Overview of Suspicious Partner
‘Suspicious Partner’ is a compelling 2017 South Korean SBS television series that boasts a star-studded cast including Ji Chang-wook, Nam Ji-hyun, Choi Tae-joon, and Kwon Nara. With a total of approximately 40 episodes, the series seamlessly blends two seemingly opposing genres of romance and crime, creating a captivating storyline that keeps viewers on the edge of their seats.
Profile
- Drama: Suspicious Partner
- Genre: Romance/Thriller
- Director: Park Sun-ho
- Writer: Kwon Ki-young
- Network: SBS
- Episodes: 40
- Release Date: May 10 – July 13, 2017
- Language: Korean
- Country: South Korea
Cast
Main
- Ji Chang-wook as Noh Ji-wook
Noh Ji-wook is a handsome prosecutor, who is intelligent, analytical, and logical. He is known for his sharp wit and ability to connect the dots in a case, which has earned him a reputation as a formidable adversary in the courtroom.
However, beneath his polished exterior, Noh Ji-wook is also a deeply emotional person. Noh Ji-wook’s personal life is just as complicated as his professional life. He has a troubled past that haunts him to the present day, and he struggles with trust issues and commitment phobia. Despite his reservations, he is a caring and protective person towards the people he loves, and he will go to great lengths to keep them safe.
- Nam Ji-hyun as Eun Bong-hee
A prosecutor trainee working under Noh Ji-wook. She is a strong and independent woman. Despite her ambition and dedication, Bong-hee’s life takes an unexpected turn when she becomes a murder suspect after her ex-boyfriend’s body is discovered at her house. With no alibi and the mounting evidence against her, she finds herself at the centre of a high-profile criminal investigation, pursued relentlessly by Jang Moo-young, the victim’s father who blames her for his son’s death.
Amidst the chaos of her legal troubles, Bong-hee develops a close relationship with Noh Ji-wook, who defends her in court and becomes a supportive ally in her fight for justice. Over time, their professional relationship evolves into a romantic one. Despite the obstacles, she remains optimistic and determined, always striving to overcome anything that stands in her way.
- Kwon Nara as Cha Yoo-jung
Noh Ji-wook’s ex-girlfriend. - Choi Tae-joon as Ji Eun-hyuk
Noh Ji-wook’s best friend.
Supporting
- Lee Deok-hwa as Byun Young-hee
- Nam Gi-ae as Hong Bok-ja
- Jo Seung-yeon as Noh Young-suk
- Jang Hyuk-jin as Bang Eun-ho
- Yoon Bok-in as Park Young-soon
- Lee Do-yeop as Bong Hee-boo Hwang Chan-sung as Jang Hee-joon
Synopsis
Eun Bong-hee, (Nam Ji-hyun) a prosecutor trainee, finds herself in a difficult situation as she becomes a murder suspect for the murder of her ex-boyfriend. In an effort to prove her innocence, Noh Ji-wook, (Ji Chang-wook), a prosecutor, steps in to help her, but his involvement ultimately costs him his job. Although Bong-hee is no longer a suspect of the crime, she develops feelings for Ji-wook, who doesn’t reciprocate her love, but instead offers to assist her in finding the true culprit.
What Happens in the Story?
Eun Bong-hee is a prosecutor trainee. While riding in the metro, she meets Ji-wook, a prosecutor. Their first meeting was tragic due to a misunderstanding as she accused him of being a molester, despite his attempts to prove his innocence. Later, she caught her boyfriend Hee-joon (Chansung) cheating on her with another girl in a hotel. In anger, Bong-hee tells Hee-joon that she will sleep with the next man she meets. Fate intervenes, and the next man she encounters is Ji-wook. After they have a few drinks, Bong-hee passes out and wakes up in Ji-wook’s house.
Three months later, Ji-wook assigns Bong-hee to work in his office. She encounters her ex-boyfriend Hee-joon at this point and urges him to take his belongings from her flat. Later that evening, after visiting a nearby convenience shop, Bong-hee goes back to her apartment where she discovers Hee-joon has been fatally stabbed. Bong-hee is detained for his murder, and Ji-wook takes on the case as the prosecutor.
She wasn’t condemned because Ji-wook decided to act as a righteous prosecutor and dismissed fabricated evidence against her. With no evidence against her, she was acquitted of the murder charge. Grateful for Ji-wook’s help, Bong-hee’s admiration for him grew, and their relationship developed into something more.
After losing his job as a prosecutor, Ji-wook transitioned into becoming a lawyer. With her freedom regained, Bong-hee became determined to uncover the true murderer and clear her name completely. With Ji-wook’s support and help, they eventually found the evidence they needed to identify the true culprit. It was later discovered that Jeong Hyun-soo (played by Dong-ha) was the culprit, a serial killer seeking revenge for his first love who was gang-raped.
Awards
- 25th SBS Drama Awards (2017)
Excellence Award, Actress in a Wednesday–Thursday Drama – Nam Ji-hyun
Interesting Facts About ‘Suspicious Partner’
- Initially, the drama had two working titles, ‘Beware This Woman’ and ‘Suspicious Romance’. Eventually, the team decided to go with ‘Suspicious Partner’, a title that better reflected the drama’s unique blend of romance and crime.
- On 4 April 2017, the highly anticipated first script reading for ‘Suspicious Partner’ occurred at the SBS Ilsan Production Center in Tanhyun, South Korea. The entire cast and crew gathered together to read through the script for the very first time, marking an exciting milestone in the production process.
Ji Chang-wook as Noh ji-wook and Nam Ji-hyun as Eun Bong-hee in a still from “Suspicious Partner” (2017). Credit: Pinterest - Ji Chang-wook and Nam Ji-hyun, who play the lead roles in ‘Suspicious Partner’, previously worked together on the historical drama ‘Warrior Baek Dong-soo’ in 2011. The two actors displayed their impressive acting skills and on-screen chemistry in their previous project, which likely played a role in their casting for Suspicious Partner.
- ‘Suspicious Partner’ was made up of 20 episodes, each an hour long. However, in Korea, there are rules that say commercials can’t be shown in the middle of an episode. So, the show’s creators decided to split each hour-long episode into two 30-minute episodes, with a commercial break in between. They did this because the ratings for one of the previous shows had dropped, and they wanted to avoid the same thing happening to their show.
FAQs
- Who is the director of ‘Suspicious Partner’?
Park Sun-ho directed the drama. - What is the genre of ‘Suspicious Partner’?
Romance/Thriller. - Who are the lead actors in ‘Suspicious Partner’?
The drama features a star-studded cast including Ji Chang-wook, Nam Ji-hyun, Choi Tae-joon, and Kwon Nara. - What is the Instagram ID of Ji Chang-wook and Nan Ji-hyun?
Ji Chang-wook’s Instagram ID is jichangwook and Nan Ji-hyun’s is hyuniiiiiii_95917.
