Under The Gun (Korean: 언더더건) is a Korean romance noir TV series broadcast on Lifetime Channel and AXN. The drama was written by Lee Hae-ri, directed by Hong Chung-gi, and starring Zuho of SF9, Jo Soo-min and Seo Ji-won.[1]

Under the Gun
GenreYouth, Romance
Written byLee Hae Ri
Directed byHong Chung Gi
Starring
Country of originSouth Korea
Original languageKorean
No. of episodes6
Production
Running timeApprox. 22 minutes
Original release
NetworkLifetimeAXN
ReleaseApril 12 (2024-04-12) –
April 26, 2024 (2024-04-26)

Under The Gun is also available as a Viu Original series on Viu in Asia, Middle East, Africa, including Hong Kong, Thailand, Singapore, Malaysia. It is also available in America on Viki.[2][3]

Synopsis

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When Ko Gun, the son of Korea's esteemed Hold'em expert Ko Jun Ha, finds his family facing financial ruin, he embarks on a mission to salvage their reputation by joining the Korean Poker League. Along the way, he crosses paths with the charismatic transfer student Se Young, who aspired to be a world-class pianist.[1][4][5]

Cast and characters

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Main cast

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Actor Character Character Background
Zuho Ko Gun A Sunhwa High School student. He is also the son of a professional poker player in Korea.[6]
Jo Soo-min Cha Se Young A transfer student of Sunhwa High School who was studying abroad in LA. She dreams of becoming a pianist.[7]
Seo Ji-won Joo Tae Ha A pro-Hold'em player who considers Ko Gun as his rival. He has a crush on Se Young for a long time.[8]

Supporting cast

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Actor Character Character Background
Park Noh-shik Ko Jun Ha The father of Go Gun, as well as one of the best Hold'em player in Korea.[9]
Ji Su-min Lee Ji Min Friend of Cha Se Young[10]

Production

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Development

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The series name "Under The Gun" (or "UTG") is a term from poker. The player who is under the gun must act first on the first round of betting. It also holds the meaning of the pressure that goes along with having to act before anyone else in the hand.[11]

Filming

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The filming began in June 2022 and was originally scheduled to broadcast in the later half of the year.[6] The filming took place in Seoul, Incheon and Ansan. The high school appeared in the series is actually an all-girl school, the Shinmyung Girls' Middle School.[12]

Music

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Zuho, the male lead of the drama composed and wrote one of the drama's original soundtrack, "Here I Stay". The song was performed by Zuho and Jo Soo Min, the female lead of the drama.[13]

Episodes

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No.TitleOriginal release date[a]
1"A Good Looking Guy"April 13, 2024 (2024-04-13)
Ko Gun's school life lacks any significant interests as his busy part-time schedules consume his time after classes. However, everything changes when Se Young, a transfer student from LA, joins his class and ends up sitting next to him. Initially indifferent, their frequent encounters gradually ignite a spark in Gun's life.
2"Fate Or Coincidence"April 13, 2024 (2024-04-13)
Se Young firmly believes that fate dictates the frequent crossings of her path with Gun's, and she wastes no time in showing her affection for him. On the other hand, Gun, carrying the weight of his obligations, has little patience for frivolous romance. Despite this, Se Young's presence manages to stir some interest in him. Meanwhile, Gun's encounter with Tae Ha appears to be far from amicable.
3"Gun And Se Young Kiss"April 20, 2024 (2024-04-20)
Ko Gun returns to the illegal gambling spot to make a few more bucks. However, he gets caught up in a bad hand and returns home with cuts and bruises. Meanwhile, as Se Young helps a drunk man home, she runs into Ko Gun at the drunk man's door.
4"Gun’s Sister’s Health Worsens"April 20, 2024 (2024-04-20)
Se Young can't get enough of Gun, and she follows him everywhere, even to his part-time job at the convenience store. Gun takes her to Ji Chul's bar, and she learns about the upcoming Hold'em tournament. Meanwhile, Gun's sister's health deteriorates, forcing Gun to find a means to save her.
5"All In"April 27, 2024 (2024-04-27)
Gun stands before the court for illegal gambling. With the help of petitions from his schoolmates, the court sentences him to 100 hours of community service, and he promises not to get involved in illegal gambling activities. Meanwhile, Gun continues to push Se Young away when he returns to school.
6"Defying The Odds"April 27, 2024 (2024-04-27)
Gun is fuelled by a heartfelt determination to clinch victory in the 2022 KPL championship, yet his performance in the final game appears unpromising. Despite feeling trapped with unfavourable circumstances stacked against him, he remains resolute, driven by his deep love and dedication to Jun Hee, his father, and Se Young. Although the odds seem insurmountable, he refuses to concede defeat until the very end.

Original soundtrack

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The original soundtrack of Under the Gun was released on April 29, 2024, through music label MUSIC&NEW.

No.TitleLyricsMusicArtistLength
1."Fade Away"Hwang Eun-jung, Jung Hae-min (ONCLASSA), Choi Seo-eun (ONCLASSA)CR KIM, Kim Su-bin (AIMING), Kim Seung-chanHyolyn03:45
2."Here I Stay"Zuho, Jo Soo Min, Kim Su-bin (AIMING)Zuho, CR KIM, Kim Su-bin (AIMING)Zuho, Jo Soo Min03:34
3."There's No Reason (이유가 안 돼)"Hwang Seo-young (ONCLASSA), Yoon Kyung-wonCR KIM, Kim Su-bin (AIMING), Cho Se-hui (AIMING)Kim Min-ah03:30
4."LMM (Losing My Mind)"D-HackCR KIM, Kim Su-bin (AIMING), Cho Se-hui (AIMING), D-HackD-Hack02:54
5."Last (마지막)"BLOO, Cho Se-hui (AIMING), Yoon Kyung-wonCR KIM, Kim Su-bin (AIMING), Cho Se-hui (AIMING), BLOOBLOO03:02

Notes

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  1. ^ 2 consecutive episodes release back to back every Friday night.

References

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  1. ^ a b "Under the Gun: Zuho, Jo Soo-min lead poker-themed K-drama". South China Morning Post. 2024-04-17. Archived from the original on 2024-06-20. Retrieved 2024-07-23.
  2. ^ Kang, Bo-ra (March 11, 2024). "SF9 주호·조수민 주연 '언더더건', 180여개국 동시 공개 확정" ["Under the Gun" led by SF9 Zuho, Jo Soo Min, Confirm to be Released in More Than 180 Countries]. 싱글리스트 (in Korean). Retrieved 2024-07-23.
  3. ^ Kang, Yeon-woo (March 11, 2024). "하이틴 느와르 로맨스 '언더더건', 전 세계 180여 개국 선판매" [Highteen Noir Romance Drama "Under the Gun", Sold to More than 180 Countries]. Maeil (in Korean).
  4. ^ "Zuho's Under The Gun Kdrama Release Date, Characters and More Revealed | Leisurebyte". www.leisurebyte.com. 2024-04-04. Archived from the original on 2024-07-23. Retrieved 2024-07-23.
  5. ^ Salma, Nisrina (2023-10-21). "Sinopsis Under The Gun | VIU". www.viu.com. Retrieved 2024-07-23.
  6. ^ a b Kim, Su-jin (June 20, 2022). "SF9 주호, 드라마 '언더더건' 남자 주인공 캐스팅 [공식]" [SF9 Zuho, Cast as the Male Lead of Drama "Under the Gun"]. Starnews (in Korean). Archived from the original on July 23, 2024. Retrieved July 23, 2024 – via daum.
  7. ^ Park, Ah-reum (June 22, 2022). "'펜하' 조수민, 소속사 이적 후 '언더더건' 여주인공 낙점[공식]" ["Penthouse" Jo Soo Min, Confirmed as Female Lead of "Under The Gun" After Changing Agency]. Newsen (in Korean). Archived from the original on 2024-07-23. Retrieved 2024-07-23 – via daum.
  8. ^ Jung, Hye-jin (July 12, 2022). "배우 서지원, '언더더건' 출연 확정" [Actor Seo Ji-won confirmed to appear in ‘Under the Gun’]. bntnews (in Korean). Archived from the original on July 23, 2024. Retrieved July 23, 2024 – via daum.
  9. ^ Park, Ah-reum (July 4, 2022). "박노식 연기활동 재개..'언더더건' 합류 SF9 주호 父 된다[공식]" [Park No-sik resumes acting activities... joins 'Under the Gun' and becomes SF9's Zuho's father]. Newsen (in Korean). Archived from the original on July 23, 2024. Retrieved July 23, 2024 – via daum.
  10. ^ Park, Ah-reum (June 30, 2022). "소나무 출신 지수민 '언더더건'으로 정극 드라마 첫 도전[공식]" [SONAMOO member Ji Soo Min's First Attempt at TV drama with "Under the Gun"]. Newsen (in Korean). Archived from the original on July 23, 2024. Retrieved July 23, 2024 – via daum.
  11. ^ "Under the Gun (UTG) in Poker: What it is and How to Play". www.pokernews.com. 2020-05-28. Archived from the original on 2024-07-23. Retrieved 2024-07-23.
  12. ^ "언더더건 촬영지 5곳을 알려드립니다". 드라마 촬영지 구석구석 (in Korean). 2024-04-13. Archived from the original on 2024-07-26. Retrieved 2024-07-24.
  13. ^ "언더더건 OST / Various Artists". 벅스! (in Korean). 2024-04-29. Archived from the original on 2024-07-23. Retrieved 2024-07-23.
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