Lee Je-hoon made a striking transformation into a gray-haired negotiator, changing the atmosphere from his very first appearance.
In the new JTBC weekend drama ‘The Art of Negotiation’ (directed by Ahn Pan-seok | written by Lee Seung-young | produced by B.A. Entertainment, SLL, Drama House Studio), which premiered on the 8th, Lee Je-hoon appeared as the negotiation expert Yoon Joo-no, leading the M&A team, creating a character that feels alive beyond just external changes.
He meticulously captured Yoon Joo-no's traits as a negotiation expert through his voice, gaze, expressions, gestures, and walking style. It was evident that he acted with the determination to live as Yoon Joo-no throughout the filming period. The sharp and cold aspects of the negotiation expert, along with an inscrutable expression, sparked curiosity about his complex inner self.
Lee Je-hoon displayed an overwhelming aura reminiscent of a legendary negotiator, even without any gestures at the negotiation table. Particularly, during the initial power struggle with the representative of Sanin Construction and in the scene where he counter-offered a performance bonus to Bioum D&I, his gravitas and impressive dialogue delivery left everyone breathless.
In the first episode, Yoon Joo-no returned to Korea at the call of Chairman Song (played by Sung Dong-il) of Sanin Group, realizing the crisis of needing to repay 11 trillion won in debt and defend the stock price. He sought out M&A team members, personally recruiting financial officer Kwak Min-jung (played by Ahn Hyun-ho) and lawyer Oh Soon-young (played by Kim Dae-myung), and completed the team by interviewing the only M&A team applicant, intern Choi Jin-soo (played by Cha Gang-yoon).
He then informed the executives that selling some of the group's businesses was inevitable to achieve their goals, specifically mentioning the construction company that drives Sanin Group, stirring the atmosphere in the room.
In the second episode, Yoon Joo-no (played by Lee Je-hoon) was depicted sitting at the negotiation table to achieve the two-digit sale price proposed by Chairman Song (played by Sung Dong-il). Despite the risks, Yoon Joo-no engaged in a high-stakes psychological battle with the representatives of the bidding companies to successfully sell at a high price, ultimately discovering that Bioum D&I had submitted a bid of 7 trillion 999.9 billion won, exceeding initial expectations.
Yoon Joo-no and his team proceeded with an MOU contract with Bioum D&I, which had successfully bid, and later, the representative of Bioum D&I, who heard about a negative issue from the representative of Sanin Construction, requested a discount due to uncertainty. Yoon Joo-no did not let this obstacle pass and counter-offered that if they received reconstruction approval before the acquisition, he would ask for a bonus equal to the discount amount.
Dramatically securing the bonus, Yoon Joo-no proposed to the representative of Bioum D&I that he would reduce the amount by 29.9 billion won if they would buy a grave site. This grave site was intended for the grandmother who had difficulty agreeing to the reconstruction of the Chungnyeol Apartment to be buried alongside her deceased grandfather.
Successfully concluding the M&A, often referred to as a war without weapons, Yoon Joo-no and his team also helped an elderly couple with a touching story, adding warmth to the narrative. The team members were astonished by Yoon Joo-no's negotiation skills, and he humbly remarked that he was just lucky.
Chairman Song also praised Yoon Joo-no for his efforts, noting that there was still 2.5 trillion won left to reach the goal of 11 trillion, and asked if he would sell another affiliate. Yoon Joo-no responded with a surprising statement, “This time, I will buy.” The ending left viewers curious about his other reasons for returning, as he was seen making a request regarding Jumbo Pharmaceuticals with a stern expression.
‘The Art of Negotiation’ is an office drama centered on corporate mergers and acquisitions. It depicts the activities of Yoon Joo-no (played by Lee Je-hoon), a negotiation expert in M&A at the large corporation Sanin Group, and his team. The collaboration between director Ahn Pan-seok, known for ‘The White Tower’, ‘Secret Love Affair’, and ‘Something in the Rain’, and Lee Je-hoon has garnered attention.
During the production presentation, Lee Je-hoon expressed, “I feel inspired that such a drama can come out in Korea again,” and added, “I would confidently recommend this work to the viewers.”
