A new South Korean drama series titled “1958 Investigator Chief,” starring Lee Dihun, Lee Donghwi, and So Eunsoo, and directed by Kim Seonghun, the director of “The Confidential Alliance,” premiered with impressive viewership ratings exceeding 10% for its first episode on the 19th.
According to data released by Nielsen Korea on the 20th, the first episode of “1958 Investigator Chief” achieved a national viewership rating of 10.1% in South Korea, with a rating of 10.3% in the capital area. This marks the highest first-episode viewership rating for a Friday-Saturday drama on MBC television.
The drama series “1958 Investigator Chief” serves as a prequel to the national TV hit “Investigator Chief,” which aired in South Korea for 18 years and consisted of 880 episodes. It takes viewers back to 1958, where they witness the passionate and justice-driven Park Banjang, played by Lee Dihun, and his team combating crime. A group of detectives who constantly defy government orders take on various dangerous missions in the retro 1950s setting.
Despite being a classic, many new-generation viewers have not experienced the craze that “Investigator Chief” stirred in South Korea 53 years ago. The original series debuted in 1971 and achieved overwhelming ratings of 70%, sweeping the Korean television industry and solidifying its status as a national drama, establishing itself as a classic pioneer of investigative genre dramas in Korea. The portrayal of the lead character Park Banjang by Choi Bok-won also became a representative role of a righteous, incorruptible detective, maintaining its viewership record for nearly 20 years.
“1958 Investigator Chief” portrays the early days of Park Yeonghwan (played by Lee Dihun), a young detective who moves to Seoul and discovers a series of criminal cases. Through fate, he encounters Kim Sangjoon (Lee Donghwi), Jo Kyeonghwan (Choi Yoo-seong), and Seo Hojeong (Yoon Hyun-soo), all considered eccentric misfits by the police force but equally zealous in their pursuit of justice. This group of passionate detectives challenges the rigid system, working together to uphold public safety and apprehend criminals.
Lee Dihun expressed that whether viewers have seen the original “Investigator Chief” series or not, they will undoubtedly love this new production. He admitted his unfamiliarity with the original series due to being a child when it first aired, but he extensively researched to understand the characteristics of Park Banjang, a collective embodiment of a Korean hero, aiming to authentically portray him. He emphasized that the show is not just entertainment but a work that resonates with real-life values.
Following his performances in “Signal” and “Taxi Driver,” Lee Dihun portrays another role as a justice-seeking hero, receiving high praise from the production team for embodying the perfect mix of classical toughness and modern style as Park Banjang.
Even Choi Bok-won, who played the original Park Banjang, praised Lee Dihun and made a surprise appearance at a script reading session to have a profound conversation with him. Director Kim Seonghun commended Lee Dihun’s hands-on approach in tackling difficult action scenes with precise comedic timing, expressing gratitude for having found him for the role.
Lee Dihun described his portrayal of the young Park Yeonghwan as somewhat tacky but compassionate, navigating investigations in an era devoid of advanced technology, relying on relentless determination and keen observation skills to solve cases. His distinctive investigative methods often lead him to confidently declare, “There’s no crook I can’t catch,” leaving his superiors and fellow partners in disbelief, questioning if he is truly a detective or just a madman.
The latest South Korean drama “1958 Investigator Chief,” starring Lee Dihun from “Signal,” Lee Donghwi from “The Queen of Office,” Choi Yoo-seong from “Fun-Staurant,” Yoon Hyun-soo from “Lovestruck in the City,” and So Eunsoo from “Romantic Doctor, Teacher Kim,” is now available on Disney+.
Editor: Liu Yuhan