'100 Days of Lies' Opens at 5.3% as Assassination Thriller Shakes 1932 Gyeongseong

Period drama opens new horizons with immersive characters and dynamic direction

Set in Gyeongseong in 1932, during Japan's colonial rule, the period drama '100 Days of Lies' got off to a strong start, drawing viewers' attention. According to Nielsen Korea, the first episode of tvN's new Saturday-Sunday drama '100 Days of Lies,' which premiered the previous day, posted a 5.3% nationwide household rating, signaling strong potential at the box office.

The premiere vividly portrayed how 'Kim Yoo-jung' (as Lee Ga-kyung), Gyeongseong's top pickpocket who dreams of going to the United States, becomes caught up in a major incident after finding a bullet inside a bag she stole by chance. The assassination plot targeting 'Jin Seon-kyu' (as Sato Shinichi), the director-general of political affairs at the Government-General of Korea, heightened the drama's tension through its fast-paced development.

In the show, Lee Ga-kyung visits the mansion of independence activists 'Kim Hyun-joo' (as Yoo So-ran) and 'Lee Moo-saeng' (as Yoo Philip), the bag's original owners, hoping to extort money by using the bullet as leverage. There, she runs into 'Park Jin-young' (as Sato Hideo), the adopted son of the director-general of political affairs, who had earlier had his wallet stolen by her, and the two engage in a sharp battle of wits.

The episode also revealed that Sato Hideo was himself once a Korean pickpocket who ruled the streets around Gyeongseong Station, adding an intriguing layer to his past. The two characters are both fluent in Korean, Japanese and English, highlighting their shared background and raising expectations for the complicated relationship that will unfold between them.

At the end of the episode, a mysterious figure played by 'Kam Woo-sung' suddenly appeared before Yoo So-ran and Yoo Philip as they covertly prepared the assassination plot. The episode ended with the figure taking Lee Ga-kyung hostage and training a gun on her, leaving viewers desperate to see what happens next.

Produced as a special project marking tvN's 20th anniversary, the series is directed by 'Yoo In-shik,' who sparked a syndrome with his previous drama, 'Extraordinary Attorney Woo.' His signature fast-paced, stylish direction, combined with the flawless performances of the lead and supporting cast, points to the arrival of a finely crafted period drama.