'Choi Min-sik' was 'Choi Min-sik'.
The MBC special series 'Casino' (Disney+ Original Series | Directed/Written by Kang Yoon-sung | Produced by Acme Media, C-JeS Entertainment, BA Entertainment), which premiered on the 4th, recorded a peak viewership rating of 5.8% in the Seoul metropolitan area and a nationwide household rating of 4.5% (according to Nielsen Korea), marking a smooth start as it ranked first in its time slot.
In particular, the scene where Cha Mu-sik (played by Choi Min-sik) decides to operate a casino bar in Daejeon with Ahn Chi-young (played by Kim Min-jae) and begins the interior construction while monologuing, "Let's go for it," saw the viewership rating rise to 5.8% (in the Seoul metropolitan area, according to Nielsen Korea), reflecting viewers' anticipation for the subsequent developments.
The first episode opened with Cha Mu-sik (played by Choi Min-sik), who dominated the Philippine casino scene, being urgently arrested by the Philippine National Bureau of Investigation on charges of murder involving his benefactor and the owner of the Philippine Caliz Hotel, Min Seok-jun (played by Kim Hong-pa). Appearing at a press conference handcuffed, Cha Mu-sik maintained a stoic expression while responding to reporters' questions, eventually expressing his anger with a low curse.
The broadcast led viewers through Cha Mu-sik's unfortunate childhood. Young Mu-sik (played by Song Min-jae), who was left in a daycare due to poverty, reunites with his mother after two years and moves to Daejeon, where he survives in a gambling den run by his father, Cha Kyung-deok (played by Kim Roe-ha), who frequently goes in and out of prison. His mother (played by Bae Hae-sun) runs a food business, while Mu-sik endures day by day doing errands at the gambling table.
Although he was naturally exposed to an environment of gambling, violence, and crime, the moments when he learned letters from his father at the gambling house were the only times young Mu-sik felt happiness. However, when his father is imprisoned again, the family falls apart, and Mu-sik, following his mother, moves to Daejeon, where he unexpectedly reunites with his daycare friend Park Jong-hyun (played by Seo Yoon-hyuk) in front of Daejeon Station. Afterward, Mu-sik starts selling newspapers and shows exceptional skill by selling out the newspapers assigned to him on the first day.
As time passes, the grown-up Cha Mu-sik runs an English academy in Daejeon. Later, through his introduction to the detective Jong-hyun (played by Lee Moon-sik), Mu-sik meets Chi-young, the president of the casino gaming machine company Daemang Electronics, and is introduced to baccarat for the first time at Chi-young's suggestion. Realizing he could make a lot of money with his instinctive business sense, Mu-sik decides to close the academy and officially open a casino bar.
In the second episode, airing on the 5th at 10 PM, a tax investigation team from the National Tax Service storms into the casino bar operated by Mu-sik, leading to a tense development. The person leading the investigation is the cold-headed team leader of the National Tax Service, Kang Min-jung (played by Ryu Hyun-kyung). Upon hearing the news of the raid, Mu-sik takes emergency measures, but ultimately faces a crisis when his business partner Chi-young is arrested. Cornered, Mu-sik decides to flee overseas, disappearing from the domestic casino scene.
Additionally, the second episode will feature flashbacks of Mu-sik's high school years. The young Mu-sik (played by Lee Kyu-hyung), who struggled to survive in poverty and an unfortunate family, reveals his survival instincts through street fights, petty crimes, and relationships with friends. The origin of the character 'Cha Mu-sik' and his realistic growth story will be unveiled for the first time.
Meanwhile, MBC is airing 'Casino' Season 1 (a total of 8 episodes) every Friday and Saturday at 10 PM, with Season 2 scheduled to be fixed on Sundays starting from the 27th. The Disney+ original series 'Casino' has received acclaim for director Kang Yoon-sung's heavy direction and actor Choi Min-sik's overwhelming presence, and is noted as a representative success case of the OTT-broadcast strategy programming model.
[Kim Mi-ji, Star Today Reporter]
