Edited by Hwang Hong Sun
Translated by by Kim Hoyeun
“An exhilarating story that sweeps away the stifling reality!” So says writer Park Kyung Soo of his new work, The Whirlwind, known for penning the “Power Trilogy” including The Chaser, Empire of Gold, and Punch. True to his words, The Whirlwind delivers a narrative force from its first to its twelfth episode with a fast-paced plot and constant twists. The presence of Sul Kyung Gu, appearing in a drama for the first time in 30 years, alongside the always stellar Kim Hee Ae, makes it impossible to look away. Using politics—a sensitive subject—the drama constructs a tension-filled big picture even more gripping than many thrillers.
Starting with the audacious premise of “a Prime Minister assassinating the President,” the drama unfolds the confrontation between Prime Minister Park Dong Ho (Sul Kyung Gu), who wants to overturn the world after assassinating the president in cahoots with corrupt forces, and Deputy Prime Minister Jeong Su Jin (Kim Hee Ae), who wants to stop his rampage and become the top power holder herself.
Watching the drama through to the end, one might even mistake it for a zombie thriller rather than a political one. The characters endlessly claw at each other’s political lives, bending but not breaking, only to rise again for the next counterattack. With countless twists packed into its twelve episodes, the story flows seamlessly without a moment’s boredom.
The way the drama shifts timelines to reveal the truth of the events is fascinating. Park Dong Ho and Jeong Su Jin resort to threats and persuasion even while knowing each other’s cards, but there’s a peculiar thrill when the other sees through it all and turns the tables. It’s like watching a sports match with tied scores and dramatic reversals. The drama lowers the barrier to entry by tackling a complex subject with diverse elements, a clever play by the creators.
The chemistry between Sul Kyung Gu and Kim Hee Ae also adds strength to the work. Having matched breaths in three consecutive works following last year’s The Moon and the upcoming A Normal Family, their dynamic, even when one’s downfall means joy for the other, perfectly maintains the narrative balance with a unique give-and-take chemistry.
Above all, the multidimensional personalities of the two characters make one eagerly await the next episode. Park Dong Ho, who wants to change the world even if it means assassinating the president, and Jeong Su Jin, who aims to stop him, both adhere to their own sense of justice. Particularly, Park Dong Ho harbors a deep resentment towards the Daejin Group, a conglomerate that once clipped his wings during his days as a prosecutor. His goal, even to the extent of assassinating the president, is to exact revenge on them. Nevertheless, when he falls into Jeong Su Jin’s trap and faces a crisis, he doesn’t hesitate to use the very Daejin Group he despises, and even engages in illegal activities that no politician should, to navigate his way out of peril.
Jeong Su Jin is no different. She allies with the opposition party leader, a former public security prosecutor who once tortured her during her college years, aiming to bring down Park Dong Ho.
She teams up with an opposition party leader, a former public security prosecutor who once tortured her during college, to target Park Dong-ho. Both proclaim themselves as the sole saviors of the world, yet they often cross legal and moral boundaries to secure their current positions. If it means overpowering their opponents, they wouldn’t hesitate to make a deal with the devil. While their actions may be shocking, they reflect a necessary political strategy that, while adding the excitement specific to the genre, also delivers a bittersweet message. It’s like watching the frustrating realities of actual politics unfold, where you find yourself criticizing yet unable to look away from the harsh truths being revealed.
The Whirlwind offers significant commentary on today’s society. Despite being a fictional story, it naturally brings to mind substantial real-life political events, from presidential impeachments to collusion between conglomerates and power institutions, to retaliatory political investigations. The realism in Park Dong Ho and Jeong Su Jin’s battle prompts one to ponder: Is people-oriented politics truly just a fantasy? The show leaves us with lingering thoughts. (8/10)
Editor Hwang Hong Sun: A Korean movie buff who wishes that the warm messages in good works will warm up this world at least by one degree Fahrenheit.
Was so exhilirating !