The Escape of the Seven (Korean: 7인의 탈출) is a 2023–2024 South Korean television series starring Um Ki-joon, Hwang Jung-eum, Lee Joon, Lee Yu-bi, Shin Eun-kyung, Yoon Jong-hoon, Jo Yoon-hee, and Jo Jae-yoon. It revolves around seven main characters. The first season aired on SBS TV from September 15 to November 17, 2023, every Friday and Saturday at 22:00 (KST). The second season aired on SBS TV from March 29, to May 18, 2024, every Friday and Saturday at 22:00 (KST). It is also available for streaming on Coupang Play and Wavve in South Korea, and on Viu, Viki and Kocowa in selected regions.
Contents
Synopsis
Seven people involved in the case of a missing girl face huge events intertwined with many lies and desires. The journey of searching for the truth leads to bloody revenge resembling divine punishment.
Cast and characters
Main
Um Ki-joon as Matthew Lee / Sim Jun-seok / K
Kim Do-hoon as Sim Jun-seok / K
A mysterious figure who was the mastermind of the events happening in the drama, and the real killer of Da-mi. His real identity was Sim Jun-seok, apparent heir of Sungchan Group. He was revealed to be the adoptive son of Sungchan Group's chairman, and he had also hated Do-hyuk for being the biological heir, leading to him attempting to kill Do-hyuk. After having plastic surgery, he returns as Matthew Lee, a Korean-American man who runs the biggest mobile platform company in South Korea but is the tyrannical villainous figure behind the veil. He pretends to be Lee Hwi-so to gain trust of Do-hyuk and Ki-tak and uses Da-mi's revenge as an act after finding out about Chairman Bang and Ki-tak's plan. His true intention is to kill Do-hyuk after making his life miserable.
Hwang Jung-eum as Geum La-hui (or Geum Ra-hee)
The CEO of a drama production company and Da-mi's biological mother. She is skillful and aggressive at her job. Geum Ra-hee values money and success the most in her life and she will take any path to achieve that. To receive a huge inheritance, she tries to find her daughter whom she abandoned 15 years ago.
Lee Joon as Min Do-hyuk
A man who used to be a gangster. He does not have a dream or hope for his life. If he trusts someone once, he will trust them for good. Due to this, his life is filled with a series of betrayals. He believes his younger brother and mother died due to Da-mi's adoptive mother, but later found out that it was Jin-mo who killed them, and it led to him secretly acting as a spy for Matthew Lee in order to exact revenge on Jin-mo. He was revealed to be the long-lost biological son of the chairman of Sungchan Group.
Lee Yu-bi as Han Mo-ne
A young woman wants to become an idol and she is admired by her friends. She seems to have a perfect life but she has a weakness. Her weakness is that she consistently turns out lies. She secretly had a relationship with Jun-seok and gave birth to a daughter, whom she cruelly abandoned. She later frames Da-mi of having the child and ruins her life to protect herself. She also lies about her family having a business is Silicon Valley when in fact her family is poor. Mo-ne will do anything to achieve what she wants even if she has to lie or sacrifice someone to achieve it.
Extended
Lim Bo-ra as Jo Su-ji
An actress from Cherry Entertainment who betrayed her former company Taebaek Entertainment.
Shin Soo-yeon as Han-na
Special appearances
Tae Hang-ho as the chairman's son of Myeongju Girls' High School
Han Da-ra as Hong Sa-ra
Danny Ahn
Kim So-yeon
Production
Development
The work brings together author Kim Soon-ok with director Jo Dong-min for the third time after the series The Last Empress (2018) and The Penthouse: War in Life (2020–21). The series was produced by SBS Drama Division, Studio S, in cooperation with Chorokbaem Media. The cost of production the series was about ₩46.2 billion (US$40.39 million) for both seasons 1 and 2.
On February 24, 2023, it was revealed that the series was preparing for a second season. On October 13, 2023, it was announced that main director Jo Dong-min was leaving, and the second season would be directed by Oh Joon-hyuk, who also co-directed the first season. On December 29, 2023, it was announced that director Oh Song-hee would co-direct the second season with Oh Joon-hyuk.
Filming
On September 22, 2022, the cast was confirmed with the start of filming for the series. Filming for the first season ended on July 6, 2023. Filming for the second season began in July 2023.
On December 5, 2022, the production company apologized for illegally parking a small car on the sidewalk and paid a fine to the Parking Management Division of the Administrative Support Bureau of the District Office.
