"Mr. Sunshine", the drama

February 11th, 2025

“Mr. Sunshine” is a very popular Korean historical drama that delves into themes of nationalism, love, and political struggle. It was directed by Lee Eung-bok and written by Kim Eun-sook (the same team behind “Goblin”). The lead actors are Lee Byung-hun (playing Eugene Choi), Kim Tae-ri (playing Go Ae-Shin), and Yoo Yeon-seok (playing Goo Dong-Mae). The drama aired in 2018 and was praised for its cinematography, intricate storytelling, and strong performances.

The story behind the drama is based on real historical events. It's set during the late 19th and early 20th centuries, a tumultuous time in Korean history when the nation faced intense foreign intervention (powers like Japan, China, and Western nations) and internal struggles for independence. Both fictional and real-life characters tell the story of love, betrayal, and patriotism. It's a beautiful, if sometimes tragic, reflection on the sacrifices of the people during that time.

The drama takes place in the backdrop of the Gabo Reform (1894–1896), the Russo-Japanese War (1904–1905), and the Japanese annexation of Korea in 1910. These events drastically changed Korea's political landscape and had a huge impact on its culture, economy, and sovereignty.

The Joseon Kingdom was gradually losing its sovereignty to Japan, and many Koreans fought back through underground movements and secret alliances with other countries. The drama portrays this resistance, especially through the character of Eugene Choi, a Korean-American man who returns to Korea after growing up in the U.S. and working as a U.S. marine. At the beginning, he has a somewhat detached, foreign perspective on the situation in Korea but eventually grows close to the local people and their struggles. He gets involved with the Korean independence movement while balancing his complicated feelings about his homeland. The drama’s depiction of his internal conflict about his identity and loyalty reflects the broader historical question of how Koreans felt about their country’s occupation and political upheaval.

Eugene Choi is a fictional character inspired by a real person, the Governor Hwang Ki-Hwan (1886–1923), who lived a similar life and was an independence activist. With his excellent English and background in the US military, he played a major role in influencing international public opinion, denouncing the Japanese invasion. In 1921, he published the first issue of the magazine “Free Korea” in French and English. Some 1000 copies were mainly distributed to European media, governments, and celebrities to promote the free Republic of Korea and to denounce the persecutions by the Japanese.

The main female character, Go Ae-shin, is based on real Korean female activists who fought for independence during the Japanese occupation. In the same way, the character Kim Hee-sung, the aristocratic man caught between tradition and the looming modern era, also reflects the class divisions and conflicts during that time.

A significant part of “Mr. Sunshine” is the depiction of the Korean independence movement, particularly the efforts of characters like Ahn Jung-geun, a real-life independence fighter who assassinated the first Japanese Resident-General of Korea, Ito Hirobumi, in 1909. Though Ahn’s story isn’t directly portrayed in the drama, the spirit of his actions is felt in the show's overarching themes of resistance and the fight for freedom.

The series is not only a love story but also a commentary on how modernity and foreign influences were slowly but surely overtaking traditional Korean life.

The outdoor set called "Mr. Sunshine Studio" was built purposefully to film this drama. Praised for its attention to detail, it helped to recreate many of the settings that reflect the cultural shift happening during that time. The Studio also serves as a popular tourist destination for fans of the drama and historical Korean settings. Here is how I saw it ;-)