| Native Name: |
| ||
| Creator: | SBS TV | ||
| Creative Director: | Lee Jung-heum | ||
| Composer: | Park Se-joon | ||
| Country: | South Korea | ||
| Language: | Korean | ||
| Num Episodes: | 16 + 2 specials | ||
| Executive Producer: | Lee Hyun-jin | ||
| Editor: | Bang Soo-yun | ||
| Camera: | Single-camera | ||
| Runtime: | 60 min | ||
| Channel: | SBS TV |
| Korean name | |
| Hangul: | 추적자 |
| Hanja: | 追跡者 |
| Rr: | Chujeokja |
| Mr: | Ch'ujŏkcha |
The Chaser is a 2012 South Korean television drama series about a grieving father out for revenge against corrupt officials.[1]
Despite no hype or big stars, the thriller gave a strong performance in the ratings, ending its run at 22.1% (number one in its timeslot). Its rise in popularity was based on the tightly written and well-structured storyline, solid direction, and cast members' acting skills.[2] [3]
The series tells the story of Detective Baek Hong-suk, a happily married family man whose life is shattered when his 15-year-old daughter is killed in a car accident, causing his wife to go into a state of shock, eventually killing herself and leaving Hong-suk a widower. He later discovers his daughter's death was the result of a conspiracy led by politician Kang Dong-yoon, to secure his political future as a presidential candidate. Hong-suk goes from loving, doting father and cop to harrowed man hellbent on revenge, as Kang continues to rise in power. With the help of Kang's sister-in-law, a reporter, Hong-suk takes revenge against the man who ruined his life.
| The Chaser OST Album | |
| Type: | soundtrack |
| Artist: | Various Artists |
| Released: | 10 July 2012 |
| Genre: | Soundtrack |
| Length: | 23:01 |
| Language: | Korean |
| Label: | Sony Music (소니뮤직) |
| The Chaser OST Special | |
| Type: | soundtrack |
| Artist: | Heo Gong |
| Released: | 17 July 2012 |
| Genre: | Soundtrack |
| Length: | 07:04 |
| Language: | Korean |
| Label: | Sony Music (소니뮤직) |
| Episode # | Original broadcast date | Average audience share | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| TNmS Ratings[4] | AGB Nielsen[5] | ||||||
| width=100 | Nationwide | width=100 | Seoul National Capital Area | width=100 | Nationwide | width=100 | Seoul National Capital Area |
| 1 | 28 May 2012 | 10.0% | 12.6% | 9.3% (13th) | 10.3% (8th) | ||
| 2 | 29 May 2012 | 10.9% | 13.5% | 9.9% (9th) | 11.0% (6th) | ||
| 3 | 4 June 2012 | 11.6% | 14.7% | 9.2% (16th) | 9.7% (11th) | ||
| 4 | 5 June 2012 | 11.5% | 14.1% | 9.8% (9th) | 10.3% (9th) | ||
| 5 | 11 June 2012 | 13.2% | 16.5% | 10.6% (7th) | 10.7% (7th) | ||
| 6 | 12 June 2012 | 12.5% | 15.1% | 11.1% (5th) | 11.9% (4th) | ||
| 7 | 18 June 2012 | 13.2% | 14.5% | 11.5% (5th) | 12.4% (4th) | ||
| 8 | 19 June 2012 | 13.2% | 14.1% | 13.3% (4th) | 14.2% (4th) | ||
| 9 | 25 June 2012 | 13.6% | 16.3% | 12.4% (4th) | 13.1% (4th) | ||
| 10 | 26 June 2012 | 13.8% | 15.8% | 13.2% (4th) | 14.2% (4th) | ||
| 11 | 2 July 2012 | 14.0% | 15.9% | 13.1% (4th) | 13.9% (4th) | ||
| 12 | 3 July 2012 | 15.3% | 16.2% | 13.5% (4th) | 14.3% (4th) | ||
| 13 | 9 July 2012 | 20.0% | 22.4% | 17.9% (3rd) | 19.7% (3rd) | ||
| 14 | 10 July 2012 | 23.1% | 26.7% | 20.7% (3rd) | 22.3% (2nd) | ||
| 15 | 16 July 2012 | 22.1% | 26.6% | 20.4% (3rd) | 21.5% (1st) | ||
| 16 | 17 July 2012 | 25.1% | 28.3% | 22.6% (2nd) | 23.8% (1st) | ||
| Average | 15.2% | 17.7% | 13.7% | 14.6% | |||
| Year | Award | Category | Recipient | Result |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2012 | Best Drama | The Chaser | ||
| Top Excellence Award, Actor | ||||
| Excellence Award, Actress | ||||
| Grand Prize (Daesang) | ||||
| Top Excellence Award, Actor | ||||
| Excellence Award in Visuals | Jung Ki-hyun, Kim Dae-kwon | |||
| Popularity Award, Drama category | ||||
| Grand Prize (Daesang) | ||||
| Top Excellence Award, Actor in a Miniseries | ||||
| Excellence Award, Actor in a Miniseries | ||||
| Excellence Award, Actress in a Miniseries | ||||
| Special Acting Award, Actor in a Miniseries | ||||
| Jo Jae-yoon | ||||
| Special Acting Award, Actress in a Miniseries | ||||
| Kim Do-yeon | ||||
| Producers' Award | ||||
| Top 10 Stars | ||||
| New Star Award | ||||
| Best Drama | The Chaser | |||
| 2013 | Best Drama | The Chaser | ||
| Best Actor (TV) | ||||
| Best Director (TV) | Jo Nam-kook | |||
| Best Screenplay (TV) | ||||
| 40th Korea Broadcasting Awards | Best Mid-length Drama | The Chaser | ||
| Best Actor | ||||
| Best Screenwriter | ||||
| Silver Bird Prize (Runner-up, Best Series Drama) | The Chaser | |||
It aired in Japan on cable channel KNTV from 20 September – 8 November 2013,[6] and was re-aired on cable channel BS-Fuji.[7]
It aired in Thailand on Workpoint TV in midyear 2015.[8]