| Composer: | Kim Soo-han |
| Country: | South Korea |
| Language: | Korean |
| Num Episodes: | 36 |
| Executive Producer: | Kim Sang-ho |
| Editor: | Bae Hee-gyeong |
| Channel: | MBC |
The Scandal[1] is a 2013 South Korean television series starring Kim Jaewon, Jo Yoon-hee, Cho Jae-hyun, Park Sang-min, Shin Eun-kyung, Ki Tae-young, Kim Hye-ri, and Kim Gyu-ri.[2] [3] [4] It aired on MBC from June 29 to October 27, 2013 on Saturdays and Sundays at 21:45 for 36 episodes.[5] This drama commemorated Seoul Olympics' 25th anniversary.[6]
Detective Ha Eun-joong uncovers a shocking secret; Ha Myung-geun, the man he believed was his father, had actually kidnapped him as a child. Myung-geun had lost his own son in a building collapse, and as revenge against the man responsible, Jang Tae-ha, he abducted Tae-ha's son and raised him as his own. In the aftermath of revenge, Eun-joong searches for the truth and becomes caught between his two fathers and the woman he loves, Woo Ah-mi.[7]
Detective at Gangnam police station. He became a detective to try to understand his father, an ex-detective, better. Why did his dad quit the force in 1988? What happened to him that he became a construction foreman? Why did he adopt him but never fully accept him as his son? One day, he begins investigating the death of Gong Ki-chan, a construction worker, and becomes entangled with the Jang family and the dead man's fiancée, Woo Ah-mi.
He is a loving father to Ha Eun-joong and Ha Soo-young. But he is also Ha Eun-joong's kidnapper. His wife died while giving birth to Soo-young and that left him caring for his two kids all by himself. Jang Tae-ha, chairman of Taeha Construction firm, was responsible for the shoddy construction of a building that collapsed, killing Myung-geun's son. When Tae-ha falsifies evidence to escape prosecution and doesn't show any remorse for the collapse, Myung-geun kidnapped Jang's son to get revenge. A few years later, filled with regret and his conscience eating at him, he decides to take Eun-joong back to his real family. Outside the house, he sees that they already have a son, the fake Eun-joong. He goes home with Eun-joong, and finally his heart is free to love him and raise him as his own.
Chairman of Taeha conglomerate and one of the wealthiest individuals in Korea. He is the father of Jang Eun-joong and Jang Joo-ha. Stylish and trendy, he has a fiery temper when crossed.
Tae-ha's estranged wife, a rational and cool-headed lawyer and head of her own firm. She was devastated when her son Eun-joong was abducted. To prevent Tae-ha from divorcing her and marrying his mistress Joo-ran, she adopted a boy from an orphanage and passed him off as Tae-ha's son Jang Eun-joong. But all these years, she is still searching for her real son.
She owns a lunch stand where many people preparing for the state police exams take cram courses. She wanted to become a prosecutor but soon realized that she could never pass the bar exam. Following the death of her husband and unborn daughter caused by Tae-ha, Myung-geun takes her in as he feels like it is his fault. She is determined to find justice for her husband, and along the way she begins to find out shocking secrets and develops feelings for Ha Eun-joong. She's honest, thoughtful, measured in her behavior, well-balanced and simple-minded. She cries a lot, talks a lot, gives loves and has a quick temper.
Tae-ha and Hwa-young's son, he is a lawyer and becomes Ha Eun-joong's rival.
Tae-ha's mistress. She is determined to get rid of Tae-ha's wife and their son, Eun-joong, to get her position in Tae-ha's household and for her daughter's sake in Tae-ha's company.
Tae-ha and Joo-ran's daughter; she is a career woman who works for her father's company.
Myung-geun's daughter, Ha Eun-joong's sister.
Ah-mi's fiancé and father of their then-unborn child. Ki-chan was Myung-geun's protege and working as a construction worker. He discovers anomalies in the project and confronts Jang Tae-ha. He ends up dead on his supposed wedding day.
In the table below,
the blue numbers represent the lowest ratings and the red numbers represent the highest ratings.| Episode # | Original broadcast date | Average audience share | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| TNmS Ratings[10] | AGB Nielsen[11] | ||||||
| width=100 | Nationwide | width=100 | Seoul National Capital Area | width=100 | Nationwide | width=100 | Seoul National Capital Area |
| 1 | 2013/06/29 | 15.8% | 18.7% | 16.4% | 17.7% | ||
| 2 | 2013/06/30 | 14.4% | 16.6% | 14.4% | 16.2% | ||
| 3 | 2013/07/06 | 16.0% | 18.2% | 14.9% | 16.1% | ||
| 4 | 2013/07/07 | 13.6% | 14.3% | 13.9% | 14.7% | ||
| 5 | 2013/07/13 | 16.6% | 19.4% | 16.3% | 17.8% | ||
| 6 | 2013/07/14 | 14.2% | 16.9% | 14.1% | 15.5% | ||
| 7 | 2013/07/20 | 14.8% | 16.1% | 15.5% | 17.1% | ||
| 8 | 2013/07/21 | 14.8% | 16.1% | 15.5% | 17.3% | ||
| 9 | 2013/07/27 | 16.2% | 18.2% | 14.9% | 15.9% | ||
| 10 | 2013/07/28 | 14.5% | 15.7% | 15.8% | 18.0% | ||
| 11 | 2013/08/03 | 14.6% | 16.2% | 14.3% | 15.5% | ||
| 12 | 2013/08/04 | 13.7% | 15.5% | 13.2% | 14.5% | ||
| 13 | 2013/08/10 | 14.1% | 17.7% | 15.8% | 17.8% | ||
| 14 | 2013/08/11 | 14.5% | 16.8% | 14.4% | 16.2% | ||
| 15 | 2013/08/17 | 13.8% | 15.7% | 16.5% | 18.2% | ||
| 16 | 2013/08/18 | 14.4% | 16.8% | 15.1% | 17.4% | ||
| 17 | 2013/08/24 | 15.1% | 16.6% | 17.2% | 19.6% | ||
| 18 | 2013/08/25 | 15.2% | 17.4% | 16.5% | 18.4% | ||
| 19 | 2013/08/31 | 15.9% | 18.2% | 16.5% | 18.3% | ||
| 20 | 2013/09/01 | 14.0% | 16.2% | 15.9% | 17.7% | ||
| 21 | 2013/09/07 | 16.6% | 18.0% | 18.2% | 19.6% | ||
| 22 | 2013/09/08 | 15.4% | 17.2% | 16.5% | 17.8% | ||
| 23 | 2013/09/14 | 16.7% | 20.1% | 17.3% | 18.0% | ||
| 24 | 2013/09/15 | 16.0% | 18.7% | 18.0% | 19.2% | ||
| 25 | 2013/09/21 | 16.8% | 18.3% | 16.6% | 18.4% | ||
| 26 | 2013/09/22 | 19.0% | 17.4% | 18.8% | |||
| 27 | 2013/09/28 | 15.0% | 17.2% | 14.9% | 16.5% | ||
| 28 | 2013/09/29 | 15.7% | 17.2% | 16.1% | 17.8% | ||
| 29 | 2013/10/05 | 14.3% | 16.5% | 15.4% | 17.9% | ||
| 30 | 2013/10/06 | 14.0% | 15.9% | 15.5% | 17.1% | ||
| 31 | 2013/10/12 | 12.1% | 14.4% | 13.0% | 14.4% | ||
| 32 | 2013/10/13 | 13.5% | 14.6% | 14.5% | 15.8% | ||
| 33 | 2013/10/19 | 14.3% | 16.9% | 15.7% | 17.5% | ||
| 34 | 2013/10/20 | 13.8% | 15.4% | 17.1% | 18.8% | ||
| 35 | 2013/10/26 | 14.7% | 16.6% | 14.7% | 16.0% | ||
| 36 | 2013/10/27 | 15.3% | 16.5% | 17.5% | 19.2% | ||
| Average | 14.9% | 16.9% | 15.7% | 17.3% | |||
| Year | Award | Category | Recipient | Result |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2013 | 21st Korean Culture and Entertainment Awards | Top Excellence Award, Actor in Drama | ||
| Top Excellence Award, Actress in Drama | ||||
| 26th Grimae Awards | Daesang (Grand Prize) | Jung Seung-woo, Kim Seon-cheol | ||
| Best Director | Kim Jin-man | |||
| Best Actor | ||||
| MBC Drama Awards | Drama of the Year | The Scandal | ||
| Top Excellence Award, Actor in a Special Project Drama | ||||
| Top Excellence Award, Actress in a Special Project Drama | ||||
| Excellence Award, Actor in a Special Project Drama | ||||
| Excellence Award, Actress in a Special Project Drama | ||||
| Golden Acting Award, Actor | ||||
| 2014 | Most Popular Actor (TV) | |||
| 9th Seoul International Drama Awards | Outstanding Korean Drama | The Scandal | ||
| Outstanding Korean Actor | ||||
| Outstanding Korean Drama OST | Last Love of My Life - The Position | |||