Athena: Goddess of War
Encyclopedia
Athena: Goddess of War is a South Korea
n espionage
television drama series broadcast by SBS in 2010 and a spin-off
of 2009's Iris
. After having been budgeted at 20 billion won
($17 million USD
) like its predecessor, the two series have become the most expensive Korean dramas ever produced.
Starring Jung Woo-sung
, Cha Seung-won
, Soo Ae
, and Lee Ji-ah
, the series premiered in December 2010 after filming in a number of overseas locations, including Italy
, New Zealand
, Japan
, and the United States
. The series is set in the same universe
as its predecessor, allowing for select characters from Iris to reprise their roles throughout the story.
Developing on events set in motion in Iris, the story follows the fate of South Korea's ambitious nuclear energy program meant to unify the Korean Peninsula
and position the country as the leader in the global energy race. As a result, a new counter-terrorism
agency known as the National Anti-Terror Service is instituted and tasked with protecting the nuclear energy technology from potential threats at all costs. Among its ranks is seasoned agent Lee Jung-woo, a skilled operative that has grown tired of his job's uneventful day to day affairs. He soon finds the answer to his dull existence when fate introduces him to an efficacious villain by the name of Son Hyeok and the shadowy organization behind him known only as Athena.
, when Hyun-Jun is being hunted down by North Korean agents and branded a traitor while in Budapest. South Korean (SK) President Jo, expressed interest in advancing nuclear technology to lead the world with the most advanced and cost effective energy source of the century. To do this, he enlisted Dr. Kwon (a black-ops agent) to help retrieve a defecting North Korean scientist, Dr. Kim.
Dr. Kwon accepted the mission, but it was nearly ruined by an Athena team, led by Son Hyeok (Cha Seung-won
). Ultimately, Dr. Kwon managed to secured Dr. Kim's retrieval, but he was caught himself by Son Hyeok and tortured for information. Son Hyeok was supposed to kill Dr. Kwon, but he let him live out of momentary mercy. Three years after those events, President Jo re-enlisted Dr. Kwon to serve as the director of the new counter-terrorism task force, NTS (National Anti-Terror Service), to protect SK's future from aggressive foreign enemies trying to steal Dr. Kim's nuclear technology.
After Dr. Kwon arrived to be part of NTS, his old rival, Son Hyeok, had returned to SK as the new director of DIS (a US intelligence agency). At the same time, SK NIS (National Intelligence Service) agent Jung-Woo (Jung Woo-Sung
) recently transferred to NTS to become their top agent. Unknown to everyone, Son Hyeok is a double-agent between DIS and Athena (an organization of influential people that controls the world's resources for their fortunes). With the help of another Athena double-agent, Yoon Hye-In (Soo Ae
), she infiltrated NTS and supplied Son-Hyeok with inside information about their activities. In a major grab for Dr. Kim's technology, both NTS and Athena had thwarted and countered each other in a high-stakes game of controlling the next great power resource.
Willing to do anything to gain the upper-hand for Athena, Son Hyeok had President Jo's daughter, Soo-Young (Lee Bo-young), kidnapped in Italy and used her as ransom to gain Dr. Kim. However, Jung-Woo rescued Soo-Young. To throw off Athena, Jung-Woo helped fake Dr. Kim's death to prevent them from trying any further, but that deception was exposed. Athena recovered Dr. Kim and forced him to complete his project for Athena instead.
NTS later found out Dr. Kim was kept in a secret facility in Japan. To avoid making their intel known, Jung-Woo was dispatched under false pretenses as a body guard for pop star, BoA, to make it seem their cover wasn't exposed. In NTS's quest to find Dr. Kim, they failed to rescue him, but NTS managed to recover a crucial component to Dr. Kim's technology and Athena wants it back. Using Jung-Woo's feelings for Hye-In against him, Athena faked a hostage situation that blackmailed Jung-Woo to return the component for Hye-In. However, that was thwarted as well, but at the price of Dr. Kim's life.
Fortunately, Dr. Kim managed to complete enough of his work that other scientists could complete it without him. Before he died though, he also secretly left a code that revealed NK's full nuclear capabilities; it prompted President Jo to speed-up peace negotiations between NK, but it was a rough process as NK found out they harbored Dr. Kim and they intervened against both sides. During this time, all the things Hye-In had done for Athena created a crisis of loyalty and ethics for Hye-In. She is loyal to Son Hyeok, but also developed feelings for Jung-Woo. With Athena's new goal of destroying the nuclear project before completion, Hye-In struggles to balance between orders from Athena and keeping Jung-Woo alive.
After Son-Hyeok's Athena affiliations was exposed, he was arrested by NTS for questioning. However, Athena agents recovered him and he's now planning to kill President Jo. During this time, Jung-Woo figured out Hye-In is an agent for Athena, but due to his love for her, he allowed her to escape NTS. However, because of her activities related to Son Hyeok, she was implicated along with his actions. Because Athena questions Hye-In's loyalties, she was confined, but she managed to inform Jung-Woo of President Jo's impending danger. Later Hye-In gets arrested is and held inside NTS. She eventually chose to defect from Athena and aided NTS to stop Son-Hyeok.
With so many failures, Son-Hyeok was stripped of his rank in Athena and his men replaced with a new team. Athena is aware of the problems Hye-In caused; she was also marked for death. Unwilling to allow Hye-In die, Son Hyeok and his team killed their replacements and gone rogue. Driven by his hatred, he sees NTS (especially Jung-Woo) as destroyers of his ambitions for power and taking away Hye-In; he used all his abilities to destroy them all.
In a final endgame mission, Son Hyeok and his rogue team infiltrated NTS. They disabled the facility using an EMP device and tried to kill as many NTS agents as possible. Although many NTS agents were killed, Jung-Woo, Director Kwon, and Hye-In managed to defeat them. In a showdown between Son-Hyeok and Jung-Woo, Jung-Woo was proven the better fighter, but Son-Hyeok stopped him at gun point. Hye-In intervened to stop Son-Hyeok, but he couldn't stop. Therefore, Hye-In shoots Son-Hyeok. Hye-In tried to kill herself to end the madness, but Son-Hyeok wanted her to live. Soon, Son-Hyeok died while Hye-In survives. After recovering from her injuries, Hye-In was given amnesty and she left South Korea. One year later, Jung-Woo left NTS to be with Hye-In in New Zealand. He found and surprised her in Auckland, where he hopes to start a happy chapter with her. The drama ends with the main couple smiling at each other.
to its award-winning predecessor. At the time of the unveiling, Jung Woo-sung and Cha Seung-won were announced as the first to join the cast and the male leads. Jung is set to play Lee Jung-woo, a secret agent with the South Korean national intelligence, while Cha Seung-won has signed on to portray his arch-nemesis Son Hyeok, the leader and face of an international terrorist organization known as Athena. The series is Jung's return to television after a break of fifteen years while he worked solely in film. Producer Chung Tae-won revealed in a May 2010 interview that the casting had not come easily. With the aim of appealing to the international market, the production had set out to cast a Hallyu
male lead with the same attraction as Lee Byung-hun
. Feeling that none could match the success Lee brought to Iris, Chung instead decided to focus on the Korean viewers.
As with its predecessor, the production company announced its intentions to film on location
in a number of foreign countries. In addition to primary shooting in South Korea, projected filming locations included Italy
, Switzerland
, Singapore
, and New Zealand
.
On April 8, 2010, it was revealed that Soo Ae had been cast as the female lead in the series. Set to portray Yoon Hye-in, a double agent working both with the National Anti-Terror Service as well as a clandestine organization, it was simultaneously reported that she would undergo martial arts training prior to filming beginning in June 2010. Shortly after, on April 14, Lee Ji-ah was announced having joined Athena. Her character, Han Jae-hui, is described by the production company as a special agent operating in the European sector of the NTS.
Amidst reports that SS501 member Kim Hyun-joong
had been offered a role in the series, it was confirmed on May 17, 2010 that Kim Min-jong had joined the cast. His role is that of a North Korean intelligence officer by the name of Kim Ki-soo that is detained by South Korean agents while on assignment in China, who later defects to the South and becomes the partner of Lee Jung-woo. On June 17, 2010, it was confirmed that Choi Si-won would take the role of Kim Jun-ho, a new data analyst, instead of Kim Hyun-joong. A week later, it became known that Lee Bo-young would be playing the South Korean president's daughter that is taken hostage by terrorists while studying abroad in Italy.
As the first promotional images were released to the public at the end of June 2010, it was confirmed that Lee Jung-gil
would reprise his role from Iris as President of South Korea
Cho Myung-ho. Likewise, on August 3, 2010, Taewon Entertainment announced that Kim Seung-woo
, who played the head of the North Korean security detail in Iris, would be joining the Athena cast. Corresponding reports confirmed that producers were also in talks with Kim So-yeon
to return as well.
On August 11, it was released to the media that Korean pop star BoA
would be appearing as an actress in the series. Set to play a fictionalized version of herself targeted by terrorists, BoA joined the cast for filming in the middle of August. In the course of the story, Jung Woo-sung's character will be charged with protecting her from being taken hostage. On August 18, it was confirmed that fellow singer Park Hyo-shin would be contributing a song titled "I Love You" to serve as the main theme to the series. Its music video features scenes from the series shot during the crew's stint in Italy.
The cast expanded in early September when it was announced that American
actor Sean Richard had joined the cast as a subordinate of Cha Seung-won's character and a member of his organization. Raised in America but born to an American father and Korean mother, the actor is making Athena his second drama after his debut in the medical drama Jejungwon earlier in the year. Later, in October, it was confirmed that mixed martial arts
fighter Yoshihiro Akiyama
would be joining BoA as a special guest star in the series.
As overseas filming continued, Taewon Entertainment announced that Douglas Day Stewart
, a Hollywood screenwriter
whose credits include An Officer and a Gentlemen and The Blue Lagoon
, had joined the cast and would be appearing in the series as an actor and the head of the terrorist organization. Stewart's involvement with the series stemmed from his answering an open casting call while filming was underway in Hawaii. The production company learned of his screenwriting past only after he was offered the role.
On November 5, it was confirmed that talks with Kim So-yeon had concluded and that she was set to reprise her role from Iris alongside her former co-star Kim Seung-woo. The actress joined the filming when the production moved to New Zealand at the end of November.
following in July. Additional shooting locations in Japan
and China
were revealed to be in planning in May 2010 along with a shooting schedule expected to span a total of five months with three crews operating concurrently in different locations.
Principal photography continued as scheduled, as the crew began work in Italy on July 11. The production company revealed the shoot is to cover twenty days in the country, with promotional shots of filming done in Vicenza
released simultaneously. The series moved into other parts of northern Italy as well, including the cities of Padova and Belluno
. The Italian Tourism Board has fully backed the production which is now expected to film in six different foreign countries by year's end.
Once filming had wrapped in Italy, the crew returned to Korea to continue domestic shoots. On August 23 it became known that Jung Woo-sung's visit at a recent SM Town concert was not a coincidence but was instead for filming a scene for BoA's guest appearance on the series. To lend authenticity and create the sense that a real crowd was present, the production secretly filmed during the concert in Seoul that had drawn over 40,000 attendees.
On September 15, it was reported that the production had landed in Japan to begin a two week stint in the Tottori Prefecture
. Several famous Tottori landmarks are expected to be incorporated into the filming of the series, including the Tottori Sand Dunes
and the volcanic mountain of Daisen
.
The filming was interrupted shortly into the Japan shoot when Cha Seung-won fell ill with what was initially reported as septicemia brought on by food poisoning. Producers with Taewon Entertainment promptly sent the actor back to Korea where he was hospitalized. Due to the tight schedule, the production continued without postponing filming as the writers revised the script to accommodate the development. Representatives for Cha contended that much of the grave speculation about his health was unfounded and that the actor was expected to make a full recovery from the viral infection that had him hospitalized. Pending good health, the production announced they expected him to rejoin the cast as soon as possible.
On September 30, 2010, it was reported that Cha Seung-won's health had greatly improved and that he was set to once again join the cast in October. Producers with Taewon Entertainment said they planned to limit the number of outdoor scenes for the actor but that overall script alterations to that point had been minimal. Cha was released from medical care on October 7 after undergoing surgery to resolve the viral infection that caused him to withdraw from filming a month earlier. The production company reported they expected the actor to re-join the filming for Athena when they moved to Hawaii
on October 20. Cha Seung-won returned to the cast on schedule as production began in Honolulu.
Yoo Dong-geun was announced as having signed onto the production in early October. Yoo signed on to portray Kwon Yong-kwan, the unorthodox head of the NTS.
As the actors returned to Korea from shooting overseas, a press conference to promote the series and its premiere was held on November 30. The entire principal cast was present as montages of scenes featuring their characters were played during their respective introductions.
In early December, production stills from the shoot in New Zealand were released showcasing Kim So-yeon's return. By mid December, the production had returned for filming in Korea in anticipation of the broadcast premiere.
On January 24, 2011, it was reported that the episode scheduled to air the next day would be postponed due to an on-set accident involving star Jung Woo-sung. Filming resumed in time for the episode to be completed and aired the following week. In its original timeslot, a special featuring interviews and recollections with cast members was broadcast.
As filming on the series wound down, it was announced that performer Changmin
of the musical group TVXQ
would be joining the cast for the final quarter of episodes. His role became that of NIS explosives specialist Choi Tae-hyeon.
On November 23, 2011, it was announced that Athena has been licensed overseas. Funimation holds the license in North America, with the Chinese license held by New View TV & Media and in Germany by Tiberius Films.
Athena: Goddess of War premiered as announced on December 13, 2010 with 22.8% of the domestic television viewing audience watching the premiere. New episodes continued on Mondays and Tuesdays apart from a delay between the thirteenth and fourteenth episodes stemming from a production shutdown as a result of cast injuries. In its place, a special featuring interviews with several cast members recounting their most memorable moments from the series was aired. The series saw its twentieth and final episode broadcast on February 21, 2011.
, TVXQ
, Kangta
, and BoA
while the follow-up, released shortly thereafter on February 16, contained vocal contributions by Park Hyo-shin, Browneyed Soul
, Jang Jae-in, Supreme Team
, and 8Eight
.
Shortly before the series ended, the head of production, Chung Tae-won, was quoted as expressing interest in producing sequels to continue Athena and further connect it to other entries in the franchise. In an earlier interview, Chung mentioned that characters introduced in Athena could potentially make appearances in future installments, such as the upcoming Iris 2.
South Korea
The Republic of Korea , , is a sovereign state in East Asia, located on the southern portion of the Korean Peninsula. It is neighbored by the People's Republic of China to the west, Japan to the east, North Korea to the north, and the East China Sea and Republic of China to the south...
n espionage
Espionage
Espionage or spying involves an individual obtaining information that is considered secret or confidential without the permission of the holder of the information. Espionage is inherently clandestine, lest the legitimate holder of the information change plans or take other countermeasures once it...
television drama series broadcast by SBS in 2010 and a spin-off
Spin-off (media)
In media, a spin-off is a radio program, television program, video game, or any narrative work, derived from one or more already existing works, that focuses, in particular, in more detail on one aspect of that original work...
of 2009's Iris
Iris (TV series)
Iris is a South Korean espionage television drama series broadcast by KBS in 2009. With a budget in excess of 20 billion won , it, along with its spin-off Athena: Goddess of War, share the record for the most expensive Korean dramas ever produced.Premiering in October 2009, the series was a...
. After having been budgeted at 20 billion won
Korean won
The won was the currency of Korea between 1902 and 1910. It was subdivided into 100 chon .-Etymology:Won is a cognate of the Chinese yuan and Japanese yen.-History:...
($17 million USD
United States dollar
The United States dollar , also referred to as the American dollar, is the official currency of the United States of America. It is divided into 100 smaller units called cents or pennies....
) like its predecessor, the two series have become the most expensive Korean dramas ever produced.
Starring Jung Woo-sung
Jung Woo-sung
- Career :Jung Woo-sung was born in Seoul on March 20, 1973. After first finding work as a model, he made his film debut in the 1994 movie The Fox with Nine Tails, together with Ko So-young...
, Cha Seung-won
Cha Seung-won
Cha Seung-won is a top South Korean actor and former fashion model.- Career :Cha Seung-won dropped out of Sungkyunkwan University and began a successful career as a fashion model in 1988...
, Soo Ae
Soo Ae
Park Soo-ae , known simply as Soo Ae, is a South Korean actress.- Career :Soo Ae nearly became a member of a pop idol group. Fresh out of high school, a record agent approached the young stunner on the street in the trendy Apgujeong area. She spent six months in grueling practice, but in the end...
, and Lee Ji-ah
Lee Ji-ah
Lee Ji-ah is a South Korean actress. Her first role was in The Legend as Sujini, a lover of Damdeok, the King .-Biography:...
, the series premiered in December 2010 after filming in a number of overseas locations, including Italy
Italy
Italy , officially the Italian Republic languages]] under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. In each of these, Italy's official name is as follows:;;;;;;;;), is a unitary parliamentary republic in South-Central Europe. To the north it borders France, Switzerland, Austria and...
, New Zealand
New Zealand
New Zealand is an island country in the south-western Pacific Ocean comprising two main landmasses and numerous smaller islands. The country is situated some east of Australia across the Tasman Sea, and roughly south of the Pacific island nations of New Caledonia, Fiji, and Tonga...
, Japan
Japan
Japan is an island nation in East Asia. Located in the Pacific Ocean, it lies to the east of the Sea of Japan, China, North Korea, South Korea and Russia, stretching from the Sea of Okhotsk in the north to the East China Sea and Taiwan in the south...
, and the United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
. The series is set in the same universe
Fictional universe
A fictional universe is a self-consistent fictional setting with elements that differ from the real world. It may also be called an imagined, constructed or fictional realm ....
as its predecessor, allowing for select characters from Iris to reprise their roles throughout the story.
Developing on events set in motion in Iris, the story follows the fate of South Korea's ambitious nuclear energy program meant to unify the Korean Peninsula
Korean Peninsula
The Korean Peninsula is a peninsula in East Asia. It extends southwards for about 684 miles from continental Asia into the Pacific Ocean and is surrounded by the Sea of Japan to the south, and the Yellow Sea to the west, the Korea Strait connecting the first two bodies of water.Until the end of...
and position the country as the leader in the global energy race. As a result, a new counter-terrorism
Counter-terrorism
Counter-terrorism is the practices, tactics, techniques, and strategies that governments, militaries, police departments and corporations adopt to prevent or in response to terrorist threats and/or acts, both real and imputed.The tactic of terrorism is available to insurgents and governments...
agency known as the National Anti-Terror Service is instituted and tasked with protecting the nuclear energy technology from potential threats at all costs. Among its ranks is seasoned agent Lee Jung-woo, a skilled operative that has grown tired of his job's uneventful day to day affairs. He soon finds the answer to his dull existence when fate introduces him to an efficacious villain by the name of Son Hyeok and the shadowy organization behind him known only as Athena.
Plot
The story begins around the same time as IrisIris (TV series)
Iris is a South Korean espionage television drama series broadcast by KBS in 2009. With a budget in excess of 20 billion won , it, along with its spin-off Athena: Goddess of War, share the record for the most expensive Korean dramas ever produced.Premiering in October 2009, the series was a...
, when Hyun-Jun is being hunted down by North Korean agents and branded a traitor while in Budapest. South Korean (SK) President Jo, expressed interest in advancing nuclear technology to lead the world with the most advanced and cost effective energy source of the century. To do this, he enlisted Dr. Kwon (a black-ops agent) to help retrieve a defecting North Korean scientist, Dr. Kim.
Dr. Kwon accepted the mission, but it was nearly ruined by an Athena team, led by Son Hyeok (Cha Seung-won
Cha Seung-won
Cha Seung-won is a top South Korean actor and former fashion model.- Career :Cha Seung-won dropped out of Sungkyunkwan University and began a successful career as a fashion model in 1988...
). Ultimately, Dr. Kwon managed to secured Dr. Kim's retrieval, but he was caught himself by Son Hyeok and tortured for information. Son Hyeok was supposed to kill Dr. Kwon, but he let him live out of momentary mercy. Three years after those events, President Jo re-enlisted Dr. Kwon to serve as the director of the new counter-terrorism task force, NTS (National Anti-Terror Service), to protect SK's future from aggressive foreign enemies trying to steal Dr. Kim's nuclear technology.
After Dr. Kwon arrived to be part of NTS, his old rival, Son Hyeok, had returned to SK as the new director of DIS (a US intelligence agency). At the same time, SK NIS (National Intelligence Service) agent Jung-Woo (Jung Woo-Sung
Jung Woo-sung
- Career :Jung Woo-sung was born in Seoul on March 20, 1973. After first finding work as a model, he made his film debut in the 1994 movie The Fox with Nine Tails, together with Ko So-young...
) recently transferred to NTS to become their top agent. Unknown to everyone, Son Hyeok is a double-agent between DIS and Athena (an organization of influential people that controls the world's resources for their fortunes). With the help of another Athena double-agent, Yoon Hye-In (Soo Ae
Soo Ae
Park Soo-ae , known simply as Soo Ae, is a South Korean actress.- Career :Soo Ae nearly became a member of a pop idol group. Fresh out of high school, a record agent approached the young stunner on the street in the trendy Apgujeong area. She spent six months in grueling practice, but in the end...
), she infiltrated NTS and supplied Son-Hyeok with inside information about their activities. In a major grab for Dr. Kim's technology, both NTS and Athena had thwarted and countered each other in a high-stakes game of controlling the next great power resource.
Willing to do anything to gain the upper-hand for Athena, Son Hyeok had President Jo's daughter, Soo-Young (Lee Bo-young), kidnapped in Italy and used her as ransom to gain Dr. Kim. However, Jung-Woo rescued Soo-Young. To throw off Athena, Jung-Woo helped fake Dr. Kim's death to prevent them from trying any further, but that deception was exposed. Athena recovered Dr. Kim and forced him to complete his project for Athena instead.
NTS later found out Dr. Kim was kept in a secret facility in Japan. To avoid making their intel known, Jung-Woo was dispatched under false pretenses as a body guard for pop star, BoA, to make it seem their cover wasn't exposed. In NTS's quest to find Dr. Kim, they failed to rescue him, but NTS managed to recover a crucial component to Dr. Kim's technology and Athena wants it back. Using Jung-Woo's feelings for Hye-In against him, Athena faked a hostage situation that blackmailed Jung-Woo to return the component for Hye-In. However, that was thwarted as well, but at the price of Dr. Kim's life.
Fortunately, Dr. Kim managed to complete enough of his work that other scientists could complete it without him. Before he died though, he also secretly left a code that revealed NK's full nuclear capabilities; it prompted President Jo to speed-up peace negotiations between NK, but it was a rough process as NK found out they harbored Dr. Kim and they intervened against both sides. During this time, all the things Hye-In had done for Athena created a crisis of loyalty and ethics for Hye-In. She is loyal to Son Hyeok, but also developed feelings for Jung-Woo. With Athena's new goal of destroying the nuclear project before completion, Hye-In struggles to balance between orders from Athena and keeping Jung-Woo alive.
After Son-Hyeok's Athena affiliations was exposed, he was arrested by NTS for questioning. However, Athena agents recovered him and he's now planning to kill President Jo. During this time, Jung-Woo figured out Hye-In is an agent for Athena, but due to his love for her, he allowed her to escape NTS. However, because of her activities related to Son Hyeok, she was implicated along with his actions. Because Athena questions Hye-In's loyalties, she was confined, but she managed to inform Jung-Woo of President Jo's impending danger. Later Hye-In gets arrested is and held inside NTS. She eventually chose to defect from Athena and aided NTS to stop Son-Hyeok.
With so many failures, Son-Hyeok was stripped of his rank in Athena and his men replaced with a new team. Athena is aware of the problems Hye-In caused; she was also marked for death. Unwilling to allow Hye-In die, Son Hyeok and his team killed their replacements and gone rogue. Driven by his hatred, he sees NTS (especially Jung-Woo) as destroyers of his ambitions for power and taking away Hye-In; he used all his abilities to destroy them all.
In a final endgame mission, Son Hyeok and his rogue team infiltrated NTS. They disabled the facility using an EMP device and tried to kill as many NTS agents as possible. Although many NTS agents were killed, Jung-Woo, Director Kwon, and Hye-In managed to defeat them. In a showdown between Son-Hyeok and Jung-Woo, Jung-Woo was proven the better fighter, but Son-Hyeok stopped him at gun point. Hye-In intervened to stop Son-Hyeok, but he couldn't stop. Therefore, Hye-In shoots Son-Hyeok. Hye-In tried to kill herself to end the madness, but Son-Hyeok wanted her to live. Soon, Son-Hyeok died while Hye-In survives. After recovering from her injuries, Hye-In was given amnesty and she left South Korea. One year later, Jung-Woo left NTS to be with Hye-In in New Zealand. He found and surprised her in Auckland, where he hopes to start a happy chapter with her. The drama ends with the main couple smiling at each other.
Cast
- Jung Woo-sungJung Woo-sung- Career :Jung Woo-sung was born in Seoul on March 20, 1973. After first finding work as a model, he made his film debut in the 1994 movie The Fox with Nine Tails, together with Ko So-young...
as Lee Jung-woo
- A special agent with South Korean intelligence under the NTS (National Anti-Terror Service), Lee Jung-woo was described to be as intelligent and adaptable as the protagonist of his predecessor's series, but with the suave of James BondJames BondJames Bond, code name 007, is a fictional character created in 1953 by writer Ian Fleming, who featured him in twelve novels and two short story collections. There have been a six other authors who wrote authorised Bond novels or novelizations after Fleming's death in 1964: Kingsley Amis,...
. Jung-woo was once an agent with the National Intelligence ServiceNational Intelligence Service (South Korea)The National Intelligence Service is the chief intelligence agency of South Korea. The agency was officially established in 1961 as the Korea Central Intelligence Agency , during the rule of President Park Chung-hee's military Supreme Council for National Reconstruction, which displaced the...
prior to being transferred to the NTS. Jung-woo is romantically involved with Hye-in.
- Cha Seung-wonCha Seung-wonCha Seung-won is a top South Korean actor and former fashion model.- Career :Cha Seung-won dropped out of Sungkyunkwan University and began a successful career as a fashion model in 1988...
as Son Hyeok
- A survivor of the LA riots, Son Hyeok rescued Hye-in when they were kids and they became close as siblings. Desiring a seat of great power and influence, Son Hyeok joined Athena some years later in attempts to fulfill his ambition and share his glory with Hye-in. Son Hyeok once worked for the CIACentral Intelligence AgencyThe Central Intelligence Agency is a civilian intelligence agency of the United States government. It is an executive agency and reports directly to the Director of National Intelligence, responsible for providing national security intelligence assessment to senior United States policymakers...
and is now the head of the East Asian branch of the DIS—the fictional equivalent of the United States Department of Homeland SecurityUnited States Department of Homeland SecurityThe United States Department of Homeland Security is a cabinet department of the United States federal government, created in response to the September 11 attacks, and with the primary responsibilities of protecting the territory of the United States and protectorates from and responding to...
. By utilizing his position in the intelligence community, he is able to ensure that many of Athena's operations go unhindered as potential threats are preempted and neutralized. While often viewed as cold-hearted and unforgiving person, he has a soft spot for Hye-in.
- Soo AeSoo AePark Soo-ae , known simply as Soo Ae, is a South Korean actress.- Career :Soo Ae nearly became a member of a pop idol group. Fresh out of high school, a record agent approached the young stunner on the street in the trendy Apgujeong area. She spent six months in grueling practice, but in the end...
as Yoon Hye-in
- Hye-In lost her family in the LA riots and was saved by Son Hyeok. They grew to love each other as siblings and she decided to join Athena for Son Hyeok. She later became a black agent and provided inside information as a NIS officer. After she was transferred to NTS, she continued to feed Son Hyeok intel about NTS's activities. However, all the killings she's done in Athena's name had wore thin on her conscience. After falling in love with Jung-Woo and her change of loyalties, she decided to stop Son-Hyeok to end the madness.
- Lee Ji-ahLee Ji-ahLee Ji-ah is a South Korean actress. Her first role was in The Legend as Sujini, a lover of Damdeok, the King .-Biography:...
as Han Jae-hui
- Han Jae-hui once worked with the European branch of the NTS as well as being involved in a relationship with Jung-woo. However, their relationship was broken after her father forced Jung-Woo to choose between his career and their relationship. After departing from service abroad, she continued working intelligence in both the NIS and NTS. She would later re-join Jung-woo together in NTS; however, she often suffers in silence as her hopes of rekindling a romantic relationship with Jung-woo is dashed with Hye-in in the way. She later died after trying to stop Son Hyeok alone.
- Kim Min-jongKim Min-jongKim Min-jong is a veteran South Korean actor and singer. He is a member of the SM ballad duo The Blue and has appeared in both television series and movies, including 2010's Athena: Goddess of War....
as Kim Gi-soo
- The son of a prominent North Korean political figure, Kim Gi-soo learned numerous languages and studied abroad for a number of years. He subsequently served under North Korea's elite black ops agency, Section 35, but later fled his home country and into the hands of South Korean officials. He grows close with Lee Jung-woo, befriending him and becoming one of his closest allies and partners. Unknown to everyone, he was reactivated in the service of Park Cheol-young (from IRIS).
- Choi Si-won as Kim Jun-ho
- A data analyst agent working for the NTS, Kim Jun-ho looks up to Lee Jung-woo as a role model and, although he begins as a green agent who is reluctant to return to the field due to a traumatizing incident, he aspires to become an elite spy. It is implied that he has a sibling-like bond with Jae-hui, and was most affected by her death.
- Kim Seung-wooKim Seung-wooKim Seung-woo is a South Korean actor.-Films:*I Am Dad *71: Into the Fire *IRIS: The Movie *Curling Love *Between Love and Hate *Woman on the Beach...
as Park Cheol-young
- Cheol-young returns as North Korea's liaison to South Korea. He assigns Kim Gi-soo to help him confirm his suspicions that South Korean had Dr. Kim in their possession. He continues to use Gi-soo to provide inside intel of NTS activities and later warns him to flee after the higher-ups decided to eliminate all defectors.
- Kim So-yeonKim So-yeonKim So-yeon is a South Korean actress best known for her starring role in the television series All About Eve and Iris.-Career:As of 2005 she performed Tsui Hark's "Seven Swords". In 2008, she also had a main role in the drama Gourmet. She was one of the main actresses in the hit drama Iris. The...
as Kim Seon-hwa
- Former North Korean agent and was Hyun-Jun's second in IrisIris (TV series)Iris is a South Korean espionage television drama series broadcast by KBS in 2009. With a budget in excess of 20 billion won , it, along with its spin-off Athena: Goddess of War, share the record for the most expensive Korean dramas ever produced.Premiering in October 2009, the series was a...
, she's now a married woman with a daughter in New Zealand. Her previous commander, Park Cheol-young, was worried for her safety as there's a crackdown on defected agents. Kim Gi-soo tried to warn her of the potential danger, but it was too late, her husband and daughter was killed. In her daughter's name, she vowed vengeance against North Korea and will kill all that was responsible.
Development
Originally believed to be Iris 2, Athena: Goddess of War was unveiled to the public on March 3, 2010 as a spin-offSpin-off (media)
In media, a spin-off is a radio program, television program, video game, or any narrative work, derived from one or more already existing works, that focuses, in particular, in more detail on one aspect of that original work...
to its award-winning predecessor. At the time of the unveiling, Jung Woo-sung and Cha Seung-won were announced as the first to join the cast and the male leads. Jung is set to play Lee Jung-woo, a secret agent with the South Korean national intelligence, while Cha Seung-won has signed on to portray his arch-nemesis Son Hyeok, the leader and face of an international terrorist organization known as Athena. The series is Jung's return to television after a break of fifteen years while he worked solely in film. Producer Chung Tae-won revealed in a May 2010 interview that the casting had not come easily. With the aim of appealing to the international market, the production had set out to cast a Hallyu
Korean wave
The Korean Wave, also known as the Hallyu , refers to spread of South Korean culture around the world. The term was coined in China in mid-1999 by Beijing journalists surprised by the fast growing popularity of Korean entertainment and culture in China...
male lead with the same attraction as Lee Byung-hun
Lee Byung-Hun
Lee Byung-hun is a South Korean actor, singer and model. He has starred in popular television dramas such as Iris , All In and Beautiful Days...
. Feeling that none could match the success Lee brought to Iris, Chung instead decided to focus on the Korean viewers.
As with its predecessor, the production company announced its intentions to film on location
Filming location
A filming location is a place where some or all of a film or television series is produced, in addition to or instead of using sets constructed on a movie studio backlot or soundstage...
in a number of foreign countries. In addition to primary shooting in South Korea, projected filming locations included Italy
Italy
Italy , officially the Italian Republic languages]] under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. In each of these, Italy's official name is as follows:;;;;;;;;), is a unitary parliamentary republic in South-Central Europe. To the north it borders France, Switzerland, Austria and...
, Switzerland
Switzerland
Switzerland name of one of the Swiss cantons. ; ; ; or ), in its full name the Swiss Confederation , is a federal republic consisting of 26 cantons, with Bern as the seat of the federal authorities. The country is situated in Western Europe,Or Central Europe depending on the definition....
, Singapore
Singapore
Singapore , officially the Republic of Singapore, is a Southeast Asian city-state off the southern tip of the Malay Peninsula, north of the equator. An island country made up of 63 islands, it is separated from Malaysia by the Straits of Johor to its north and from Indonesia's Riau Islands by the...
, and New Zealand
New Zealand
New Zealand is an island country in the south-western Pacific Ocean comprising two main landmasses and numerous smaller islands. The country is situated some east of Australia across the Tasman Sea, and roughly south of the Pacific island nations of New Caledonia, Fiji, and Tonga...
.
On April 8, 2010, it was revealed that Soo Ae had been cast as the female lead in the series. Set to portray Yoon Hye-in, a double agent working both with the National Anti-Terror Service as well as a clandestine organization, it was simultaneously reported that she would undergo martial arts training prior to filming beginning in June 2010. Shortly after, on April 14, Lee Ji-ah was announced having joined Athena. Her character, Han Jae-hui, is described by the production company as a special agent operating in the European sector of the NTS.
Amidst reports that SS501 member Kim Hyun-joong
Kim Hyun Joong
Kim Hyun Joong was born on 6 June 1986. He is a South Korean entertainer and the leader of boyband SS501. Kim is well-known for his role as Yoon Ji Hoo in the 2009 Korean drama Boys Over Flowers, winning Best Actor Award at the Seoul International Drama Awards 2009 and Popularity Award at the 45th...
had been offered a role in the series, it was confirmed on May 17, 2010 that Kim Min-jong had joined the cast. His role is that of a North Korean intelligence officer by the name of Kim Ki-soo that is detained by South Korean agents while on assignment in China, who later defects to the South and becomes the partner of Lee Jung-woo. On June 17, 2010, it was confirmed that Choi Si-won would take the role of Kim Jun-ho, a new data analyst, instead of Kim Hyun-joong. A week later, it became known that Lee Bo-young would be playing the South Korean president's daughter that is taken hostage by terrorists while studying abroad in Italy.
As the first promotional images were released to the public at the end of June 2010, it was confirmed that Lee Jung-gil
Lee Jung-gil
Lee Jung-gil is a veteran South Korean actor. He has appeared in many television series, including 2009's Iris.-References:...
would reprise his role from Iris as President of South Korea
President of South Korea
The President of the Republic of Korea is, according to the Constitution of the Republic of Korea, chief executive of the government, commander-in-chief of the armed forces, and the head of state of the Republic of Korea...
Cho Myung-ho. Likewise, on August 3, 2010, Taewon Entertainment announced that Kim Seung-woo
Kim Seung-woo
Kim Seung-woo is a South Korean actor.-Films:*I Am Dad *71: Into the Fire *IRIS: The Movie *Curling Love *Between Love and Hate *Woman on the Beach...
, who played the head of the North Korean security detail in Iris, would be joining the Athena cast. Corresponding reports confirmed that producers were also in talks with Kim So-yeon
Kim So-yeon
Kim So-yeon is a South Korean actress best known for her starring role in the television series All About Eve and Iris.-Career:As of 2005 she performed Tsui Hark's "Seven Swords". In 2008, she also had a main role in the drama Gourmet. She was one of the main actresses in the hit drama Iris. The...
to return as well.
On August 11, it was released to the media that Korean pop star BoA
BoA
Boa Kwon , commonly stylized and known by her stage name BoA, which is a backronym for Beat of Angel, is a Korean singer, active in South Korea, Japan, and the United States and sometimes referred to as the "Queen of Korean Pop Music"....
would be appearing as an actress in the series. Set to play a fictionalized version of herself targeted by terrorists, BoA joined the cast for filming in the middle of August. In the course of the story, Jung Woo-sung's character will be charged with protecting her from being taken hostage. On August 18, it was confirmed that fellow singer Park Hyo-shin would be contributing a song titled "I Love You" to serve as the main theme to the series. Its music video features scenes from the series shot during the crew's stint in Italy.
The cast expanded in early September when it was announced that American
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
actor Sean Richard had joined the cast as a subordinate of Cha Seung-won's character and a member of his organization. Raised in America but born to an American father and Korean mother, the actor is making Athena his second drama after his debut in the medical drama Jejungwon earlier in the year. Later, in October, it was confirmed that mixed martial arts
Mixed martial arts
Mixed Martial Arts is a full contact combat sport that allows the use of both striking and grappling techniques, both standing and on the ground, including boxing, wrestling, Brazilian jiu-jitsu, muay Thai, kickboxing, karate, judo and other styles. The roots of modern mixed martial arts can be...
fighter Yoshihiro Akiyama
Yoshihiro Akiyama
, born Choo Sung-hoon , is a Japanese mixed martial artist and judoka. He is a fourth-generation Japanese of Korean descent and acquired Japanese nationality in 2001....
would be joining BoA as a special guest star in the series.
As overseas filming continued, Taewon Entertainment announced that Douglas Day Stewart
Douglas Day Stewart
Douglas Day Stewart is an American screenwriter. He graduated from Claremont McKenna College.-Writer:*Bonanza *Cannon *The Man Who Could Talk to Kids *Murder or Mercy...
, a Hollywood screenwriter
Screenwriter
Screenwriters or scriptwriters or scenario writers are people who write/create the short or feature-length screenplays from which mass media such as films, television programs, Comics or video games are based.-Profession:...
whose credits include An Officer and a Gentlemen and The Blue Lagoon
The Blue Lagoon (1980 film)
The Blue Lagoon is a 1980 American romance and adventure film directed by Randal Kleiser. The screenplay by Douglas Day Stewart was based on the novel The Blue Lagoon by Henry De Vere Stacpoole. The film stars Brooke Shields and Christopher Atkins...
, had joined the cast and would be appearing in the series as an actor and the head of the terrorist organization. Stewart's involvement with the series stemmed from his answering an open casting call while filming was underway in Hawaii. The production company learned of his screenwriting past only after he was offered the role.
On November 5, it was confirmed that talks with Kim So-yeon had concluded and that she was set to reprise her role from Iris alongside her former co-star Kim Seung-woo. The actress joined the filming when the production moved to New Zealand at the end of November.
Filming and promotion
Filming commenced on Athena in Korea near the end of June 2010, with overseas shoots in ItalyItaly
Italy , officially the Italian Republic languages]] under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. In each of these, Italy's official name is as follows:;;;;;;;;), is a unitary parliamentary republic in South-Central Europe. To the north it borders France, Switzerland, Austria and...
following in July. Additional shooting locations in Japan
Japan
Japan is an island nation in East Asia. Located in the Pacific Ocean, it lies to the east of the Sea of Japan, China, North Korea, South Korea and Russia, stretching from the Sea of Okhotsk in the north to the East China Sea and Taiwan in the south...
and China
China
Chinese civilization may refer to:* China for more general discussion of the country.* Chinese culture* Greater China, the transnational community of ethnic Chinese.* History of China* Sinosphere, the area historically affected by Chinese culture...
were revealed to be in planning in May 2010 along with a shooting schedule expected to span a total of five months with three crews operating concurrently in different locations.
Principal photography continued as scheduled, as the crew began work in Italy on July 11. The production company revealed the shoot is to cover twenty days in the country, with promotional shots of filming done in Vicenza
Vicenza
Vicenza , a city in north-eastern Italy, is the capital of the eponymous province in the Veneto region, at the northern base of the Monte Berico, straddling the Bacchiglione...
released simultaneously. The series moved into other parts of northern Italy as well, including the cities of Padova and Belluno
Belluno
Belluno , is a town and province in the Veneto region of northern Italy. Located about 100 kilometres north of Venice, Belluno is the capital of the province of Belluno and the most important city in the Eastern Dolomiti's region. With its roughly 37,000 inhabitants, it the largest populated area...
. The Italian Tourism Board has fully backed the production which is now expected to film in six different foreign countries by year's end.
Once filming had wrapped in Italy, the crew returned to Korea to continue domestic shoots. On August 23 it became known that Jung Woo-sung's visit at a recent SM Town concert was not a coincidence but was instead for filming a scene for BoA's guest appearance on the series. To lend authenticity and create the sense that a real crowd was present, the production secretly filmed during the concert in Seoul that had drawn over 40,000 attendees.
On September 15, it was reported that the production had landed in Japan to begin a two week stint in the Tottori Prefecture
Tottori Prefecture
is a prefecture of Japan located in the Chūgoku region. The capital is the city of Tottori. It is the least populous prefecture in Japan.- History :Before the Meiji Restoration, Tottori encompassed the old provinces of Hōki and Inaba...
. Several famous Tottori landmarks are expected to be incorporated into the filming of the series, including the Tottori Sand Dunes
Tottori Sand Dunes
The are unique sand dunes located near Tottori City in Tottori Prefecture, Honshū, Japan. They are the only large dune system in Japan....
and the volcanic mountain of Daisen
Daisen (mountain)
, is a volcanic mountain located in Tottori Prefecture, Japan. It has an elevation of 1,729 metres. This mountain is the highest in the Chūgoku region, and the most important volcano on the Daisen volcanic belt...
.
The filming was interrupted shortly into the Japan shoot when Cha Seung-won fell ill with what was initially reported as septicemia brought on by food poisoning. Producers with Taewon Entertainment promptly sent the actor back to Korea where he was hospitalized. Due to the tight schedule, the production continued without postponing filming as the writers revised the script to accommodate the development. Representatives for Cha contended that much of the grave speculation about his health was unfounded and that the actor was expected to make a full recovery from the viral infection that had him hospitalized. Pending good health, the production announced they expected him to rejoin the cast as soon as possible.
On September 30, 2010, it was reported that Cha Seung-won's health had greatly improved and that he was set to once again join the cast in October. Producers with Taewon Entertainment said they planned to limit the number of outdoor scenes for the actor but that overall script alterations to that point had been minimal. Cha was released from medical care on October 7 after undergoing surgery to resolve the viral infection that caused him to withdraw from filming a month earlier. The production company reported they expected the actor to re-join the filming for Athena when they moved to Hawaii
Hawaii
Hawaii is the newest of the 50 U.S. states , and is the only U.S. state made up entirely of islands. It is the northernmost island group in Polynesia, occupying most of an archipelago in the central Pacific Ocean, southwest of the continental United States, southeast of Japan, and northeast of...
on October 20. Cha Seung-won returned to the cast on schedule as production began in Honolulu.
Yoo Dong-geun was announced as having signed onto the production in early October. Yoo signed on to portray Kwon Yong-kwan, the unorthodox head of the NTS.
As the actors returned to Korea from shooting overseas, a press conference to promote the series and its premiere was held on November 30. The entire principal cast was present as montages of scenes featuring their characters were played during their respective introductions.
In early December, production stills from the shoot in New Zealand were released showcasing Kim So-yeon's return. By mid December, the production had returned for filming in Korea in anticipation of the broadcast premiere.
On January 24, 2011, it was reported that the episode scheduled to air the next day would be postponed due to an on-set accident involving star Jung Woo-sung. Filming resumed in time for the episode to be completed and aired the following week. In its original timeslot, a special featuring interviews and recollections with cast members was broadcast.
As filming on the series wound down, it was announced that performer Changmin
Max (singer)
Shim Changmin also known as Max , Choikang Changmin in South Korea, Changmin in Japan, and Shen Changmin in China and Taiwan, is a Korean singer, songwriter and occasional actor best known as one-half of South Korean musical duo TVXQ...
of the musical group TVXQ
TVXQ
TVXQ, an acronym for Tong Vfang Xien Qi , is a South Korean pop group formed in 2003 under SM Entertainment. In South Korea they are known as Dong Bang Shin Ki , often abbreviated by international fans as DBSK; they were later introduced in Japan as Tohoshinki under the Avex sub-label Rhythm Zone...
would be joining the cast for the final quarter of episodes. His role became that of NIS explosives specialist Choi Tae-hyeon.
On November 23, 2011, it was announced that Athena has been licensed overseas. Funimation holds the license in North America, with the Chinese license held by New View TV & Media and in Germany by Tiberius Films.
Broadcast
Unlike with its predecessor that aired on KBS, it was announced on April 30, 2010 that Athena would be broadcast on SBS and in the latter part of the year. On July 6, it was reported that the series would premiere in November, with new episodes airing weekly on Mondays and Tuesdays. Later, in September, Star News reported fellow SBS drama Giant would be receiving an additional ten episodes added to its production order, pushing the start-date for Athena back to December. It was soon confirmed the series would premiere December 13, with new episodes to follow every Monday and Tuesday.Athena: Goddess of War premiered as announced on December 13, 2010 with 22.8% of the domestic television viewing audience watching the premiere. New episodes continued on Mondays and Tuesdays apart from a delay between the thirteenth and fourteenth episodes stemming from a production shutdown as a result of cast injuries. In its place, a special featuring interviews with several cast members recounting their most memorable moments from the series was aired. The series saw its twentieth and final episode broadcast on February 21, 2011.
Music
The score for Athena: Goddess of War was provided by composer Lee Dong-jun. Two separate original soundtrack albums were made available for the series, with both containing the full score but differing vocal themes. The first, released on February 11, 2011, featured songs from TaeyeonTaeyeon
Kim Tae-Yeon , commonly known as Taeyeon , is a South Korean idol singer,host, Radio DJ, dancer, actress, and promotional model. She is the Leader and main vocalist of the popular Korean girl group, Girls' Generation.- Biography :...
, TVXQ
TVXQ
TVXQ, an acronym for Tong Vfang Xien Qi , is a South Korean pop group formed in 2003 under SM Entertainment. In South Korea they are known as Dong Bang Shin Ki , often abbreviated by international fans as DBSK; they were later introduced in Japan as Tohoshinki under the Avex sub-label Rhythm Zone...
, Kangta
Kangta
Ahn Chil-Hyun , better known by his stage name Kangta is a South Korean pop, R&B singer, first known as the lead singer the boy band H.O.T. ....
, and BoA
BoA
Boa Kwon , commonly stylized and known by her stage name BoA, which is a backronym for Beat of Angel, is a Korean singer, active in South Korea, Japan, and the United States and sometimes referred to as the "Queen of Korean Pop Music"....
while the follow-up, released shortly thereafter on February 16, contained vocal contributions by Park Hyo-shin, Browneyed Soul
Browneyed Soul
Browneyed Soul is a Korean R&B group.-Summary:who released their debut album, Soul Free, on September 18, 2003. From it the single Jeongmal Saranghaesseulkka topped the KBS charts in October of that year . In April 2010, Kyoung Tack Lim joined the group as a backup singer...
, Jang Jae-in, Supreme Team
Supreme Team
The Supreme Team was an African-American crack cocaine gang that operated throughout the 1980s in New York City. Their headquarters was in a South Jamaica, Queens housing project known as the Baisley Park Houses. However they controlled a huge chunk of the entire city itself, including Harlem....
, and 8Eight
8Eight
8Eight is a South Korean music trio consisting of Baek Chan, Lee Hyun, and Joo Hee.8Eight won the first season of the television series, MBC’s Show Survival . They debuted on MBC’s Show! Music Core on August 25, 2007.-Studio albums:...
.
Feature film and sequels
As with Iris and its film counterpart prior to broadcast, Athena: The Movie was shopped to international cinema distributors in anticipation of its premiere.Shortly before the series ended, the head of production, Chung Tae-won, was quoted as expressing interest in producing sequels to continue Athena and further connect it to other entries in the franchise. In an earlier interview, Chung mentioned that characters introduced in Athena could potentially make appearances in future installments, such as the upcoming Iris 2.
See also
- IrisIris (TV series)Iris is a South Korean espionage television drama series broadcast by KBS in 2009. With a budget in excess of 20 billion won , it, along with its spin-off Athena: Goddess of War, share the record for the most expensive Korean dramas ever produced.Premiering in October 2009, the series was a...
- Korean reunification in popular culture