First Look at Go Soo Headlining the Period Financial Drama Empire of Gold

While MBC Mon-Tues will continue on with its sageuk streak what with Goddess of Fire Jeongi slated to follow Gu Family Book, SBS is taking a breather from sageuk land and turning to another type of period drama. When Jang Ok Jung, Live in Love ends in a few weeks, up next will be Empire of Gold starring Go Soo, Lee Yo Won, Jang Shin Yang, and Son Hyun Joo. This one has been in production relatively under the radar and there doesn’t seen to be an young idol actor anywhere in sight in the cast, which probably accounts for its low profile online with the drama viewers. Lee Yo Won was the leading lady courted for this drama but even when she attended the first script reading her side still didn’t confirm her casting until only recently. I wonder if there is some issue with her role – this drama comes from the acclaimed writer and PD that did last year’s award winning The Chaser so I don’t think the quality of the script is an issue, but that drama was a very male-centric piece and I often wonder if actresses turn down roles that only require them to play the wall flower and look pretty. Because that is the majority of the drama roles out there for woman, sadly speaking. EoG is a period piece because its set in the 1990s (LOL,can’t believe that is now a “period” setting, I feel old) during the period of Korean financial crisis and involves a so-called Emperor of the financial world and a man who claws his way to the top of the financial food chain and their battle against each other. Sounds a lot like Giant, which was also a period piece spanning 4 decades set during the development of the Korean real estate boom from the 60s until the modern era. This type of dramas can be hit or miss for me, I loved Giant but could never get into Incarnation of Money and both were from the same production team. I think EoG is smartly playing up Go Soo’s down-and-out angst appeal by releasing stills of his character all bloody and battered after what appears to be a car accident. I still remember the hell Green Rose put Go Soo through and he was devastatingly appealing even as his character kept suffering. I don’t see leading lady Lee Yo Won yet in any stills but the rest of the cast are all looking whip smart and nicely in character. This one might find a niche as it goes up against Goddess of Fire and Shark in a few weeks.