Action Sageuk 추노 (Slave Hunters) Showcases Its Moves

You've probably heard of "tea ladies" becoming undercover detectives back in the Joseon dynasty - remember 다모 (Damo) and 형사 Duelist? But how about professional slave hunters? These were usually employed by affluent landlords to collect 공포 (Joseon's equivalent of the rent paid by tenants, in the form of hemp) from runaway slaves, job which would often require the use of violence. They're a rather peculiar "caste" of professionals rarely delved into by sageuk (historical dramas), but they'll become the centerpiece of what is quickly becoming the most promising Korean TV drama in quite some time, KBS' 추노 (Slave Hunters).

I'll leave details about the story to our upcoming preview, but let's just say that the talent behind and in front of the camera (Red One cameras, to boot) is enough to create expectations a priori: Kwak Jung-Hwan, arguably the most talented TV director in Asia, who helmed a masterpiece like 한성별곡-正 (Conspiracy in the Court) on his debut, and last year's interesting horror sageuk 구미호 (Fox with Nine Tails) as part of the 전설의 고향 (Hometown of Legends) series; Lee Da-Hae, one of the most talented (and so far misused) actresses of her generation, and a solid co-lead like Jang Hyuk (and Oh Ji-Ho might not be the best of thespians, but he sure looks the part); tons of talented veterans, from Kim Eung-Soo to Jo Hee-Bong and, last but not least, who has the potential to become the next big Korean action star in Korea, Han Jung-Soo. He's still rough around the edges when it comes to acting, but he's got metric tons of charisma and his athletic prowess just screams for a lead role in a Ryu Seung-Wan film.

Anyhow, waiting for next week's preview, here's the first little treat. It's not really a teaser, but more like a few scenes from the first few weeks of shooting cobbled together. With Kwak Jung-Hwan at the helm, January 6 can't come soon enough.