TVING’s Running Mate is launching a high school student council election war that’s more cutthroat than college entrance exams.
Running Mate is a vibrant coming-of-age political drama following No Se Hoon (Yoon Hyun Soo), who becomes the laughingstock of his entire school after an unfortunate incident, only to be nominated as vice president candidate in the student council election. He must navigate through various schemes and political maneuvering to reach victory.
The show stars a dynamic cast of rising youth actors including Yoon Hyun Soo, Lee Jung Sic, Choi Woo Sung, Hong Hwa Yeon, Lee Bong Jun, and Kim Ji Woo.
The poster features the tagline—”A high school election more brutal than college entrance exams”—with two opposing camps facing off with determined resolve. Each group enters the election race with their own causes, leaving viewers curious about their winning strategies and how this “you have to go crazy to win” election war will unfold.
The accompanying trailer previews No Se Hoon’s roller-coaster month as someone who just wanted to live peacefully, belonging neither to the mainstream nor outsider groups. Se Hoon ends up as the running mate of enigmatic, privileged student council presidential candidate Kwak Sang Hyun, entering the race as the male vice presidential candidate. When Kwak pressures him with a chilling, “Stop talking and start doing something,” the tension skyrockets.
From Kwak’s camp to the fiery opposition led by passionate student candidate Yang Won Dae, the trailer delivers a glimpse into a cutthroat high school election. Lines like “Did I kill someone? Or scam someone?” and “If we win, none of that matters” reflect the emotional stakes and moral ambiguity these teens face once they enter the political arena.
The series marks the directorial debut of Han Jin Won, co-writer of the Oscar-winning Parasite. Han shared, “This isn’t about a singular hero on top. No Se Hun is fragile, foolish at times, and deeply human. He could be me—or any of us.” He added, “I hope audiences revisit their most ordinary days and find themselves pulled into this story. ‘Running Mate’ is about ‘something special that happens to the most ordinary people,’ and that’s what makes it unique.”
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Meanwhile, Running Mate premieres in its entirety on June 19th, exclusively on TVING.
Source: TVING
