Eyes of Dawn

Eye of Dawn

Details

• Title: 여명의 눈동자(黎明의 눈동자) / Yeo-myoung-eui Noon-dong-ja
• Genre: Epic, Historical, Drama, Romance
• Episodes: 36
• Broadcast network: MBC
• Broadcast period: Oct. 7, 1991 - Feb. 26, 1992
• Viewership Ratings: peak=58.4% average=42.0%

Cast

• Choi Jae Sung as Dae-chi
• Chae Si Ra as Yeo-ok
• Park Sang Won as Ha-rim

Production Credits

• Writer: Song Ji Na
• Director/Producer: Kim Jong Hak

Synopsis

Based on a bestseller by Kim Seong Jong (1981), Eye of Dawn is the story of three young Koreans caught in the maelstrom of the nation's modern history. Spanning from the colonial period to the Korean War, the series brought to attention such issues as Japanese war crimes (especially the existence of 'comfort women') and the tragedies wrought by Korea's ideological divisions.

Trivia

• With a cast of 270+ (as well as 27,000+ extras), location shoots in the Philippines and China (unprecedented as South Korea had yet to normalize relations with its communist neighbor), three years in the making, Eye of Dawn was a huge critical and popular success, pioneering the 'special project' template.
• It also paved the way for Sandglass (1995), Song Ji Na and Kim Jong Hak's next project for the budding and rival network, SBS.

Awards

• Baeksang Awards (1992): Daesang (Grand Prize), Best Drama, Best Director, Best Actor (Choi Jae Sung), Best Actress (Chae Si Ra)
• Korean Broadcasting Awards (1992): Best Drama, Best Producer
• Producers Association Awards (1993): Best Drama