Lee Je-Hoon Conducts Corporate Warfare In ‘The Art Of Negotiation'
The k-drama The Art of Negotiation could also be titled The Art of War, since the drama involves a high-stakes battle for power within a major corporation. It's a battle that cannot end without casualties. Lee Je-hoon, plays Yun Jun-no, a man referred to as the White Snake. A mergers and acquisitions expert he's known for making quick and lethal cuts to save floundering corporations. That's why Jun-no's former employer, Sanin Corporation, enlists him to deal with the company's impending financial crisis. Sanin has a high debt ratio and must soon raise trillions to retain its financial independence. If Jun-no can't turn things around quickly the company may cease to exist.
Sanin's chairman, Song Jae-suk, played by Sung Dong-il, trusts Jun-no to analyze the situation and make drastic changes. This sets him up in direct conflict to the company's CFO, Ha Tae-soo, played by Jang Hyun-sung. Tae-soo must appear to follow the chairman's instructions in public and give Jun-no a fighting chance. Privately he may work to sabotage his efforts,
Jun-no forms his own team in an effort to save Sanin Corporation.
Jun-no's presence makes many of the company executives nervous. While Jun-no's priority is saving the company, more than a few executives are focused on saving themselves. Jun-no may be more vested in corporate interests, but he also has secrets and perhaps an ulterior motive.
To create his M&A team Jun-no recruits the math whiz Kwak Min-jeong, played by Ahn Hyun-ho (Monthly Magazine Home) and lawyer Oh Soon-young, played by Kim Dae-myung (Hospital Playlist). For good measure Jun-no adds an enthusiastic intern, played by Cha Kang-yoon (Midnight Romance in Hagwon).
The White Snake is an expert at keeping emotions out of negotiations and that's a lesson he hopes to teach his likable team. By staying cool, he says, the good guys can outwit the greedy. Cool heads almost always prevail. Yet, despite his legendary skills as a financial negotiator, there may be times when Jun-no can't avoid acting on his emotions.
Lee Je-hoon is best known for dramas such as Taxi Driver, Chief Detective 1958, Move to Heaven and Signal. Sung Dong-il appeared in the dramas The Tale of Lady Ok, Curtain Call and Ghost Doctor. Jang Hyun-sung can be seen in dozens of dramas including Duty After School, Agency and Under the Queen's Umbrella. The drama also stars Oh Man-seok (The Fiery Priest 2, Midnight Romance in Hagwon and The Atypical Family) as the company's top executive.
The drama is written by Lee Seung-young, who wrote the screenplay for the upcoming 2026 drama Scandals, and directed by Ahn Pan-seok, who previously directed The Midnight Romance in Hagwon. The Art of Negotiation originally aired on JTBC in South Korea and can be seen on Viki.com in the U.S.
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