Released on April 14, 2023, the Netflix K-drama series Queenmaker (퀸메이커) stars Kim Hee-ae as the electoral campaign manager, Hwang Do-hee and Moon So-ri as the Civil Rights lawyer, Oh Kyung-sook in the lead roles. The 11-part political drama series has been directed by Oh Jin-seok and written by Moon Ji-young.
All 11 episodes of the show drive a hard and ruthless competition between several candidates contesting in the upcoming mayoral elections. The series stars with the character Hwang Do-hee, a political fixer who’s made grand contributions to the Eunsung Group led by chairperson Son Young-sim (Seo Yi-sook) and helped lay down the conglomerate’s corrupt foundation.
Regardless of how briefly it may have been reflected at the beginning of the series, Do-hee starts small in this journey until fate finally leads her to the same path as Son Young-sim. While initially, she may have started as someone desperate to hold her ground and stay in the chairperson’s good books, she eventually internalises that way of living to the extent that she stops feeling bitter about whatever steps and means you resort to keep the show running.
The realisation only hits her when she encounters a tragedy concerning I-seul, Baek Jae-min’s (Son Young-sim’s son-in-law, played by Ryu Soo-young) secretary. This incident finally opens her eyes to how Eunsung Group has been preying on the working middle class, some more than others, guiding her to switch her paths and redirecting her aim to pushing for Oh Kyung-sook’s candidacy in the electoral run.
How Kim Hee-ae and Moon So-ri’s Characters Aided Each Other’s Journey in Queenmaker
When we first meet Kyung-sook, she emerges as the voice of the People’s Union, the very centrepiece of the Women’s Human Rights Wave, and leader of the Worker’s Solidarity with Rights Foundation. While Do-hee was working for Eunsung Group, she had all sorts of means and resources at her disposal; however, Kyung-sook had the bare availability of YouTube to spread the word.
As is often said, true transformation is only possible when one chooses to reflect on one’s actions. Although the renowned powerful fixer had a way of making anyone’s will bend down as per Eunsung Group’s needs, she acknowledges her position as the “guard dog” or “loyal dog” playing to the beat of Son Young-sim’s drum only later. And when she does, it marks the first step towards her growth. Yet, it’s all possible only when she joins forces with Kyung-sook, who compels her to retrospect and change her ways in the game of politics.
Possibly one of the most important dialogues of the series, which also sums up the idea at the storyline’s core, is the one uttered by Kim Hee-ae’s Hwang Do-hee – “Good hearts have a way of influencing others”, and as expected, it speaks greatly of Kyung-sook’s contribution in turning her associate’s perception around.
Watching how the other contending forces in this relentless match showcase and propagate their ideologies is even more interesting. Seo Min-jung (Jin Kyung), who’s otherwise called the ‘servant of the common people’, leads with her rather utilitarian approach. It’s reflected in one of her dialogues that reads, “In politics, lives are only worth the value they can add. For one piece, you would throw up the whole game? Give it all up?”.
Even Carl Yoon (Lee Geung-young), the ‘King of Elections’ who eventually joins as Baek Jae-min’s campaign manager, is seen playing an actual game of Chess throughout the episodes. But again, he does so alone, signifying that his ego pushes him to believe that he’s above everyone else in this fight and can never meet a worthy enough contender, especially since he considers everyone a pawn in the game that can be easily manipulated without breaking a sweat.
On the other hand, Hwang Do-hee starts on this mission to go up against the Eunsung Group after witnessing the sacrifice of one person alone. Both Yoon and Min-jung can heartlessly push off one person as collateral damage in the process, but not Do-hee, especially not after the tragedy broke out.
And who else shares this notion with her? None other than Kyung-sook – who makes it loud and clear in her statement, “People’s lives aren’t playthings and how each one is so incredible”, which ultimately translates into Do-hee’s development as well, further highlighted in her conversation with her ex-husband, “Now I agree with her that determination to save everyone could be the keystone to creating a better world to live in.”
Staying close to Kyung-sook helps her admit (even to herself) that she may have stepped on this journey only to exact revenge and clear her conscience over what happened with I-seul. Nevertheless, it ultimately also leads her to accept that Kyung-sook helped open her eyes “to a world (she) couldn’t see. One where protecting the weak is a natural thing.”
And in the end, Kyung-sook can take over the political scene (which she wouldn’t even put herself out for if it were not for Do-hee intervening in her life) because she always preferred “camaraderie” over the “power of the party”. It’s clearer than ever that she finally found that camaraderie in Do-hee’s company.
One of the most heartfelt moments to me during this run is when Kyung-sook finally finds out about the demise of Do-hee’s father. Despite being stuck in a web of conspiracies woven by the other party candidates, she instantly comes by Do-hee’s side to console her, barely considering their other problems.
In a plot that pushes us to believe that politics is about ‘showmanship’, Do-hee and Kyung-sook’s connection goes beyond that “political performance” to stay by each other’s sides in the name of sisterhood, which finally blurs the line between the supposed “political fantasy” they were reaching out for as a team, and reality.
Queenmaker is now streaming on Netflix. Read our review of the K-drama here.
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