Workplace Drama ‘Misaeng’ Is A Surprise Hit

Watching 'Misaeng' could make you hate Mondays. You could hate the day because it means you have to wait a few more days for another episode of the drama, starring ZE:A's Im Si Wan and Kang So Ra. But you might also dread Monday because of the way the drama portrays a treacherous day in the office.

There's backstabbing, bullying, broken deals and fistfights. It's not a place you want to work but apparently quite a few people do work in such an environment.

Apparently that portrayal rings so true that young workers in Korea are tuning in and raising the drama's ratings. The cable drama resonates so well with younger viewers that it is being compared to the hit drama "Reply 1994."

The tvN Friday-Saturday drama reached over 5 percent in the ratings when its latest episode aired last week. Those numbers are similar to the ratings achieved by "Reply 1994," which reached 11.9 percent by its final episode. That is the highest rating ever achieved by a cable TV program.

The 20-part drama is based on the webtoon "Misaeng" by cartoonist Yoon Tae Ho. The hero of this unlikely drama is Jang Geu Rae, a young worker who never attended college because he planned to become a professional baduk player. Initially, his fellow interns look down on him because he has no academic credentials but he proved his worth to the company.

The drama may be successful because it portrays the struggles that some young workers face, especially those who take an alternate route to office life. Nor do Jang Geu Rae's superiors fare much better. They are under enormous pressure from their superiors to succeed, working long hours and ignoring their health.

And the drama is achieving its rating success without having a love story. The drama's producers have already announced that the production will stick close to the webtoon and that means no romance. Cartoonist Yoon Tae Ho rejected every offer to produce a drama based on his webtoon because he worried they would add a love line to his story. Kim Won Suk, the drama's producer, told reporters at a press conference that he promised Yoon he would not do that. His promise sealed the deal.

"We, instead, focused more on life of ordinary people like the original cartoon to give glimpse at office life," said Kim Won Suk.

The popularity of the drama has also boosted sales of the nine-volume cartoon. It sold one million copies within two weeks of the show's debut. That made it the most sold book in online bookstores.

"Misaeng" also stars Lee Sung Min, Kang Ha Neul and Byun Yo Han.