Misaeng: Incomplete Life
Promotional poster
Also known as	An Incomplete Life
Genre	Workplace Drama
Based on	Misaeng by Yoon Tae-ho
Developed by	Choi Jin-hee and Park Ji-young for tvN
Written by	Jung Yoon-jung
Directed by	Kim Won-seok
Starring	Im Si-wan Lee Sung-min Kang So-ra Kang Ha-neul Byun Yo-han Kim Dae-myung Shin Eun-jung Park Hae-joon
Composers	Kim Jun-seok Park Seong-il
Country of origin	South Korea
Original language	Korean
No. of episodes	20
Production
Executive producers	Kim Mi-na Lee Chan-ho
Producers	Lee Jae-moon Ham Seung-hoon
Production locations	Korea, Jordan
Cinematography	Choi Sang-mook
Editor	Kim Na-young
Running time	65 minutes
Production company	Number 3 Pictures
Original release
Network	tvN
Release	October 17 (2014-10-17) – December 20, 2014 (2014-12-20)

Misaeng: Incomplete Life^[1] (Korean: 미생 - 아직 살아 있지 못한 자; RR: Misaeng - Ajik Sara Itji Mothan Ja) is a 2014 South Korean television series based on the webtoon series of the same title by Yoon Tae-ho. It aired on tvN from October 17 to December 20, 2014, on Fridays and Saturdays at 20:30 (KST) time slot for 20 episodes.^{[2][3][4][5][6]}

The title translates to Go terminology meaning "an incomplete life" (literally "not yet" (미) "birth" (생), meaning "not yet alive"). Misaeng: Incomplete Life was the first Korean drama to film on location in Jordan, where actors Im Si-wan and Lee Sung-min shot the series's prologue in Amman, Petra, and Wadi Rum.^[7] Yim reprised his role as the protagonist, which he played in an earlier film adaptation, Incomplete Life: Prequel (2013).^[8][9][10]

The series became a cultural phenomenon and recorded high viewership ratings for a cable network program in Korea. tvN is known for its record breaking dramas.^{[11][12][13][14][15][16] [17]}

Synopsis

Since he was a child, the board game baduk has been everything to Jang Geu-rae (Im Si-wan).^[18] But when he fails at achieving his dream of becoming a professional baduk player, Geu-rae must leave his isolated existence and enter the real world armed with nothing but a GED high school equivalency diploma on his resume. Through an acquaintance's recommendation, he gets hired as an intern at One International, a large trading company.

There, Geu-rae meets his boss, manager Oh Sang-shik (Lee Sung-min), who's a workaholic and has a warm personality; fellow intern Ahn Young-yi (Kang So-ra), who attracts her colleagues' ire because of her impressive educational credentials and by being extremely competent at any task; and Jang Baek-gi (Kang Ha-neul), a geeky co-worker whose anxious nature masks his inner ambition. Geu-rae learns to navigate and adapt to corporate culture, with baduk as his guide.^[19]

Cast

Original soundtrack

Ratings

Awards and nominations

Source material

With his webtoon, author Yoon Tae-ho drew an analogy between life in modern society and the game of baduk, a chess-like strategy board game. He also wrote vivid descriptions of the everyday life and struggles of Korean corporate culture as his flawed characters deal with the fierce competition for survival, interpersonal work relationships and office politics. Misaeng: Incomplete Life gained immense popularity among Korean white-collar workers in their twenties and thirties largely because its realism resonated with their experiences. It drew 1 billion hits when it was published on online portal Daum from September 2012 to October 2013, and the nine-volume paperback version sold 900,000 copies. It is now considered a must-read comic in the country.^[33][34]

Remake

• HOPE〜期待ゼロの新入社員〜
• Ordinary Glory; starring Bai Jingting, Mark Chao and Qiao Xin.^[35][36]

References

External links

• Official website (in Korean)
• Misaeng: Incomplete Life at HanCinema
• Misaeng: Incomplete Life at IMDb
• Misaeng webtoon on Daum (in Korean)