Jungle Fish (Korean: 정글피쉬) is a 2008 South Korean youth television special starring Kim Soo-hyun and Park Bo-young. Based on a true story, the drama depicts the pressures placed on students to achieve and gain admission to prestigious colleges and universities. Also, it showcased new interactive blogging. The series marked Kim's first official lead role. It aired on KBS2 on 5 May 2008 at 19:20 (KST), and is available for worldwide streaming through KBS World's official YouTube channel.[1][2][3][4]
The special recorded a viewership rating of 3.3%. It received critical acclaim for filming and editing, and acting by a cast of young performers winning numerous awards, including the Peabody Award. It became the KBS show with the most international awards in history.[5]
The drama Jungle Fish, which means a fish that lived on the coast of Africa and fell into the jungle by a whirlwind, portrays the current youth (fish) who are struggling for the better future (beach) while suffering from the reality (jungle) of the entrance exam.
The story is about high school students around Han Jae-ta (Kim Soo-hyun) who share their concerns and problems through the blog. One day, an examination paper leak incident occurs at his school through special tutoring. The class leader leads Jae-ta and digs into the problem to confirm "Who is the protagonist of the incident?", and the incident is gradually amplified through Jae-ta's blog. Through this incident, Jae-ta and his friends are increasingly in conflict and skepticism about "the value of friendship and success."
^<김포외고 사건 소재 청소년 드라마 등장> [A youth drama appeared in the case of Gimpo Foreign Language High School>]. Yonhap (in Korean). April 17, 2008. Archived from the original on January 17, 2023. Retrieved October 7, 2020 – via Naver.
^Kim, Kook-hwa (April 17, 2008). '정글피쉬' 김수현, 제작발표회에서 눈물 펑펑 ['Jungle Fish' Kim Soo-hyun, tears popping at the production presentation]. OSEN (in Korean). Naver. Archived from the original on January 17, 2023. Retrieved October 7, 2020.
^Kim, Min-jung (May 4, 2008). 청소년 드라마 ‘정글피쉬’, 어린이 날 방영 확정 [Youth drama 'Jungle Fish' confirmed to air on Children's Day]. OSEN (in Korean). Naver. Archived from the original on January 17, 2023. Retrieved October 7, 2020.
^Kim, Min-jung (May 6, 2008). ‘정글피쉬’, 3.3% 시청률보다 더 빛난 이유 [Why 'Jungle Fish' shined more than 3.3% viewership]. OSEN (in Korean). Naver. Archived from the original on January 17, 2023. Retrieved October 7, 2020.
^Choi, Na-young (April 24, 2009). '정글피쉬’, 피바디상 수상 기념 재방송 ['Jungle Fish' re-broadcast to commemorate the Peabody Award]. OSEN (in Korean). Naver. Archived from the original on January 17, 2023. Retrieved October 7, 2020.
^박보영ㆍ김수현 주연 '정글피쉬' 특별개봉 [Special release of 'Jungle Fish' starring Park Bo-young and Kim Soo-hyun]. Yonhap (in Korean). Naver. September 16, 2010. Archived from the original on January 17, 2023. Retrieved October 7, 2020.
^Kim, Su-jin (October 1, 2008). '정글피쉬', 日 동아시아 PD포럼 우수상 수상 ['Jungle Fish' won the Excellence Award at the East Asia PD Forum]. Star News (in Korean). Naver. Archived from the original on January 17, 2023. Retrieved October 7, 2020.
^KBS '정글피쉬', 피버디상 수상 [KBS 'Jungle Fish' won the Peabody Award]. Yonhap (in Korean). Naver. April 2, 2009. Archived from the original on January 17, 2023. Retrieved October 7, 2020.