‘Argon’ is a tvN K-drama that aired in 2017. The drama only lasts for eight one-hour episodes but it definitely left an impact on me.
‘Argon’ is an investigative news program and it shows how the journalists come to their news reports and their dynamics. There are also a lot of power dynamics and general ‘backstabbery’ at play. That’s part of what made it so interesting to watch.
Now, for a little background, I studied a couple of years of Journalism back in Belgium and I thought it was incredible to see how they implemented things like the ethical codes a journalist has to follow. The Journalist’s Association was also mentioned, as was freedom of speech, which is pretty important.
The Plot
There’s also a part of the story line where Kim Baek-Jin (excellently portrayed by Kim Ju-Hyeok) is being sued by an organization he unmasked, which is a very real threat for reporters and anyone working in media. Just take a look at all the libel lawsuits happening around the globe. Being a journalist is not an easy job.
We also have the second main lead Lee Yeon-Hwa, played by Chun Woo-Hee who you might know as the lead of ‘Be Melodramatic’. She did an excellent job in ‘Argon’. Her character doesn’t exactly have it easy.
This drama was so incredibly well done, I couldn’t wait to finish it. I literally skipped a good night’s sleep to be able to watch all of it.
The Script
The director Lee Yoon-jung did an excellent job and she’s also directed one of my current favorites ‘The Lies Within’. One of the writers of ‘Argon’ also worked on ‘The Lies Within’ so now I know why I’m obsessed with both.
Joo Won-Kyu, the second out of three writers for ‘Argon’ recently published the book ‘Made in Gangnam’ about the Seoul clubbing scene. He went undercover for six months to get insights in the industry. Currently I can’t find any English versions of the book, or I would have linked it here.
Shin Ha-Eun was the third writer and this was her first writing project. She also co-wrote ‘The Crowned Clown’ which came out earlier this year.
For its eight episodes, the K-drama ‘Argon’ was perfectly paced, though the only time I felt that everything was a bit rushed was with the last episode. I kind of wished for a more cutthroat ending, but they were too busy tying up all the loose ends.
I would 100% recommend this drama if you’re into intellectual dialogue, good investigative journalism and good pacing.
It’s on Netflix, so check out the trailer here.
