''History of a Salaryman'' (; lit. "Salaryman Cho Han Ji") is a 2012

South Korean television series Korean dramas (; RR: ''Han-guk deurama''), more popularly known as K-dramas, are television series in the Korean language, made in South Korea. They are popular worldwide, especially in Asia, partially due to the spread of Korean popular cultu ...

that aired on SBS from January 2 to March 31, 2012 on Mondays and Tuesdays at 21:55 for 22 episodes. Starring

Lee Beom-soo Lee Beom-soo (born January 3, 1970) is a South Korean actor. He is well known for his role in ''Singles'', ''Giant'', '' On Air'', '' Surgeon Bong Dal-hee, ''as well as in'' History of a Salaryman.'' Lee enrolled in the Department of Theater ...

Jung Ryeo-won Jung Ryeo-won (born January 21, 1981) is a South Korean-born Korean Australian actress. She began her entertainment career as a singer in the now-defunct girl group Chakra, and first rose to fame in the hit television series '' My Name Is Kim Sam ...

Jung Gyu-woon Jung Gyu-woon (; born June 28, 1982) is a South Korean actor. Career Jung Gyu-woon made acting his debut in 2004 with the mobile drama ''Five Stars''. He first gained notice in 2008 when he took two contrasting roles — as a crazy young executi ...

Hong Soo-hyun Hong Soo-hyun (born February 15, 1981) is a South Korean actress. She is best known for her roles in Dae Jo Yeong, ''The Princess' Man'', and ''Goodbye Dear Wife''. Career After she debuted as a magazine model in high school, Hong appeared i ...

Lee Deok-hwa Lee Deok-hwa (born May 8, 1952) is a South Korean actor. Career Lee Deok-hwa studied theater and film at Dongguk University, and made his acting debut in 1972. He and his father, movie star Lee Ye-chun starred together in the 1975 horror film '' ...

, and

Kim Seo-hyung Kim Seo-hyung (born October 28, 1973) is a South Korean actress. She is best known for her portrayal as the evil mistress Shin Ae-ri in the SBS revenge drama '' Temptation of Wife'' (2008) and as Coach Kim in the JTBC television series ''Sky Ca ...

, the series is a quirky comedy and murder mystery about an ordinary

salaryman In Japan, a is a salaried worker. In Japanese popular culture, this is embodied by a white-collar worker who shows overriding loyalty and commitment to the corporation where he works. Salarymen are expected to work long hours, to put in addit ...

who finds himself involved with corporate spies and rival

pharmaceutical companies The pharmaceutical industry discovers, develops, produces, and markets drugs or pharmaceutical drugs for use as medications to be administered to patients (or self-administered), with the aim to cure them, vaccinate them, or alleviate symptoms. ...

. It satirizes the historical events during China's

Chu–Han Contention The Chu–Han Contention ( zh, , lk=on) or Chu–Han War () was an interregnum period in ancient China between the fallen Qin dynasty and the subsequent Han dynasty. After the third and last Qin ruler, Ziying, unconditionally surrendered t ...

(206–202 B.C.) using the background of modern

office politics Workplace politics is the process and behavior that in human interactions involves power and authority. It is also a tool to assess the operational capacity and to balance diverse views of interested parties. It is also known as office politics and ...

Plot

Yoo-bang (

) sneaks into a villa at night and discovers the dead body of Chunha Medical Group executive Ho-hae (

Park Sang-myun Park Sang-myun (; born January 27, 1968) is a South Korean actor. He is best known for his comic roles, notably in '' My Wife Is a Gangster'' (2001). Career Park Sang-myun graduated in 1987 with a Theater degree from Seoul Institute of the Arts ...

). His niece Yeo-chi (

) is hiding in the room. At the funeral, both Yoo-bang and Yeo-chi get arrested for murder. How did things come to this? It all began three months ago when Chunha began trial testing for their new medicine. In exchange for a job recommendation from Ho-hae, Yoo-bang agrees to join the trial testing and steal information about the drug. Rival company director Hang-woo (

) is also there undercover to find out about the new drug. Spoiled rich girl Yeo-chi is undergoing training because her grandfather wants her to inherit Chunha one day, though she herself is completely uninterested. For the trial testing, 30 testers, including Yoo-bang and Hang-woo, are shut off from the outside world for 10 days. During the trial period, strange things begin to happen...

Cast

as Yoo-bang :Hero of the series who is a bright and optimistic man. He steals the heart of Yeo-chi. His historical analogue is

Liu Bang Emperor Gaozu of Han (256 – 1 June 195 BC), born Liu Bang () with courtesy name Ji (季), was the founder and first emperor of the Han dynasty, reigning in 202–195 BC. His temple name was "Taizu" while his posthumous name was Emper ...

, the first emperor of

Han Dynasty The Han dynasty (, ; ) was an imperial dynasty of China (202 BC – 9 AD, 25–220 AD), established by Liu Bang (Emperor Gao) and ruled by the House of Liu. The dynasty was preceded by the short-lived Qin dynasty (221–207 BC) and a warr ...

. *

as Baek Yeo-chi :A spoiled rich girl who was raised by her grandfather after her parents' death. Her historical analogue is

Empress Lü Zhi An emperor (from la, imperator, via fro, empereor) is a monarch, and usually the sovereign ruler of an empire or another type of imperial realm. Empress, the female equivalent, may indicate an emperor's wife ( empress consort), mother ( e ...

. *

as Choi Hang-woo :A man who tries to get revenge against Chairman Jin for his father's suicide. His fiancée is Cha Woo Hee. His historical analogue is

Xiang Yu Xiang Yu (, –202 BC), born Xiang Ji (), was the Hegemon-King (Chinese: 霸王, ''Bà Wáng'') of Western Chu during the Chu–Han Contention period (206–202 BC) of China. A noble of the Chu state, Xiang Yu rebelled against the Qin dynas ...

, the self-styled "Hegemon King" of

Western Chu Chu, or Ch'u in Wade–Giles romanization, (, Hanyu Pinyin: Chǔ, Old Chinese: ''*s-r̥aʔ'') was a Zhou dynasty vassal state. Their first ruler was King Wu of Chu in the early 8th century BCE. Chu was located in the south of the Zhou hea ...

. *

as Cha Woo-hee :A woman who is engaged to Hang-woo, and whom Yoo-bang is very close with. In an earlier draft of the script, Woo-hee dies after reuniting with Hang-woo, but the script was modified to give fans a happier ending. Her historical analogue is Consort Yu. *

as Mo Ga-bi :Antagonist of the series. She worked as the secretary for Jin Si-hwang, whom she later kills to become the company chairman herself. She manipulates people to do her bidding, among them her colleague Park Bum-jung, who sincerely loved her. In the end she goes insane after she is found guilty for conspiring to kill Jin and the attempted murder of Woo-hee. Her historical analogue is

Zhao Gao Zhao Gao (died 207 BC) was a Chinese politician and calligrapher. He was an official of the Qin dynasty of China. Allegedly a eunuch, he served as a close aide to all three rulers of the Qin dynasty – Qin Shi Huang, Qin Er Shi and Ziying – ...

, an official who served all 3 emperors of the

Qin Dynasty The Qin dynasty ( ; zh, c=秦朝, p=Qín cháo, w=), or Ch'in dynasty in Wade–Giles romanization ( zh, c=, p=, w=Ch'in ch'ao), was the first Dynasties in Chinese history, dynasty of Imperial China. Named for its heartland in Qin (state), ...

yet played an instrumental role in the dynasty's downfall. *

as Jin Si-hwang (Yeo-chi's grandfather). His historical analogue is

Qin Shi Huang Qin Shi Huang (, ; 259–210 BC) was the founder of the Qin dynasty and the first emperor of a unified China. Rather than maintain the title of "king" ( ''wáng'') borne by the previous Shang and Zhou rulers, he ruled as the First Emperor ( ...

, the last emperor of

. * Kim Il-woo as Jang Ryang. His historical analogue is

Zhang Liang Zhang Liang is the romanization of common names like 張良, 張亮 and 張梁. 張良 * Zhang Liang (Western Han) (died 189 BC), early Han dynasty strategist ** Zhang Liang, an animation character from the animated TV series ''The Legend of Qin'', ...

. *Yoon Yong-hyun as Bun Kwae. His historical analogue is

Fan Kuai Fan Kuai (242–189 BC) was a military general of the early Western Han dynasty. He was a prominent figure of the Chu–Han Contention (206–202 BC), a power struggle for supremacy over China between the Han dynasty's founder, Liu Bang (Emperor ...

. *

Lee Ki-young Lee Ki-young (born August 26, 1963) is a South Korean actor. His notable roles include ''Marathon'' (2005), ''A Bittersweet Life'' (2005), and ''Love Me Not'' (2006). Filmography Film * '' Night in Paradise'' (2020) * ''How to Steal a Dog' ...

as Park Bum-jung. His historical analogue is

Fan Zeng Fan Zeng (277–204 BC) was an adviser to the warlord Xiang Yu, who fought for supremacy with Liu Bang (Emperor Gao), the founder of the Han dynasty, during the Chu–Han Contention (206–202 BC). Life Fan Zeng was from Juchao (present-day Yafu ...

. *Yoo Hyung-kwan as So Ha. His historical analogue is

Xiao He Xiao He (257 BC–193 BC) was a Chinese politician of the early Western Han dynasty. He served Liu Bang (Emperor Gao), the founder of the Han dynasty, during the insurrection against the Qin dynasty, and fought on Liu's side in the Chu–Han Co ...

. *Yang Hyung-wook as Han Shin. His historical analogue is

Han Xin Han Xin (; 231/230–196 BC) was a Chinese military general and politician who served Liu Bang during the Chu–Han Contention and contributed greatly to the founding of the Han dynasty. Han Xin was named as one of the "Three Heroes of the ear ...

. *

Kim Eung-soo Kim Eung-soo (; born February 12, 1961) is a South Korean actor. Kim lived in Japan for seven years, where he studied filmmaking at the Japan Institute of the Moving Image. Filmography Film Television series Variety show Web sh ...

as Oh Ji-rak *

as Jin Ho-hae. His historical analogue is Hu Hai. *

Jang Hyun-sung Jang Hyun-sung (born July 17, 1970) is a South Korean actor. He started his acting career as a member of the ''Hakjeon'' Theatre Company, before transitioning to film and television. Jang is best known for starring in director Song Il-gon's arth ...

as Choi Hang-ryang. His historical analogue is

Xiang Liang Xiang Liang (died 208 BC) was a military leader who led a rebellion against the Qin dynasty. Early life Xiang Liang was from Xiaxiang (下相; present-day Suqian, Jiangsu) and was a descendant of a family who served the Chu state in the Warring ...

. *

Im Hyun-sik Im Hyun-sik (born December 31, 1945) is a South Korean actor. He is best known for his leading role in the family drama ''Three Families Under One Roof'' (1986-1993), and supporting roles in the period epics '' Hur Jun'' (1999) and ''Dae Jang G ...

– Yoo-bang's father (Liu Bang's father

Liu Taigong Liu Taigong (), personal name Liu Tuan (), was the father of Liu Bang (Emperor Gaozu of Han). Biography Not much is recorded about Taigong historically. He was born and likely lived his early life in present-day Feng County, Jiangsu. His personal ...

) *Lee Joo-shil – Yoo-bang's mother (Liu Bang's mother Wang Hanshi) * Kim Ji-young – Ji-won *

Lee Joon Lee Chang-sun (born February 7, 1988), better known by his stage name Lee Joon, is a South Korean actor, singer, model and DJ. He is best known as a former member of the South Korean boy band MBLAQ. He had notable roles in '' Gapdong'' (2014), ...

– Yeo-chi's boyfriend ( cameo, ep 1) *

Jeong Bo-seok Jeong Bo-seok (; born 1961) is a South Korean actor. Filmography Television series Film Television show Theater Awards and nominations References External linksJung Bo-seok Fan Cafeat Daum * * * {{DEFAULTSORT:Jeon ...

– Congressman Jo Pil-yeon (cameo, ep 6), the antagonist in the series ''

Giant In folklore, giants (from Ancient Greek: '' gigas'', cognate giga-) are beings of human-like appearance, but are at times prodigious in size and strength or bear an otherwise notable appearance. The word ''giant'' is first attested in 1297 fr ...

''. *Jeon Jae-hyung – Delivery man (cameo) *

Kang Kyung-joon Kang Kyung-joon (born February 11, 1983) is a South Korean actor. He made his acting debut in the fifth season of the sitcom '' Nonstop'' in 2004, and was the MC of '' Music Bank'' from November 6, 2005 to November 19, 2006. After a supporting ...

– Bok Sa-yeol (cameo, ep 17) *

Kim Sung-oh Kim Sung-oh (born September 15, 1978) is a South Korean actor. He is best known for his supporting roles ''Supporting Roles'' ( es, Papeles secundarios) is a 1989 Cuban drama film directed by Orlando Rojas. The film was selected as the Cub ...

– Prosecutor Park Moon-soo (cameo, ep 20)

Soundtrack

# 성냥팔이 소녀 (Little Match Girl) – Yoon Gun feat. Misty # 너 때문에 (For You) –

JeA Kim Hyo-jin (Hangul: 김효진; born September 18, 1981) better known by her stage name JeA is a South Korean singer and songwriter. She is best known as the leader of South Korean girl group Brown Eyed Girls. As a solo artist, she has contri ...

(

Brown Eyed Girls The Brown Eyed Girls (; ) is a South Korean girl group. The group is composed of four members: JeA, Miryo, Narsha, and Gain. They debuted as an R&B/ballad vocal group with "Come Closer (다가와서)" in 2006. They rose to popularity in 2008 ...

) # Bravo – Lee Teuk (

Super Junior Super Junior (; stylized in all caps), also known as SJ or SuJu, is a South Korean boy band formed by Lee Soo-man, the founder of SM Entertainment in 2005. They are also dubbed by the media as the "King of Hallyu Wave" due to their prominent ...

Key Key or The Key may refer to: Common meanings * Key (cryptography), a piece of information that controls the operation of a cryptography algorithm * Key (lock), device used to control access to places or facilities restricted by a lock * Key (map ...

(

SHINee Shinee ( ; ko, 샤이니, Syaini; ja, シャイニー, Shainī; stylized as SHINee) is a South Korean boy band formed by SM Entertainment in 2008. The group's musical impact in their native country has earned them numerous accolades and th ...

) # 기대했단 말야 (Not What I Expected) – JOO # 샐러리맨 초한지 Title # 막무가내 # Relax Your Mind # 긴 여정 # Determination # 자중지란 # 군웅할거 # 방이 Theme # 천년지애 # 낙장불입 # 샐러리맨 초한지 Score Title # 도원결의 # 비육지탄

Episode ratings

Sources
TNmS Media KoreaAGB Nielsen Korea

Awards and nominations

References

External links

* * {{Jang Young-chul 2012 South Korean television series debuts 2012 South Korean television series endings Seoul Broadcasting System television dramas Television shows written by Jang Young-chul South Korean thriller television series Television series by JS Pictures