Chronicle of a Blood Merchant

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Movie: Chronicle of a Blood Merchant
Revised romanization: Heosamgwan
Hangul: 허삼관
Director: Ha Jung-Woo
Writer: Yu Hua (novel), Kim Joo-Ho, Ha Jung-Woo, Park Soo-Jin, Yoon Jong-Bin
Producer: Ko Seung-Hee, Ahn Dong-Gyu, Jang Won-Suk, Oh Jung-Hyun
Cinematographer: So Jung-Oh
Release Date: January 15, 2015
Runtime: 124 min.
Genre: Family / Comedy / Drama / Melodrama / Period-1950 / Period-1960
Distributor: Next Entertainment World
Language: Korean
Country: South Korea

Plot Synopsis by AsianWiki Staff ©

Post-war South Korea in 1953, Heo Sam-Gwan (Ha Jung-Woo) works on a construction site and helps his uncle to farm. The guys in his village can't get married, until they are able to sell their own blood. By selling their blood, they prove they are in healthy condition and are able to make a lot of money. One day, Heo Sam-Gwan sees Heo Ok-Ran (Ha Ji-Won). She's the most beautiful woman in the village, but she is already dating wealthy playboy Ha So-Yong. Heo Sam-Gwan decides that he will marry Heo Ok-Ran. He sells his blood and makes enough money to marry her.

11 years later, Heo Sam-Gwan and Heo Ok-Ran are happily married and have three sons, but a rumor spreads around the village that Heo Sam-Gwan isn't the real father of their eldest son.

Notes

Based on Chinese novel "Chronicle of a Blood Merchant" ("Xǔ Sānguān Mài Xuè Jì" or "许三观卖血记") by Yu Hua (published in 1995).
First script reading took place May 22, 2014.
Filming began June 7, 2014 and finished September 28, 2014 in Suwon, South Korea. Filming also took place in Suncheon, Jeollanam Province and Hapcheon, Gyeongsang Province.

Cast



Ha Jung-Woo	Ha Ji-Won	Nam Da-Reum	No Kang-Min	Jun Hyun Suk
Heo Sam-Gwan	Heo Ok-Ran	Heo Il-Rak	Heo Yi-Rak	Heo Sam-Rak



Jeon Hye-Jin	Min Moo-Je	Jang Gwang	Sung Dong-Il	Kim Sung-Kyun
Song	Ha So-Yong	Dr. Choi	Mr. Bang	Geun-Ryong



Jeong Man-Sik	Cho Jin-Woong	Kim Jae-Young	Lee Ji-Hoon	Kang Shin-Chul
Mr Sim	Mr. An	construction worker	construction worker	construction worker



Joo Jin-Mo	Lee Kyoung-Young	Kim Young-Ae	Kim Ki-Cheon
Sam-Gwan's uncle	Ok-Ran's father	Kye-Hwa's mother	Village Old Man

Additional Cast Members:

Yoon Eun-Hye - Im Boon-Bang
Hwang Bo-Ra - Kye-Hwa
Jung Eui-Gap - Shaman
Kwak Ja-Hyoung - truck driver
Lee Seung-Joon - guard 1 at Jeil Hospital in Dongdaemun, Seoul
Choi Kyu-Hwan - mailman
Kim Jae-Hwa - Nurse at Jejoong Clinic
Lee Soo-In - Ascetic Moon’s assistant
Jo Sun-Mook - owner of Daerook restaurant
Min Kyung-Jin - old man playing Korean chess
Kim Si-Eun - Daejeon Red Cross Hospital front desk 2
Jung Woo-Jin - child
Jeong Gi-Seop - Doctor at Hochan Hospital in Gyeonggi Province
Lee Sang-Won - villager 3
Park Ji-Hong - villager 8
Song Chi-Hoon - villager 9
Yoon Byung-Hee - villager 10
Kim Woo-Hyun - villager 16
Kim Cheol-Yun - transfused patient
Yang Ji-Soo

Trailers

Image Gallery

Film Festivals

2016 (8th) Okinawa International Movie Festival - April 21-24, 2016 - Special Invitation *Okinawa Premiere

Comments

seina Feb 09 2023 8:31 am such a heart warming movie~ the story of parents who will do anything for their children, even they are willing to sacrifice their lives to save their children. Very good movie to watch with your family to know how important a family is...

also as expected from veteran actors ha jung wo & ha ji won, they are amazing!! nam dareum too!!!

Hajdu Csaba Oct 02 2022 12:20 pm An another good Korian movie. The star blighting and she made it famous ,obviously Ha Ji Won.

Monette Sep 24 2022 7:23 am A very very very good movie for me.

You may find yourself at first to be laughing but the real story is on the middle and last part.

A story of a boy lounging to be called again by his dad after knowing he is not his son. A story of patience, will and forgiveness.

It made me realize that facing hardships is easy and sweet to overcome if you are with a family or your loved ones.

A beautiful story indeed. A very talented little Nam Da Reum. I always wanted to see movies with him.

Jil Jul 26 2022 9:58 am Gives justice to the story.

That father and son story is amazing.

And to those who says this and that, read the novel first. Ofcourse not everything will be on point but i could say cast did well, storytelling on point.

9.5/10.

Great movie

MonY Apr 09 2021 8:04 am Some people keep commenting about how the lead should told his neighbors to keep their opinion to themselves. But this movie is trying to realistically portray life of people in that period. In Korea (also China where the original novel setting is) in that era, neighbors are pretty close to each other, many of them literally grow up together and the boundaries is not as clear as people nowadays. Also the theme of this movie is black comedy. You cannot take it all at face value. Many of the episodes are mean to quip society in that era. Starting from how Ha Jung Woo persuaded his in law with the lure of continuing family line, to Ha So Yong’s wife run to Shaman to help his husband. It intent to insinuate people at that time (Even though we still could find this phenomenon nowadays).

It’s hurt me to see how some poor people literally have to sell part of their body to protect their family. I’m glad it ended with all of them surviving.

Fortunately, healthcare system in Korea is significantly better now. Satisfaction of Korea’s healthcare has been consistently among the highest in the world.

Ha Ji Won is very pretty. Nam Da-reum and Ha Jung-Woo acting are so good it break my heart.

BANDIT VON JAVA Mar 17 2021 8:17 pm Not bad, but some parts are so frustrating. When the villagers gossiped that Il-Rak is not Samgwan's son, he should tell them it's none of their business n they should not stick their nose where it doesn't belong. Instead, he tried to disprove their gossip, n when his plan backfired, he started treating Il-Rak like he's no longer his son. Poor boy... I just wanted to hug him n buy him mandu when his father refused to let him join the family to the mandu restaurant. Nam Dareum is such a good actor, he's so cute n a heartbreaker ❤️?

Aishahsha Jan 20 2021 12:45 am Not bad, but not really satisfied too... But it gives me a realistic story about poor people who can't afford the hospital bills at least. ha ji won is so pretty

sunsunsun Apr 22 2017 6:30 am You should never watch this movie if you're a fan of "Chronicle of a Blood Merchant" ("Xǔ Sānguān Mài Xuè Jì" or "许三观卖血记") by Yu Hua. Or if you really want to laugh and cry at the same time with this heart-breaking story, you should read the novel, not watching the movie. Personally, I don't think this movie is that bad, but it kind of ruins the original story and makes Yu Hua's novel less amazing. Trust me!

Naisy Jan 09 2016 8:40 am The best Korean movie i have ever seen! It breaks my heart seeing First Happiness trying to find his father (not real father) after hearing his voice in the hospital. Nice movie, even if i am disappointed seeing YEH in such an unNoticeable role!

Naisy Jan 05 2016 1:30 am Yoon Eun Hye, we are waiting for your next Main Role in a Drama! Please...!

Charm Dec 17 2015 6:26 am The best ever! Ha Jung Woo made things that will be treasured forever!

firenze Sep 04 2015 1:28 am oh my gosh! Such a heart warming movie . . . The actors were all FANTASTIC! Congratulations to the entire Production Staff! Ha Jung-Woo is truly a treasured great artist! Ha Ji-Won is such a great actress! You did MARVELOUSLY GREAT!

loesje Sep 02 2015 5:31 pm Such a good movie.Very well done. I am just wondering about the healthcare system in those days. Did people really not get treated if they could not pay? isn't Korea on socialized medicine? This is so heartbreaking. Also the fact that they send out for blood typing.However the child could have been easily from het husband when you look at possibilities of blood types. B rilliant acting on number one's part!

maikeuljoniso Aug 15 2015 9:14 pm yoo eun hye.. just an additional cast.. she is the one of the best great actress in south korea.. and she is one of the most beautiful actress too..

Firdaus Feb 24 2015 8:59 am Finally a new movie from Ha Ji Won!! At first i thought its story plot is nonsense but it becomes clear now.. Kudos to YEH for willing to play a fat girl's character in this move.. It's best if she's one of the mains though..

guest Feb 07 2015 4:37 am I love ha jung woo too. he was very good in "nameless gangster" he also directs movies, multiple talent

Mery Feb 06 2015 5:48 am Fans have always wanted to watch the movies/tv shows for their favorite actor/actress regardless of the story. Everybody has different expectations . Some watch for story. some for acting. some just to watch. I didn't read the novel, to be honest the story DIDN'T interested me.so for me my fav actor/actress is more important in the matter of this film so Idk. I also like Ha jung woo, I've seen his films before.

YI Feb 05 2015 10:28 am I know some people watch this movie only for Yoon eun hye and Ha ji won. You may get disappointed because YEH plays a very minor role. I want to say that this is NOT a fans movie. We need to concentrate more on the story and performance rather than the stars you like. I am a Chinese, and I read the original novel several times when I was in the high school. It shocked me a lot. I cannot say Ha Jung Woo did good work on directing because this movie seems not very heavy. It is all about love between families. I can predict that because the director give up the historical background which is the most shinning part in the novel. Anyway, Ha Jung Woo still shows excellent performance in this movie.

Mery Feb 01 2015 8:34 am I was going to watch this movie for Yoon eun hye. I thought she was "the most beautiful woman in the village". but I learned she had a minor role and saw her look and I'm disappointed cause I'm not a fan of Ha ji won. maybe I will watch it I don't know....

glam Jan 15 2015 4:51 pm i agree @sumaiya :) let's just support both of them and let's support the movie too :D fighting!

sumaiya Jan 14 2015 2:56 pm I am a big fan of YEH, and i love ha ji won nuna too. We all know that these two are Popular

Hallyu star and most beautiful actresses in south Korea, they are also great actresses and good

friends.

Please if you'r YEH fans Respecter ha ji won and be kind to her. Please if you'r also ha ji won fans Respecter YEH and be kind to her. Let's all support this movie together. thank you so much.

glam Jan 13 2015 1:31 pm In terms of acting hats off to these two women. They simply excel in their own terms. But i can say i like Ha Ji Won better. She can act in all types of genre. In terms of outer looks, both of them are great looking too. Ha Ji Won has this classic beauty that you can't help but stare and admire her., she doesn't age, she's simply gorgeous. and its fascinating to see the spark in her eyes everytime she smile. Yoon Eun Hye is cute, and pretty, but ha ji won is beautiful. ^^

ana Dec 10 2014 2:52 am The reason why Yoon Eun Hye is not the lead in this movie is because she only accepted to do this project as a favor to her friend Ha Jung Wo. He asked if she could do a short appearance in this movie and because of their friendship, she said yes.

YEH's role here will be very small since she only agreed to a small part ( she i doing this movie for free)and her role is a fat lady here, so dont expect for her to look gorgeous here.

So please no fighting.

guest Dec 06 2014 1:29 am @Avidneri, there is nothing wrong with liking our bias and wanting them to do well. But some comments promoting their interests really look weird.

The comment that since the main character is the "most beautiful woman in the village" then the prodn is expected to slate the "best" looking amongst the female casts for the role tops them all: implying Yeh "is the pretty one" why has she not been casted as the "most beautiful woman'', why does someone who fails in the look dept get the job. This is parallel to saying if the character is a hunchback then only artists with the most acute hunch is acceptable while normal healthy actors do not merit the part. Or only a psycho actor should be casted as a psycho, a disfigured to take on as a disfigured.

Avidneri Dec 03 2014 2:43 am I am a hardcore fan of Yoon Eun Hye and I like Ha Ji Won a lot too. Ha Jung Woo and Ha Ji Won are two of the biggest names in Korean Movie. I'm happy that she's a part of this movie. HA JI WON, HA JUNG WOO, YOON EUN HYE and the rest of the cast FIGHTING!

guest Nov 23 2014 9:54 pm Isnt it comical to compare the looks of HJW and Yeh here. We are talking about a movie, hence acting and not looks is the main issue. No one is denying that looks is relevant but prettiness alone is not THE deciding factor for casting. Anyway Yeh has already been signed up for a new movie with Park Shi Hoo. She will be the lead there. No quarrel please. So those who cannot relate to HJW's look in this movie can easily go over to watch the Yeh/PSH combo.

Serina Nov 22 2014 5:08 am Oh my God Ha Ji Wons new Movie !!❤️❤️❤️ In the background I can see Turkish flag and Danish flag omg I am so proud

hanna Oct 12 2014 1:13 am Oh My God ! Another Awesome Movie !! Wooooooh ! I'm Sooooo Excited ! Ha Ji Won Is There The Best Actress and The Best Kind Person That I Knew ! I Think Its Blockbuster Agaiiin ! Why ? Because The Very Beautiful and Talented and Best Actress Ha Ji Won Is There ! And Also The Other Cast and Story is Really Good Too ! But Ha Ji Won Is The Best ! :DD ♥♥

Go Go Go Ha Ji Won 'noona ! We Here To Support Your Movie and To Support You Whatever Happens ! GoodLuck and Still Kind and Humble Person ! ♥

sally Oct 02 2014 9:52 am Can't wait, also Ha Ji Won needs to do another bad ass historical melo drama, i miss Empress Ki so much already!!! >.<

Nika Oct 01 2014 4:37 pm Just wondering, pushing aside who is the better actress … in the plot summary it says that the lead male is eventually able to marry the most beautiful woman in the village! I am a fan of both actresses and cannot compare them since they do different things. HJW is best at action/adventure, whereas YEH is a greatat "physical" comedy! HJW have done a sageuk/historical genre, but if it's purely about looks, YEH is the better looking one. She has more of the hourglass figure and her face is softer, whereas HJW's beauty is not so much in the facial features as it is in the expressions of the face.¨ YEH is the "pretty" one and HJW plays lead here - it will be difficult to relate to character, but I'm curious!

Hajiwonfan Sep 06 2014 9:41 pm Ha Ji won!!!!! The best actresses in the whole entire world!!! I love her smile!! I think that it is right that Ha Ji won is the lead actress because she is a versatile actress and she knows how to act. Also she is natural. Yoon Eun Hye can no way be better than her. She is popular but she isn't very good at acting especially in I MISS YOU. She had no expression at all in that drama!! Her mouth was always open as well. Very unnatural!

Me Sep 06 2014 1:13 pm Yoon eun hye was supporting her friends in this movie i heard the male lead ask her to b part of this film,well the last movie han ji won did was not really a blockbuster so they need more support from other popular actors to make this movie on top...

vani Sep 06 2014 11:32 am for me yoon eun hye is the best forever . let's go unnie YEH .

Raymundo Sep 01 2014 10:13 am Opinions are like assholes. If you don't like Yoon Eun Hye, you probably are one...

mia Aug 18 2014 2:32 am YEH ur still.the best n number one for me......gogogo.Kang hae na ! YEH

Torz Jul 13 2014 7:35 am Ha Ji Won has proven to be a versatile actress and she's a great actress. Am a fan too of Yoon Eun Hye and she's a good actress too but she does nothing compare to Ha Ji Won. HJW's resume is from actions historical, modern actions, real life historical dramas, romantic comedies, series drama, sad movies, the list goes on...as for YEH all her dramas has been romantic comedies, the only serious one was 'I miss u' and that's all. So unfortunately HJW has trully earn her place to be the lead actress in this movie. Good on YEH for trying something new but she's not even close to Ha Ji Won's level of expertise.

Jurippe Jun 22 2014 2:30 pm Guys this is a movie ofcourse the lead should be given to the more veteran actress which is HJW. Anyway let's just all be happy that will see Ha Ji Won and Yoon Eun Hye in a movie together. It would be a blockbuster for sure.

Jurippe Jun 22 2014 2:26 pm Ha Ji Won and Yoon Eun Hye in a movie. It would be a blockbuster for sure.

kumon Jun 19 2014 7:00 am Ha Ji Won has already proven herself in movies. She is in the top 10 box office best ticket power of all time and is the youngest in the list (the list also includes Song Kang Ho, Kim Hye Soo etc.). She has also won notable movie awards baeksang, blue dragon, golden chest, etc. She and Ha Jung Woo really match in terms of popularity and acting talent in films. I hope for great success in this movie and it is expected since two of the most brilliant actors in Korea teamed up for this movie. CoaBM, fighting!

jim Jun 17 2014 11:05 am no matter what role she plays, yoon eun hye will just own the screen..

HajiwonFan Jun 12 2014 4:39 am Haji is the best. Eun Hye's acting is nothing compared to Haji Won's so I think it's just right for Haji Won to have the lead role.

a1989 Jun 11 2014 10:55 am Hi . I Think Yoon Eun Hye is The Best Korean Actress . Why She Is Not Lead Role In This Movie ? Why ? Why ?

fan.yeh Jun 01 2014 12:38 pm Yoon Eun Hye is back to screen. I am ready for your movie.

gg May 30 2014 9:44 am Ha Ji Won & Yoon Eun Hye....fighting! Love u all.

Vania May 28 2014 3:03 pm Yoon Eun Hye unnie you're the best ♥

jenny May 28 2014 9:41 am This woman, Ha Ji Won, does not rest! I'm so happy to be her fan because I can watch her many times but I think she needs some rest. HJW fighting!

Antonette May 28 2014 4:10 am Yoon Eun Hye is not the lead actress. But Yoon Eun Hye will do the movie with no talent fee because she is friends with Ha Jung Won. Such a thoughtful friend.

zazen May 28 2014 1:57 am yoon why is not the main actress

Lilian Chang May 28 2014 1:44 am Ha Jung Won has made the right choice to cast Ha Ji Won as the most beautiful gal in the villiage, she fits into this movie perfectly!!! Hopefully, this Korean version is a comedy as I hate t see HJW sobbing...:(

kumon May 05 2014 8:07 am the best movie actress and best movie actor in one drama? I'm in!

Jen2014 Apr 22 2014 10:14 am I;m frantically waiting for these two to come together since Jung woo-ssi had a great chemistry with actresses in every movie he acted on. Ji won-unni as well, adapts to her character very much and Empress Ki is such a great drama with her on it! Fighting ! Unni and Oppa!

charm Apr 01 2014 1:51 pm yes,yes,they're finally together! waiting in vain paid off!

idah01 Mar 10 2014 7:21 pm Omooo!!! Ji-won unnie, i'm so happy that one of your dreams came true, looks like you got the thumbs up to work on a project with Ha Jung Woo. looking forward to it, but man do you need a vacation.

Ivy Feb 05 2014 9:49 am Annywong sist Jiwon-Ha, during you have a fight with long drama #EmpressKi why you are not take a break for 1-3days., you really need that. And the most important thing is WHY you are delaying for Hollywood project since you already sign the contraxt with UTA. Your future in USA i waiting you, and this 2014 year is your turn (horse shio) to reach a big STAR.

That is why you must carefull about the others contract. Last but not the least, stay warm and keep healthy. End, more practice for your english language. 1023 always with you ♥♥♥

Me. Ivy. Same age with you. Indonesian. Master Telecommunication. Work always travel world wide. Kamsahamnida.

Chronicle of a Blood Merchant

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Plot Synopsis by AsianWiki Staff ©

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Cast

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