[REVIEW] KBS TV series "PRESIDENT" - 1st Episode

KBS drama "PRESIDENT" [KBS]

Amid the race for presidency in the ruling party’s camp, the sudden scandal with slush fund throws the main candidate off the balance. His wife confesses to him that it was her doing so he takes off to meet the prosecutors only to get shot on his way. All these events happened in less than half an hour in new KBS series “PRESIDENT,” showing how very bold the drama is in unfolding so many incidents at once. Unlike other political dramas such as SBS series “City Hall” or “The President” which have female characters substitute a man's desire for power, “PRESIDENT” shows a world where one's desire for power is so strong that it is unbearable to place it in anyone else's hands. His daughter who does not want her dad to become president, complaining outrightly that she is sick and tired of even just being the daughter of a lawmaker and his wife who volunteers to do all the dirty work for him, are just as frank as he is in expressing their desires. “We are still in this together, right?” asks his wife even as her husband boils in anger over her fund, revealing her fight to help her husband become president.

At this point there is no way Jang Il-joon, the main character of the story, is a purely honorable man who moves only for good intentions. This less-than-perfect aspect of him is symbolized through the presence of his hidden son Yoo Min-ki (Jay). Although it was Jang who abandoned his woman and son in the first place, he was not able to forget about them completely nor get rid of them. The humane side of him that betrays the other for gains but not to its full extent to prevent side effects that come after, will form the heart of the conflict between the father and son. That is why Yoo Min-ki’s line “I wish to see the moment you speak the truth” gives a lot to think about. Moreover Jang has already brought his hidden son Yoo into his election camp to reveal outrightly “I am your father.” Such makes the concept of truth more comprehensive and heavy in the story. Will viewers finally get to meet a character who will admit and speak of the truth instead of agonizing over what the viewers already know in advance?

Reporter : Yoon Hee-Seong nine@
Editor : Heidi Kim heidikim@