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Two Men Pursue a New Korea
Song Kang-ho, the acclaimed South Korean film actor, made his first appearance in a television drama series with Uncle Samsik, a 16-episode political drama set during the upheaval of the 1960s.
Written and directed by Shin Yeon-shick, the series follows Park Doo-chill, known as Uncle Samsik, and Kim San, an American-educated economist who wants to transform South Korea into an industrial nation. Park earned his nickname by ensuring that people around him could eat three meals a day even during wartime.
The men share an ambition to build a more prosperous country, but their alliance is complicated by mistrust, competing loyalties and personal relationships. Song plays Park, the president of Sail Development, while Byun Yo-han portrays Kim, who holds a doctorate in economics and works for a government reconstruction agency within the Interior Ministry.
A Fictional Story Amid Political Upheaval
The drama places its fictional protagonists against major events in modern Korean history, including the disputed March 1960 presidential election and the April Revolution. The election, commonly known in South Korea as the March 15 rigged election, returned President Syngman Rhee to power after his rule dating to the establishment of the First Republic in 1948.
Allegations of election fraud and manipulated results fueled demonstrations by students and other citizens. The protests grew into the April Revolution, whose participants demanded democratic reforms and Rhee's departure. He resigned April 26, 1960.
Several characters draw on historical political figures. Opposition presidential candidate Joo In-tae was modeled on Cho Bong-am, while Gen. Choi Han-lim and Interior Minister Choi Min-kyu were based on Lee Han-lim and Choi In-kyu, respectively.
An Ensemble of Political Players
Lee Kyu-hyung plays Kang Seong-min, a Liberal Party lawmaker seeking greater power. Jin Ki-joo portrays Joo Yeo-jin, a newspaper reporter and Kim San's romantic partner, while Seo Hyun-woo plays military reformer Col. Jeong Han-min.
The supporting cast also includes Oh Seung-hoon, Kim Min-jae, Oh Kwang-rok, Joo Jin-mo, Park Hyuk-kwon and Yoo Jae-myung. Tiffany Young and Cho Tae-kwan appear as Rachel and Michael Jeong, directors of the fictional Albright Scholarship Foundation.
From Korean Cinema to Global Streaming
Shin, whose film credits as a writer and director include Fair Love, The Russian Novel, Like a French Film, Romans 8:37, One Win and Cassiopeia, served as creator, writer and director for all 16 episodes. He also wrote and produced Dongju: The Portrait of a Poet and was a co-writer of Cobweb.
Disney+ began releasing Uncle Samsik internationally May 15, 2024, with the series available to American viewers on Hulu. Five episodes arrived on the first day, followed by two each week and a three-episode finale June 19.
The series holds a 7.4 rating on TMDb, though that score is based on only 10 votes.
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