Artificial City ~ Power, Privilege, and Psychological Warfare ~ Going Down?

“Artificial City” is a 2021 Korean drama, 20 episodes, categorized as Corporate drama, Psychological, Mystery, and Thriller, streaming on Viki and Apple TV.

• Memorable Quote:  “Everything. All of your things, mother-in-law.”

SUMMARY: The dark ambitions of a woman unravel. She is determined to elevate her husband to the presidency, no matter the cost. Hidden agendas, family secrets collide, and a powerful conglomerate group becomes the battleground.

♦ Power Struggles and Hidden Agendas

In “Artificial City”, Yoon Jae-Hee is the ambitious unwelcomed daughter in law of the Sungjin Group. Her husband, Jung Joon-Hyeok, is the illegitimate son of the conglomerate. He has a polished image as a respected anchorman, but that isn’t enough for Yoon Jae-Hee. She pushes him toward political power because she has dreams of becoming the First Lady. The Blue House is not an impossible dream. She just needs to have everything that belongs to her mother-in-law, Seo Han-Sook. Her mother-in-law has already given her the key to the vault. The vault contains information about every politician, government official, and other high-ranking people in business who have accepted bribes. Yoon Jae-Hee refuses to return to the poverty she once knew, and this refusal fuels every calculated move she makes.

Kim Yi-Seol has an impressive resume, so she was hired to work at the art gallery run by Yoon Jae-Hee. But right from the start, it’s clear that she has a hidden agenda. Beneath her calm exterior, she carries a personal vendetta tied to long-buried crimes involving the Sungjin family and Yoon Jae-Hee’s family. She deliberately inserted herself inside the art gallery to get close to the people who destroyed her life. Yoon Jae-Hee is unaware of her true motives. As Kim Yi-Seol gathers information, she becomes a dangerous variable in the power struggle between Yoon Jae-Hee and her mother-in-law, Seo Han Sook. Kim Yi-Seol wants to expose the secrets they use for power and control.

My “Dirty Ambitions” Will Be Achieved

Jung Joon-Hyeok has countless extra-marital affairs. Yoon Jae-Hee turns a blind eye to her husband’s bed partners because her ambitions are more important. However, her husband becomes increasingly unstable. He is torn between his wife’s ambitions and his mother’s suffocating expectations. The psychological warfare between Yoon Jae-Hee and Seo Han-Sook becomes more and more intense. Whenever Yoon Jae-Hee feels cornered, she turns more ruthless as she fights to maintain control over her husband and her future. But Jung Joon-Hyeok has a hunger for power and control and as it grows, he changes into someone who is far more dangerous than anyone anticipated. Meanwhile, Kim Yi-Seol’s investigation deepens, and she uncovers evidence linking the Sungjin Group to a long-buried murder, putting her life in danger.

In this “Artificial City”, alliances shift, betrayals multiply, and the true cost of ambition becomes painfully clear. It’s a “city” built on manipulation, where power supersedes humanity, and where every relationship—familial, romantic, or political—is a transaction waiting to be exploited. No one escapes unscathed.

Main Characters:

• Yoon Jae-Hee (played by Soo-Ae, “High Society”, “Sweet Stranger and Me”)
• Jung Joon-Hyeok (played by Kim Kang-Woo, “The Childe”, “The Beast and the Beauty”, “New Year Blues”, “The Vanished”, “Wonderful World”, “The Tyrant”, “The Old Woman With The Knife”, “Circle: Two Worlds Connected”, “Item”)
• Seo Han-Sook (played by Kim Mi-Sook, “Lovers”, “As You Stood By”, “Little Women”, “The Whirlwind”, “The Flower in Prison”, “Insu, The Queen Mother”)
• Kim Yi-Seol (played by Lee E-Dam, “Can This Love Be Translated?”, “The Queen Who Crowns”, “Pavane”)
• Han Dong-Min (played by Lee Hak-Joo, “The Great Flood”, “Beyond the Bar”, “Memories of the Alhambra”, “My Name”, “Shadow Detective 1 and 2”, “My Dearest 1 and 2”, “Parole Examiner Lee”, “The Potato Lab”)

Where to Watch: Viki and Apple TV

Viewership and Rating:

• IMDb: 5.7 out of 10 stars
• My Drama List: 7 out of 10 stars
• Dramabeans: 8.7 out of 10 stars
• The Movie Database (TMDB): 6.3 out of 10 stars
• Viki viewers rated the series: 8.1 out of 10 stars

My personal rating is the same as the Viki viewing audience.

“Artificial City” has been on my TBR (To Be Reviewed) list for a while. The first episode clearly defines the characters, and you wonder if there are any “nice” people. Each character has an agenda.  Each is determined to accomplish their goal (or “gold”). One of the reviewers said, “On the topic of characters, there are so many dislikable characters in this drama. It’s all about power plays/dynamics, political alliances, and egos.”  Uuhh … Yep!

LINKS OF INTEREST:

‘Artificial City’ Soars To Its Highest Ratings Yet. | Soompi

3 Unforgettable Moments From “Artificial City” That Shocked Viewers | Soompi

Final Review: Artificial City (JTBC, 2021). | The Cat That Watches TV

Artificial City 2021 K-Drama Review. | The Muse Culture

KDrama Review: Artificial City. | K&J Reviews

TRAILER/TEASER:

OnlyKDrama. “Artificial City (2021).” YouTube, 10 May 2010, https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HIc38MJl8JI.

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