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3 Reasons To Watch Taut Corporate K-Drama “The Art Of Negotiation”
High stakes, high risks, and high tides, this drama focuses on the hyper competitive world of business and finance, where luck favors only a few. “The Art of Negotiation” is a well-crafted drama set against the backdrop of the fierce world of mergers and acquisitions. Yoon Joo No (Lee Je Hoon) is the master negotiator, often regarded as a disruptor when it comes to his dealings. He has been summoned back to Seoul, which homes the headquarters of Sanin Corporation.
Joo No was the former lead of the Merger and Acquisitions (M&A) team. His return has been ordered by the CEO of Sanin, Song Jae Shik (Sung Dong Il), at the behest of his trusted aide, CCO Lee Dong Jun (Oh Man Seok). It seems only Joo No can save the cash-strapped Sanin Group. However, Joo No’s arrival is met with hostility by CFO Ha Tae Soo (Jang Hyun Sung), the second in command and someone who has major beef with Joo No. Ha Tae Soo was once a mentor to Joo No and had a large hand to play in his ouster from the company.
Joo No first sets out to recruit his core team, comprising of lawyer Oh Soon Young (Kim Dae Myeung) and Kwak Min Jung (Ahn Hyun Ho), a human calculator of sorts. Both have also been disgraced by the Sanin top brass. Joining them is the rookie Choi Jin Soo (Cha Kang Yoon), who is intrigued by Joo No and wants to learn from him.
Joo No’s first negotiation is to sell Sanin Construction, often regarded as the core of the group. The decision itself shocks many, including Ha Tae Soo, who tries his best to set up Joo No to fail. The next negotiation is when Joo No wants to buy a game company for Sanin, and it is clear he is looking at a long term plan. But it seems that more than the future of the company, Ha Tae Soo and his people are looking at their personal gains.
So, is it the individual over the organization? What does it take to survive in this fierce corporate jungle, and will Joo No once again get lost in the maze? Here are three reasons why you should be tuning into “The Art of Negotiation.”
Yoon Joo No, the disruptor and master negotiator
The legend of Yoon Joo No is well known, and his stories are often whispered along the corridors of Sanin Group. Infamously known as the white snake for being cold-blooded when it comes to his business dealings, Yoo Joo No is an enigma. The legendary trouble-maker has been summoned back to Sanin Group, this time to save it from sinking. And Yoo Joo No is an expert when it comes to mergers and acquisitions.
However, he plays by his own rules, and the first is to never let anyone know what you are thinking. He tells the quick-tempered Choi Jin Soo that work should always be regarded as a game, and when one gets too emotional, it is bound to produce negative results. Joo No is impassive and seems unruffled in every situation. When he manages a business coup, his only response to his win is that he was lucky. Negotiating is like gambling, where there are no rules or formula, and though Joo No is smart and astute, he credits luck as a big factor.
Though he has all sorts of adjectives prefixed to his name, Joo No is not someone who can be defined. He keeps his thoughts and feelings to himself. Even in one of the most tense moments, he is shown playing a video game, the moves and maneuvers he uses in business. Joo No is also a people’s person who believes in his team and does not engage in power dynamics either.
Lee Je Hoon with his silver grey hair makes an imposing figure. He articulates the quiet fortitude of Joo No, his stoic demeanor unfazed by the stress of the stock market or the politics of those who want to bring him down. Joo No works subtly and is an understated character, and Lee Je Hoon plays him with the finesse of a pro.
Ideological clash: growth vs. fixed mindset
Does fortune favor the brave? One isn’t too sure when you are caught in the thick of things like Yoon Joo No.
Joo No’s arrival at Sanin is met with hostility, especially by the conservatives and the hardliners of the group, in this case the CFO, Ha Tae Soo (Jang Hyun Sung). Joo No was a rookie under him once, but there is a lot of bad blood between the two, a lot having to do with Joo No’s success as a negotiator. Ha Tae Soo is also eyeing the CEO’s position and is averse to any change in the group’s hierarchy. He tries to thwart Joo No’s pitch to sell Sanin Constructions and the deal. It is clear he has ulterior motives in the entire deal, especially the redevelopment project which is to benefit contractors rather than the public.
But Joo No believes in evolving with the times. He realizes the biggest reason for Sanin inability to be profitable is that the company has never tried to dabble in e-commerce. When he suggests that since it’s a growing sphere and would benefit the other subsidiary businesses of the group, the idea is met with protest especially from Tae Soo.
It is apparent that Joo No wants to bail out Sanin and make it a solvent enterprise, but there are those, especially the key decision makers in the group, who are resistant to change and the company’s growth. Though Joo No can be cold-blooded with his dealings, he is looking at a win-win situation for both parties involved. But Tae Soo’s myopic view stems from his own ulterior motives and vested interests in profits. Tae Soo challenges Joo No, setting him up to fail, even writing his career obituary. But Joo No remains undeterred—he is willing to take the risk, at whatever cost, for Sanin’s survival. But will Lady Luck stay on his side? After all, in Sanin the survival is not of the smartest, but the corrupt.
People pleaser vs. people’s person
There is no place for sentiments in the cold and calculating world of business and finance. In the cutthroat competition and the race to get rich, there is little scope to nurture human relations. Ha Tae Soo and Yoon Joo No once shared a mentor-mentee relationship. However, when Tae Soo realized that the protege was getting ahead of him, he clipped his wings, making him exit the company. Tae Soo doesn’t believe in nurturing people or mentoring them. His work ethic is one of exercising control and believing in a hierarchy shaped by power. He makes sure to only have pleasers around him, those who would toe his line, rather than step on them.
On the other hand, Joo No comes across as a recluse. He is a solitary figure and may not seem like a people’s person. But unlike his former mentor, he believes in uplifting and empowering those around them. When he forms his core M&A team, he personally scouts Oh Soon Young and Kwak Min Jung, believing in their aptitude. He also takes on the novice Choi Jin Woo and guides him every step of the way. He even scouts his insights in understanding the gaming space, giving Jin Woo confidence. Joo No believes in carrying people with him and respects their expertise without feeling insecure. He inculcates a team spirit amongst them.
Will Joo No and the M&A team succeed in reinventing Sanin Industries or will they succumb to Ha Tae Soo and his team’s corrupt practices? “The Art of Negotiation” is not about the company, but the people who make it. The plot keeps up the momentum with well-etched characters, and though it sometimes leans a bit heavy on the business side, the show keeps you invested in the drama unfolding on screen.
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Hey Soompiers, have you checked out “The Art of Negotiation”? If so, what do you like about it? Let us know in the comments!
Puja Talwar is a Soompi writer with a strong Yoo Yeon Seok and Lee Junho bias. A long time K-drama fan, she loves devising alternate scenarios to the narratives. She has interviewed Lee Min Ho, Gong Yoo, Cha Eun Woo, and Ji Chang Wook to name a few. You can follow her on @puja_talwar7 on Instagram.
