{ "id": "ep2gx2yza7", "slug": "uncle-samsik", "title": "Uncle Samsik (삼식이 삼촌)", "updated": "2026-11-01", "topic_path": [ { "id": "culture", "label": "Arts and culture", "api_url": "https://www.edgepedia.org/api/v1/topics/culture" }, { "id": "culture.performance", "label": "Screen and stage", "api_url": "https://www.edgepedia.org/api/v1/topics/culture.performance" }, { "id": "culture.performance.screen", "label": "Film and television", "api_url": "https://www.edgepedia.org/api/v1/topics/culture.performance.screen" }, { "id": "culture.performance.screen.series", "label": "Series and fictional screen worlds", "api_url": "https://www.edgepedia.org/api/v1/topics/culture.performance.screen.series" }, { "id": "culture.performance.screen.series.series_international_serials", "label": "International serial drama and telenovelas", "api_url": "https://www.edgepedia.org/api/v1/topics/culture.performance.screen.series.series_international_serials" }, { "id": "culture.performance.screen.series.series_int_serials_east_asia", "label": "East Asian drama series", "api_url": "https://www.edgepedia.org/api/v1/topics/culture.performance.screen.series.series_int_serials_east_asia" }, { "id": "culture.performance.screen.series.series_int_serials_east_asia.korean_sageuk", "label": "Korean historical drama (sageuk)", "api_url": "https://www.edgepedia.org/api/v1/topics/culture.performance.screen.series.series_int_serials_east_asia.korean_sageuk" } ], "geo": [ { "id": "geo.asia.t2021.culture.performance.screen.series.series_int_serials_east_asia", "label": "Asia (other) · 2021 and later: East Asian drama series", "api_url": "https://www.edgepedia.org/api/v1/geo/geo.asia.t2021.culture.performance.screen.series.series_int_serials_east_asia", "path": [ { "id": "geo.asia", "label": "Asia (other)", "api_url": "https://www.edgepedia.org/api/v1/geo/geo.asia" }, { "id": "geo.asia.t2021", "label": "Asia (other) · 2021 and later", "api_url": "https://www.edgepedia.org/api/v1/geo/geo.asia.t2021" }, { "id": "geo.asia.t2021.culture", "label": "Arts and culture", "api_url": "https://www.edgepedia.org/api/v1/geo/geo.asia.t2021.culture" }, { "id": "geo.asia.t2021.culture.performance", "label": "Screen and stage", "api_url": "https://www.edgepedia.org/api/v1/geo/geo.asia.t2021.culture.performance" }, { "id": "geo.asia.t2021.culture.performance.screen", "label": "Film and television", "api_url": "https://www.edgepedia.org/api/v1/geo/geo.asia.t2021.culture.performance.screen" }, { "id": "geo.asia.t2021.culture.performance.screen.series", "label": "Series and fictional screen worlds", "api_url": "https://www.edgepedia.org/api/v1/geo/geo.asia.t2021.culture.performance.screen.series" }, { "id": "geo.asia.t2021.culture.performance.screen.series.series_international_serials", "label": "International serial drama and telenovelas", "api_url": "https://www.edgepedia.org/api/v1/geo/geo.asia.t2021.culture.performance.screen.series.series_international_serials" }, { "id": "geo.asia.t2021.culture.performance.screen.series.series_int_serials_east_asia", "label": "East Asian drama series", "api_url": "https://www.edgepedia.org/api/v1/geo/geo.asia.t2021.culture.performance.screen.series.series_int_serials_east_asia" } ] } ], "excerpt": "Uncle Samsik (삼식이 삼촌) is a 2024 Disney+ Korean political period drama, 16 episodes, May 15–June 19, 2024, written and directed by Shin Yeon-shik. Song Kang-ho's first drama role; 40 billion won budget; IMDb 6.6/10; set in late-1950s to early-1960s Korea.", "snippet": "Uncle Samsik (삼식이 삼촌) is a 2024 Disney+ Korean political period drama, 16 episodes, May 15–June 19, 2024, written and directed by Shin Yeon-shik. Song Kang-ho's first drama role; 40 billion won budget; IMDb 6.6/10; set in late-1950s to early-1960s Korea.", "node": "culture.performance.screen.series.series_int_serials_east_asia.korean_sageuk", "markdown": "# Uncle Samsik (삼식이 삼촌)\n\n**Uncle Samsik** (삼식이 삼촌) is a 2024 South Korean political period drama series written and directed by Shin Yeon-shik for Disney+, starring [Song Kang-ho](https://www.edgepedia.org/song-kang-ho) as the fixer Park Doo-chil, known as Uncle Samsik, and [Byun Yo-han](https://www.edgepedia.org/byun-yo-han) as the idealist economist Kim San. The 16-episode series ran from May 15 to June 19, 2024, and is set in South Korea in the late 1950s and early 1960s, against the backdrop of the 1960 presidential election and the upheavals that followed it.[1](https://www.samsungpop.com/common.do?cmd=down&contentType=application%2Fpdf&fileName=2020%2F2024073103125931K_02_02.pdf&inlineYn=Y&saveKey=research.pdf) • [2](https://www.kinocine.com/2026/02/unclesamsik2024.html) • [3](https://www.koreatimes.co.kr/amp/entertainment/shows-dramas/20240627/interview-song-kang-ho-byun-yo-han-proud-of-uncle-samsik-despite-disappointing-reception)\n\n| Key fact | Detail |\n|---|---|\n| Format | Disney+ Korean original drama, 16 episodes, May 15 to June 19, 2024[1](https://www.samsungpop.com/common.do?cmd=down&contentType=application%2Fpdf&fileName=2020%2F2024073103125931K_02_02.pdf&inlineYn=Y&saveKey=research.pdf) |\n| Creator | Written and directed by Shin Yeon-shik[2](https://www.kinocine.com/2026/02/unclesamsik2024.html) |\n| Leads | Song Kang-ho as Park Doo-chil (Uncle Samsik); Byun Yo-han as Kim San[3](https://www.koreatimes.co.kr/amp/entertainment/shows-dramas/20240627/interview-song-kang-ho-byun-yo-han-proud-of-uncle-samsik-despite-disappointing-reception) |\n| Setting | Late 1950s to early 1960s Korea, around the 1960 presidential election and subsequent protests[3](https://www.koreatimes.co.kr/amp/entertainment/shows-dramas/20240627/interview-song-kang-ho-byun-yo-han-proud-of-uncle-samsik-despite-disappointing-reception) |\n| Budget | 40 billion won (about $28.8 million)[3](https://www.koreatimes.co.kr/amp/entertainment/shows-dramas/20240627/interview-song-kang-ho-byun-yo-han-proud-of-uncle-samsik-despite-disappointing-reception) |\n| Milestone | Song Kang-ho's first drama role in his 35-year career since his 1990 debut[4](https://www.kmediarods.com/fileUpload/bulletins/news_pdf_2024-05-18.pdf) |\n| IMDb rating | 6.6/10 from 384 user ratings (unweighted mean 6.4)[5](https://www.imdb.com/title/tt21936640/ratings/) |\n| Availability | Disney+ and Hulu[6](https://www.rottentomatoes.com/tv/uncle_samsik/s01) |\n\n## Spoilers\n\n### Premise and title\n\nThe series follows Park Doo-chil, a political fixer who works closely with politicians to secure his place in the upper echelons of society, and Kim San, an ambitious elite idealist determined to reshape the country's fortunes. Park persuades Kim to join forces, promising to help make his dream a reality, and the two form an uneasy alliance.[3](https://www.koreatimes.co.kr/amp/entertainment/shows-dramas/20240627/interview-song-kang-ho-byun-yo-han-proud-of-uncle-samsik-despite-disappointing-reception) • [6](https://www.rottentomatoes.com/tv/uncle_samsik/s01)\n\nThe nickname carries the show's central idea. \"Samsik\" translates to \"three meals\" in Korean, and the character is known for making sure everyone around him eats three meals a day, even during the war.[7](https://www.koreajoongangdaily.com/entertainment/veteran-star-song-kang-ho-reflects-on-small-screen-debut-in-uncle-samsik-on-disney/10913471) • [8](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5R0XrMG_Uh4) At a press conference, Song Kang-ho called it \"a very Korean title,\" explaining that it captures an era when people were desperate for food; director Shin Yeon-shik added that the drama portrays the difficult years right after the [Korean War](https://www.edgepedia.org/korean-war), when having even one meal a day was a challenge.[9](https://www.thereviewgeek.com/uncle-samsik-s1-review/) In the show, Park explains the name himself: \"It's out of love and respect that everybody calls me Samsik, brother Samsik, Uncle Samsik.\"[10](https://asamnews.com/2024/05/16/hulu-political-drama-south-korea-power-struggle/)\n\n### Story and structure\n\nThe drama opens in 1960 with Kim San being held in a secret bunker of the Capital Defense Command, recalling how he first met Park Doo-chil, a frame structure in which the past unfolds inside the present.[4](https://www.kmediarods.com/fileUpload/bulletins/news_pdf_2024-05-18.pdf) The story is set against real historical events, including the 1960 presidential election and the protests that followed it.[3](https://www.koreatimes.co.kr/amp/entertainment/shows-dramas/20240627/interview-song-kang-ho-byun-yo-han-proud-of-uncle-samsik-despite-disappointing-reception) Kim San's economic development project in the drama corresponds to the Three-Year Economic Development Plan that the Rhee government drafted between 1958 and 1960, a plan the series frames as the work of a Ministry of Interior official whose credit is claimed by politicians.[11](https://www.christiantoday.co.kr/news/361826)\n\nPark Doo-chil's fall is depicted within the great currents of the period: the March 15 rigged election, the April 19 Revolution, and the May 16 military coup. Kim San becomes a minister as Park had hoped, but Park is shot by the soldiers who seized power in the coup.[12](https://www.joongang.co.kr/article/25259180) Director Shin said the drama borrows the period as a backdrop while all the characters are fictional, and that he did not want to divide them cleanly into good and evil.[12](https://www.joongang.co.kr/article/25259180)\n\n## Cast\n\nSong Kang-ho, known internationally for films such as *Parasite*, played his first television role here after roughly 35 years in film and theater since his 1990 stage debut in the play *Choi Seonsaeng*.[3](https://www.koreatimes.co.kr/amp/entertainment/shows-dramas/20240627/interview-song-kang-ho-byun-yo-han-proud-of-uncle-samsik-despite-disappointing-reception) • [4](https://www.kmediarods.com/fileUpload/bulletins/news_pdf_2024-05-18.pdf) The supporting cast includes [Lee Kyu-hyung](https://www.edgepedia.org/lee-kyu-hyung) as Assemblyman Kang Sung-min, Jin Ki-joo as Joo Yeo-jin, Seo Hyun-woo as Jeong Han-min, Oh Seung-hoon as Ahn Ki-chul, and, in other roles, Yoo Jae-myung, Joo Jin-mo, Oh Kwang-rok, and Tiffany Young of Girls' Generation.[2](https://www.kinocine.com/2026/02/unclesamsik2024.html) • [7](https://www.koreajoongangdaily.com/entertainment/veteran-star-song-kang-ho-reflects-on-small-screen-debut-in-uncle-samsik-on-disney/10913471)\n\n## Reception\n\nThe series generated considerable excitement before release because of Song Kang-ho's debut and its 40 billion won budget, but it struggled to win a significant audience on the streaming platform and fell short with global viewers.[3](https://www.koreatimes.co.kr/amp/entertainment/shows-dramas/20240627/interview-song-kang-ho-byun-yo-han-proud-of-uncle-samsik-despite-disappointing-reception) Critics cited its dialogue-heavy, slow-paced story and complex plot structure; Song attributed the international barrier to a 1950s setting that Koreans know but have not experienced.[3](https://www.koreatimes.co.kr/amp/entertainment/shows-dramas/20240627/interview-song-kang-ho-byun-yo-han-proud-of-uncle-samsik-despite-disappointing-reception) On IMDb it holds a 6.6/10 rating from 384 users.[5](https://www.imdb.com/title/tt21936640/ratings/) Reviewers praised the two lead performances: Decider's Joel Keller wrote that \"two fine lead performances\" drive the drama, and The Review Geek scored the season 8.5/10 while noting that frequent quick cuts and flashbacks sometimes made the narrative hard to follow.[6](https://www.rottentomatoes.com/tv/uncle_samsik/s01) • [9](https://www.thereviewgeek.com/uncle-samsik-s1-review/) Common Sense Media called it a sophisticated, multi-layered show that does not coddle viewers, rated TV-MA, and best suited to viewers interested in history.[13](https://www.commonsensemedia.org/tv-reviews/uncle-samsik)\n\nDespite the disappointing reception, Song and Byun expressed satisfaction with the series, saying it brought a serious, weighty plot to a streaming scene dominated by faster-paced content.[3](https://www.koreatimes.co.kr/amp/entertainment/shows-dramas/20240627/interview-song-kang-ho-byun-yo-han-proud-of-uncle-samsik-despite-disappointing-reception)\n\n## References\n\n1. [Disney+ Korean original drama lineup 2024, Samsung Securities research note](https://www.samsungpop.com/common.do?cmd=down&contentType=application%2Fpdf&fileName=2020%2F2024073103125931K_02_02.pdf&inlineYn=Y&saveKey=research.pdf)\n2. [Uncle Samsik preview, Kinocine](https://www.kinocine.com/2026/02/unclesamsik2024.html)\n3. [Song Kang-ho, Byun Yo-han proud of 'Uncle Samsik' despite disappointing reception, The Korea Times (June 27, 2024)](https://www.koreatimes.co.kr/amp/entertainment/shows-dramas/20240627/interview-song-kang-ho-byun-yo-han-proud-of-uncle-samsik-despite-disappointing-reception)\n4. [Uncle Samsik feature, Kmediarods newspaper PDF (May 18, 2024)](https://www.kmediarods.com/fileUpload/bulletins/news_pdf_2024-05-18.pdf)\n5. [Uncle Samsik (TV Series 2024) – Ratings, IMDb](https://www.imdb.com/title/tt21936640/ratings/)\n6. [Uncle Samsik: Season 1, Rotten Tomatoes](https://www.rottentomatoes.com/tv/uncle_samsik/s01)\n7. [Veteran star Song Kang-ho reflects on small screen debut in 'Uncle Samsik', Korea JoongAng Daily](https://www.koreajoongangdaily.com/entertainment/veteran-star-song-kang-ho-reflects-on-small-screen-debut-in-uncle-samsik-on-disney/10913471)\n8. [Uncle Samsik bible video: Song Kang-ho, Byun Yo-han, Lee Kyu-hyung, Jin Ki-joo, Disney+ Korea, YouTube](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5R0XrMG_Uh4)\n9. [Uncle Samsik Season 1 Review, The Review Geek (June 30, 2024)](https://www.thereviewgeek.com/uncle-samsik-s1-review/)\n10. [Uncle Samsik is seduced by power, but will the show seduce you? – AsAmNews](https://asamnews.com/2024/05/16/hulu-political-drama-south-korea-power-struggle/)\n11. [Uncle Samsik and Korea's economic development plans, Christian Today](https://www.christiantoday.co.kr/news/361826)\n12. [Song Kang-ho and director Shin Yeon-shik on Uncle Samsik, JoongAng Ilbo](https://www.joongang.co.kr/article/25259180)\n13. [Uncle Samsik – Parents' Guide & TV Review, Common Sense Media](https://www.commonsensemedia.org/tv-reviews/uncle-samsik)\n\n---\n*Topic: Encyclopedia › Arts and culture › Screen and stage › Film and television › Series and fictional screen worlds › International serial drama and telenovelas › East Asian drama series › Korean historical drama (sageuk)*\n\n*Initially written Oct 3, 2026 · Reviewed: Oct 25, 2026 · Edited: Oct 15, 2026; Oct 25, 2026; Nov 1, 2026 · Last review: Oct 25, 2026*\n\n*Copyright 2026 EdgeChat AI, a subsidiary of Biostate AI.*\n\nLicense: Edgepedia Community License 1.0, https://www.edgepedia.org/edgepedia/license\n", "same_as": [], "url": "https://www.edgepedia.org/uncle-samsik", "markdown_url": "https://www.edgepedia.org/uncle-samsik.md", "license": { "name": "Edgepedia Community License 1.0", "url": "https://www.edgepedia.org/edgepedia/license", "summary": "Free with credit, commercial use included. AI training is open to everyone. For other uses, organizations over USD 100M in revenue or 100M monthly users license separately.", "spdx": "LicenseRef-Edgepedia-Community-1.0" }, "credit": "\"Uncle Samsik (삼식이 삼촌)\", Edgepedia (EdgeChat), https://www.edgepedia.org/uncle-samsik. Edgepedia Community License 1.0.", "credit_md": "\"[Uncle Samsik (삼식이 삼촌)](https://www.edgepedia.org/uncle-samsik)\", Edgepedia (EdgeChat), [https://www.edgepedia.org/uncle-samsik](https://www.edgepedia.org/uncle-samsik). [Edgepedia Community License 1.0](https://www.edgepedia.org/edgepedia/license).", "credit_html": "\"Uncle Samsik (삼식이 삼촌)\", Edgepedia (EdgeChat), https://www.edgepedia.org/uncle-samsik. Edgepedia Community License 1.0.", "speakable": "Uncle Samsik is a 2024 Disney+ Korean political period drama, 16 episodes, May 15–June 19, 2024, written and directed by Shin Yeon-shik." }