and the rest". ETC or etc may also refer to: Companies and organizations * ETC (Chilean TV channel), a Chilean cable television channel * ETC (Philippine TV channel), a P ...

beginning September 2016.

Remake

In 2012, the TV series was remade in

Thailand Thailand ( ), historically known as Siam () and officially the Kingdom of Thailand, is a country in Southeast Asia, located at the centre of the Indochinese Peninsula, spanning , with a population of almost 70 million. The country is bo ...

, and the

Philippines The Philippines (; fil, Pilipinas, links=no), officially the Republic of the Philippines ( fil, Republika ng Pilipinas, links=no), * bik, Republika kan Filipinas * ceb, Republika sa Pilipinas * cbk, República de Filipinas * hil, Republ ...

. In 2016, a Chinese remake of the series titled ''Prince Coffee Lab'' was announced, directed by Kang Shin-hyo of ''

The Heirs ''The Heirs'' (Korean: ), also known as ''The Inheritors'', is a South Korean television series starring Lee Min-ho, Park Shin-hye, and Kim Woo-bin. Written by Kim Eun-sook, the drama is set in a high school populated by the privileged and ube ...

''. In 2017, the Malaysian remake of ''Coffee Prince'' directed by Michael Ang began airing on

Astro Ria Astro Ria is a 24-hour Southeast Asia Bahasa Malaysia television channel exclusive to the Astro satellite television provider. It was one of the first 22 channels to be launched on Astro in 1996. Astro Ria offers a variety of shows including n ...

starting November 28.

References

External links

* * * {{IMDb title, 1772685 MBC TV television dramas 2007 South Korean television series debuts 2007 South Korean television series endings Korean-language television shows South Korean romantic comedy television series Television series set in restaurants Works about coffee Television shows based on South Korean novels