Oh Ji-ho (오지호)

By Chung Ah-young
Staff Reporter

KBS's drama "The Slave Hunters" (Chuno) is enjoying huge popularity for its heart-pumping action sequences and its focus on those who are often overlooked by history books and dramas.

Set in the Joseon Kingdom (1392-1910), the drama depicts the world of slave hunters and fugitive slaves. Some were born into forced servitude and for others it was a form of legal punishment.

In the drama, a slave hunter named Dae-gil (Jang Hyeok) seeks to track down the escaped Song Tae-ha (Oh Ji-ho). Tae-ha became a slave after being falsely framed for a crime. Dae-gil is also looking for Eon-nyeon (Lee Dae-hae), a female slave he loves.

As the 24-episode drama, which began on Jan. 6, draws to a close, many are wondering what is fact and what is fiction concerning slavery during the era.

The Academy of Korean Studies (AKS) offers a Web-based service to address such questions regarding the drama by providing relevant historical facts analysis.

Did Slave Hunters Really Exist?

In the 18th century, the number of fugitive slaves sharply rose, although their e...More

KBS2 drama poster of "The Slave Hunters" [KBS2]

Ratings for KBS2 drama "The Slave Hunters" continued to remain solid, surpassing the 30 percent mark for the sixth consecutive week, according to ratings from TNS Media Korea and AGB Nielsen Media Research.

Statistics by TNS and AGB on Friday indicated the show brought in viewership ratings of 31.9 percent and 31.3 percent, respectively, each gaining by 1.5 percent and 0.2 percent from the previous day....More

Korean actress Lee Da-hae poses with the animated character PUCCA at its launching party held in Los Angeles of the United States on February 18, 2010. [VOOZ Co.]

Korean actress Lee Da-hae attended a party in Los Angeles last week, mingling with some of Hollywood's hottest stars, according to the party's host VOOZ Co.

The party, hosted jointly by VOOZ and Warner Brothers, celebrated the launching of the animated character PUCCA in North America. VOOZ is a character development company which created PUCCA.

"We had sent a special invitation to Lee because her lively and Asian image resembled that of PUCCA", an official at VOOZ explained....More

Korean actress Lee Da-hae attends a Warner Brothers party [DBM Entertainment]

Korean actress Lee Da-hae is scheduled to attend a party hosted by major Hollywood studio Warner Brothers, according to her agency DBM Entertainment on Wednesday.

DBM announced that "The Slave Hunters" actress -- the only Asian actor to be invited to the event -- will be leaving for Los Angeles today to attend a character launching party hosted by Warner Brothers.

The agency further explained that officials at Warner seemed "very interested in Lee Da-hae" during their visit to Korea early this year, saying they were impressed with "not only her acting skills but also her fluency in English and Chinese"....More

As a runaway slave, actor Oh Ji-ho wields a sword and bites into reptiles

The KBS TV drama "The Slave Hunters" is a smash, with ratings of around 30 percent, putting it tops among Wednesday-Thursday TV dramas. And it shows no signs of stopping.

Much of that popularity is thanks to a strong plot about slave hunters in pre-modern Korea, but at least a little of its appeal comes from its flamboyant action sequences, with leading male characters flexing their six-packs. Foremost among these heartthrobs is Oh Ji-ho, who, to put it inelegantly, keeps female viewers drooling - and glued to the tube.

Oh rose to stardom in romantic comedies, and at first, industry insiders said the actor had been miscast as the complex character Song Tae-ha in the serious drama. Even Oh himself once said that he had failed to land roles so often that he began to see his goo...More