The Matchmakers
Promotional poster
Hangul
혼례대첩
Hanja
婚禮大捷
Literal meaningWedding Battle
Revised RomanizationHollyedaecheop
McCune–ReischauerHollyedaech'ŏp
Genre
Written byHa Soo-jin[2]
Directed by
  • Hwang Seung-gi[2]
  • Kim Soo-jin[2]
Starring
Music byPark seung-jin
Country of originSouth Korea
Original languageKorean
No. of episodes16
Production
Executive producerYoon Jae-hyuk (KBS)
Producers
  • Seok shin-ho
  • Kwon Yong-han
  • Eom Joo-young
Production companies
Budget₩17.2 billion[3]
Original release
NetworkKBS2
ReleaseOctober 30 (2023-10-30) 
December 25, 2023 (2023-12-25)

The Matchmakers (Korean: 혼례대첩) is a 2023 South Korean television series starring Rowoon and Cho Yi-hyun. It aired on KBS2 from October 30 to December 25, 2023, every Monday and Tuesday at 21:45 (KST) time slot.[2] It is also available for streaming on Wavve in South Korea and, on Viki and Viu in selected regions.[4][5]

Synopsis

The series tells the story about a young widower, named Shim Jung-woo (Rowoon), and a young widow, named Jung Soon-deok (Cho Yi-hyun), joining forces to marry off three unmarried women who represent the problem of "old maids" in Joseon.

Cast

Main

A Confucian scholar who becomes the youngest person to pass the state civil service examination.
A widow and the second daughter-in-law of the Left State Councilor, she secretly works as Yeoju-daek, the best matchmaker and bangmul seller in Hanyang.

Supporting

People around Shim Jung-woo

Jung-woo's butler.
  • Kim Geon-ho as Yoo Eui-won[7]
Jung-woo's doctor. He is a member of the State Council.
  • Kim Yeon-woo as Shim Myung-woo[8]
Jung-woo's older brother.
  • Lee Sang-gu as Shim Jin-ho[8]
Jung-woo's father.

People around Jung Soon-deok

  • Heo Nam-jun as Jung Soon-gu[9]
Soon-deok's older brother. He works as a government inspector.
Soon-deok's maid who supports her double life.

The Left State Councilor's family

Soon-deok's mother-in-law.
  • Lee Hae-young as Jo Yeong-bae[6]
Soon-deok's father-in-law who is the Left State Councilor.
Lady Park's younger brother who is a Minister of Military Affairs.
  • Oh Ye-joo as Jo Ye-jin[6]
The famous daughter of the Jo family and Soon-deok's sister-in-law. She is considered Hanyang's best bride material with a lot of talent.
  • Kim Si-woo as Jo Geun-seok[12]
The son of Soon-deok's deceased elder brother-in-law and the eldest grandson of the Jo family. Currently registered as Soon-deok's son.
  • Park Seong-jin as Jo In-hyeon[12]
The deceased eldest son of the Left State Councilor.
  • Yoon Yeo-won as Jo In-guk[12]
Soon-deok's deceased husband.
  • Kim Ga-young as Sam-wol's mother[7]
The family maid and Lady Park's right-hand woman.

People in the palace

King of Joseon and Jung-woo's father-in-law.
The crown prince's mother.
  • Hong Dong-young as Lee Jae
The crown prince.
  • Seo Jin-won as Do Seung-ji[11]
The king's closest right-hand man.
  • Park Hyun-jung as Royal Noble Consort Sukbin Park[7]
Prince Jin-seong's mother and a concubine who was favored by the King.
  • Kim Da-heein as Kim Moon-gun[7]
A minister.
Park Bok-ki's close aide who is good at literary and martial arts.
  • Park Chae-young as Princess Hyojeong
Jung-woo's deceased wife.

The Maeng family

  • Choi Hee-jin as Lady Cho[6]
Mother of the three Maeng sisters and a former matchmaker.
The eldest daughter of the Maeng sisters.
  • Park Ji-won as Maeng Doo-ri[14]
The second daughter of the Maeng sisters who is known as Mak De-nyeo (a woman with a harsh tongue) due to her foul mouth.
The third daughter of Maeng sisters who is a novelist. She disguises herself as a man using the pen name "Hwa Rok".

Groom candidates

A Sungkyunkwan Confucian student and the eldest grandson of the Sungkyunkwan Daeseong family. He is considered the best groom material in Hanyang.
  • Choi Kyeong-hoon as Yoon Bu-gyeom[11]
Jo Ye-jin's first love. He is an only son and orphan who farms with his grandparents.
  • Bin Chan-wook as Heo Sook-hyun[15]
A scholar who dreams of becoming a colonel.
  • Jung Woo-jae as Kim Jip[15]
A romanticist traveling around the eight provinces in search of a woman who will truly love him rather than his family.
  • Cho Chang-hee as Jang Chun-bae[15]
He is using his wealth to find a young bride.
  • Go Deok-won as Han Jong-bok[15]
He has been preparing for the civil service exam for 10 years. He is looking for a bride who can support him well.

People in the Hongwol Gaekju

A merchant who makes and sells makeup. She lives in Hanyang with her daughter.
  • Jeong Seung-gil as Hong Cheon-soo[16]
The owner of Hongwol Gaekju, who sets the trend for Hanyang noble ladies.
  • Jeong Yeon as Mrs. Lee[17]
A member of the Bangmul Merchants.
  • Jeong Ji-an as Masan-daek[17]
A member of the Bangmul Merchants.
  • Park Bo-bae as Jonju-daek[17]
A member of the Bangmul Merchants.
  • Lee So-e as Gaeseong-daek[18]
The youngest member of the Bangmul Merchants.
  • Lee Ye-ju as Bok-hee[17]
Yeoju-daek's daughter.

Others

A former sergeant, but nowadays he is a laborer who hunts down runaway slaves.
  • Woo Hyun-joo as Lady Jung[7]
Lee Si-yeol's mother.
  • Lee Chang-min as Mae Gol-seung[19]
A monk at Seonhwasa Temple.
Maeng Ha-na's friend who supposedly committed suicide. Jung Soon-gu is investigating her death.

Production

Casting

On July 5, 2023, Rowoon and Cho Yi-hyun confirmed their appearances in the series.[20]

Viewership

The Matchmakers: South Korea viewers per episode (thousands)
SeasonEpisode number
12345678910111213141516
1733593696657611633N/A664728591755739797N/AN/AN/A
Source: Audience measurement performed nationwide by Nielsen Korea.[21]
Average TV viewership ratings
Ep. Original broadcast date Average audience share
(Nielsen Korea)[21][22]
Nationwide Seoul
1 October 30, 2023 4.5% (13th) 4.2% (12th)
2 October 31, 2023 3.6% (14th) 3.4% (13th)
3 November 6, 2023 4.0% (17th) 4.0% (15th)
4 November 7, 2023 3.9% (12th) 3.7% (13th)
5 November 13, 2023 3.5% (18th) 3.5% (16th)
6 November 14, 2023 3.7% (13th) 3.4% (12th)
7 November 20, 2023 3.3% (21st) 3.6% (16th)
8 November 27, 2023[lower-alpha 1] 3.9% (16th) 4.1% (12th)
9 November 28, 2023 4.1% (12th) 4.0% (10th)
10 December 4, 2023 3.4% (18th) 3.4% (16th)
11 December 5, 2023 4.3% (13th) 4.2% (9th)
12 December 11, 2023 4.3% (16th) 4.3% (13th)
13 December 12, 2023 4.4% (10th) 4.6% (9th)
14 December 18, 2023 5% (12th) N/A
15 December 19, 2023 5% (10th)
16 December 25, 2023 5.8% (9th)
Average 4.2% [lower-alpha 2]
  • In the table above, the blue numbers represent the lowest ratings and the red numbers represent the highest ratings.
  • N/A denotes ratings that were not published.

Notes

    1. Episode 8 was postponed due to coverage of the South Korea–China match for the 2nd round of the 2026 FIFA World Cup qualification.[23]
    2. Due to multiple unpublished ratings, the exact average rating is unknown.

    References

    1. "Cho Yi-hyun Excited About 1st Lead Role in Period Drama". The Chosun Ilbo. October 19, 2023. Archived from the original on October 19, 2023. Retrieved October 19, 2023.
    2. 1 2 3 4 5 Lee, Kyung-ho (May 31, 2023). "[단독]로운X조이현 '혼례대첩', 10월 편성..2023 KBS 월화극 대미 장식" (in Korean). Star News. Archived from the original on August 23, 2023. Retrieved August 23, 2023.
    3. Kim, In-kyung (September 11, 2023). "에프엔씨엔터, 172억원 드라마 '혼례대첩' 제작 계약 체결". E Daily (in Korean). Archived from the original on October 6, 2023. Retrieved September 22, 2023 via Naver News.
    4. Kim Hyun-jung (October 30, 2023). 드라마 '혼례대첩' 인물관계도·몇부작·출연진·OTT 알아보기 [Find out about the character relationships, episodes, cast, and OTT of the drama 'Wedding Battle']. Gukje News (in Korean). Archived from the original on October 30, 2023. Retrieved October 30, 2023.
    5. Ais Shah (September 30, 2023). "Pertembungan Dua Pencari Jodoh Dalam The Matchmakers| VIU". Viu (in Indonesian). Archived from the original on October 12, 2023. Retrieved October 12, 2023.
    6. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 Kang Min-kyung (September 22, 2023). "[공식] 한양 최고 울분남 로운♥청상과부 조이현 '혼례대첩', 10월 30일 첫방" [[Official] Hanyang's most angry man, Rowoon ♥ Cheongsang widow Jo Yi-hyeon, 'Wedding Battle', first broadcast on October 30th] (in Korean). Ten Asia. Archived from the original on September 25, 2023. Retrieved September 22, 2023 via Naver.
    7. 1 2 3 4 5 6 Jang Soo-jeong (September 22, 2023). "로운·조이현 코믹 멜로 사극 '혼례대첩', 10월 30일 첫 방송" (in Korean). Dailyan. Archived from the original on October 3, 2023. Retrieved September 22, 2023.
    8. 1 2 "혼례대첩". 혼례대첩 (in Korean). Archived from the original on October 27, 2023. Retrieved October 27, 2023.
    9. "The Matchmakers (2023) K-Drama Cast & Character Guide: Who stars in this historical rom-com?". The Review Geek. Archived from the original on December 15, 2023. Retrieved December 15, 2023.
    10. "방은정, KBS '혼례대첩' 캐스팅". entertain.naver.com (in Korean). Archived from the original on October 17, 2023. Retrieved October 17, 2023.
    11. 1 2 3 4 5 6 Yang So-young (September 22, 2023). "'혼례대첩' 로운 조이현 대본리딩 포착...조선판 러브 액츄얼리" (in Korean). Star Today. Archived from the original on October 3, 2023. Retrieved September 22, 2023 via Naver.
    12. 1 2 3 "혼례대첩". 혼례대첩 (in Korean). Archived from the original on October 27, 2023. Retrieved October 27, 2023.
    13. Jeon Hyo-jin (October 27, 2023). "SF9 휘영, '혼례대첩' 출연" (in Korean). Sports Donga. Archived from the original on October 27, 2023. Retrieved October 27, 2023 via Naver.
    14. Kim Won-gyeom (October 23, 2023). "박지원, 드라마 '혼례대첩' 캐스팅...'바느질 천재' 맹두리 역할" [Park Ji-won cast in drama 'Wedding Battle'... The role of 'sewing genius' Maeng Du-ri] (in Korean). SPOTV News. Archived from the original on November 4, 2023. Retrieved October 23, 2023.
    15. 1 2 3 4 "혼례대첩". 혼례대첩 (in Korean). Archived from the original on October 27, 2023. Retrieved October 27, 2023.
    16. Hwang Soo-yeon (September 25, 2023). "정승길, '혼례대첩' 출연 확정...조이현과 호흡" [Jeong Seung-gil confirmed to appear in 'The Wedding Battle'... Working with Jo Yi-hyun] (in Korean). Xports News. Archived from the original on October 3, 2023. Retrieved September 25, 2023 via Naver.
    17. 1 2 3 4 "혼례대첩". 혼례대첩 (in Korean). Archived from the original on October 27, 2023. Retrieved October 27, 2023.
    18. Kim Chae-yeon (October 26, 2023). "'솔로지옥' '더 글로리' 이소이, '혼례대첩'으로 첫 사극 도전 [공식]" [Lee So-i of 'Solo Hell' and 'The Glory' takes on her first historical drama with 'The Wedding Battle' [Official]] (in Korean). OSEN. Archived from the original on October 26, 2023. Retrieved October 26, 2023.
    19. 1 2 3 "혼례대첩". 혼례대첩 (in Korean). Archived from the original on October 27, 2023. Retrieved October 27, 2023.
    20. Hyun, Hye-sun (July 5, 2023). "'혼례대첩' 로운·조이현, 조선판 커플 매니저 된다...사극 로코 세대교체" (in Korean). Sedaily. Archived from the original on July 10, 2023. Retrieved August 23, 2023.
    21. 1 2 Nielsen Korea ratings:
      • "Ep. 1" (in Korean). Nielsen Korea. October 30, 2023. Archived from the original on October 31, 2023. Retrieved October 31, 2023.
      • "Ep. 2" (in Korean). Nielsen Korea. October 31, 2023. Archived from the original on October 31, 2023. Retrieved November 1, 2023.
      • "Ep. 3" (in Korean). Nielsen Korea. November 6, 2023. Archived from the original on November 6, 2023. Retrieved November 7, 2023.
      • "Ep. 4" (in Korean). Nielsen Korea. November 7, 2023. Archived from the original on November 7, 2023. Retrieved November 8, 2023.
      • "Ep. 5" (in Korean). Nielsen Korea. November 13, 2023. Archived from the original on November 13, 2023. Retrieved November 14, 2023.
      • "Ep. 6" (in Korean). Nielsen Korea. November 14, 2023. Archived from the original on November 14, 2023. Retrieved November 15, 2023.
      • "Ep. 8" (in Korean). Nielsen Korea. November 27, 2023. Archived from the original on November 27, 2023. Retrieved November 28, 2023.
      • "Ep. 9" (in Korean). Nielsen Korea. November 28, 2023. Archived from the original on November 29, 2023. Retrieved November 29, 2023.
      • "Ep. 10" (in Korean). Nielsen Korea. December 4, 2023. Archived from the original on December 4, 2023. Retrieved December 5, 2023.
      • "Ep. 11" (in Korean). Nielsen Korea. December 5, 2023. Archived from the original on December 6, 2023. Retrieved December 6, 2023.
      • "Ep. 12" (in Korean). Nielsen Korea. December 11, 2023. Archived from the original on December 11, 2023. Retrieved December 12, 2023.
      • "Ep. 13" (in Korean). Nielsen Korea. December 12, 2023. Archived from the original on December 12, 2023. Retrieved December 13, 2023.
    22. 혼례대첩 시청률 [The Matchmakers ratings] (in Korean). Nielsen Korea. Archived from the original on December 26, 2023. Retrieved December 26, 2023 via Daum.
    23. Park Ji-yeon (November 21, 2023). "'돌싱포맨'→'혼례대첩' 오늘(21일) 결방...2026 FIFA 월드컵 아시아 2차 예선". Sports Today (in Korean). Archived from the original on November 22, 2023. Retrieved November 22, 2023.
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