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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