Basketball (South Korean TV Series)

Basketball is a South Korean television drama series that aired on the network tvN from October 21 to December 17, 2013. Directed by Kwak Jung-Hwan and written by Kim Ji-Young and Jang Hee-Jin, the series consists of 18 episodes.

Promotional poster for the drama Basketball

Plot

The series is set during the turbulent historical period between the end of the Japanese colonial era and the division of the Korean Peninsula. The narrative follows Kang San, played by Do Ji-Han, a young man from an impoverished background who seeks to escape his circumstances through the sport of basketball. As he achieves success in the sport, he encounters a woman from an upper-class family, and the story explores their struggle to maintain a relationship despite significant social disparities.

Historical Context

The story is inspired by the real-life Korean basketball team that competed in the 1948 London Olympics. This team holds historical significance as the first and only time a Korean team participated in the Olympic Games under a unified national name.