5th Republic (2005): cast, story & where to watch

Released in 2005, 5th Republic is a drama series.

What it’s about. 5th Republic is a controversial political drama about the Fifth Republic of South Korea, one of the most turbulent times in modern Korean history. The 41-episode television series covered the key aspects of the period from President Park Chung-hee's assassination to general Chun Doo-hwan's military coup and his bloody rise to power, as well as the ensuing conflicts between the pro-democratic movement and Chun's military regime and the behind-the-scenes power struggles that ultimately led to Roh Tae-woo's presidential succession in 1987. Given the sensitive nature of the subject matter, 5th Republic tread a fine line between fact and fiction, and faced many challenges even before the start of the production - one of which was pressures from actual political figures who threatened to sue the network for defamation if the script was not modified. Moreover, there was concern over the possible glorification of the drama's lead character Chun Doo-hwan played by Lee Deok-hwa whose strong charisma helped draw in big audience during the drama's initial broadcast on MBC in 2005.

Who’s in it. 5th Republic stars Lee Duck-hwa as Chun Doo-hwan, Seo In-seok as Roh Tae-woo, Lee Jae-yong as Lee Hak-bong and Lee Jeong-kil as Kim Jong-pil, among others.

How it landed. With an audience score of 9.5/10, 5th Republic sits among the best-reviewed titles in the catalogue.

Where to watch. Streaming options change often. See the full, country-by-country breakdown on our where to watch 5th Republic page.

If you liked it. Fans of 5th Republic tend to enjoy Breaking Bad, Better Call Saul, Demon Slayer: Kimetsu no Yaiba and Attack on Titan.