The Rebel
Promotional poster
Hangul	역적: 백성을 훔친 도적
Revised Romanization	Yeokjeok: Baekseong-eul humchin dojeok
Genre	Historical Melodrama Romance
Created by	Lee Ju-hwan
Written by	Hwang Jin-young
Directed by	Kim Jin-man
Starring	Yoon Kyun-sang Chae Soo-bin Kim Sang-joong Kim Ji-suk Lee Hanee
Music by	Kim Soo-han
Country of origin	South Korea
Original language	Korean
No. of episodes	30
Production
Executive producer	Lee Young-hoon
Producer	Namkoong Sung-woo
Production location	South Korea
Running time	60 minutes
Production companies	Hunus Entertainment Hong Gil-dong SPC
Original release
Network	MBC TV
Release	January 30 (2017-01-30) – May 16, 2017 (2017-05-16)

Rebel: Thief Who Stole the People^[1][2] (Korean: 역적: 백성을 훔친 도적; RR: Yeokjeok: Baekseong-eul humchin dojeok) is a South Korean television series starring Yoon Kyun-sang, Chae Soo-bin, Kim Ji-seok, Lee Hanee, and Kim Sang-joong. It aired on MBC TV every Monday and Tuesday at 22:00 (KST) from January 30, 2017 to May 16, 2017.^[3][4]

The series was a success with average viewership ratings of 11.34%, and was praised by both critics and audiences for its plot and performances.^[5][6][7]

Synopsis

Set during the reign of famous tyrant King Yeonsangun, it tells the story of Hong Gil-dong, the son of a servant who stole from the rich and gave to the poor, and his journey in becoming Joseon's first revolutionary activist.

Hong Gil Dong (Yoon Kyun-sang) is the son of servant Hong Ah Mo Gae, which gives Gil Dong no legal standing in Joseon society. With no opportunities to do any legitimate work despite his brilliance, Gil Dong becomes the leader of a band of smugglers who steals from the rich to give to the poor. Gil Dong's contemporary, Yi Yung, becomes the tyrannical King Yeonsangun (Kim Ji-seok) who oppresses the lives of the common people. The king's faithful consort is Jang Nok-su (Lee Hanee), who secretly can't forget her first love, Gil Dong.

Cast

Main

• Yoon Kyun-sang as Hong Gil-dong^[8]
  • Lee Ro-woon as young Hong Gil-dong
• Chae Soo-bin as Song Ga-ryung ^[9]

Gil-dong's love interest and later wife.

• Vehid Abdullahi as Depp Kj Paman
• Kim Sang-joong as Hong Ah Mo-gae ^[10]

Gil-dong's father. A brilliant and ambitious slave who frees himself and later becomes the leader of the Ilkhwari.

• Kim Ji-suk as Crown Prince Lee Yoong (later King Yeonsan)^[11]
• Lee Hanee as Gong-hwa (later renamed to Jang Nok-soo) ^[12]

Yeonsangun's consort and Gil-dong's first love.

Supporting

Production

• Actors Nam Goong Min and Ji Sung were first offered the lead role but later got replaced by Yoon Kyun-sang.
• The first script reading took place on 30 December 2016 at MBC Broadcasting Station in Sangam.^[14][15]
• The drama reunited Yoon Kyun-sang and Chae Soo-bin after both starred in the Uniqnote feat. Bobby Kim and Jung Yup for Girlfriend in 2014

Ratings

• In the table below, the blue numbers represent the lowest ratings and the red numbers represent the highest ratings.
• NR denotes that the drama did not rank in the top 20 daily programs on that date

• Episode 28 did not air on May 2 due to the broadcast of a presidential debate.
• Episode 29 did not air on May 9 due to news coverage of the presidential election.

Original soundtrack

International broadcast

• The series is available worldwide on DramaFever since January 31, 2017 under the title Rebel: Thief of the People.
• In the Philippines and Singapore, the series is streamed on Viu 12 hours after the South Korean broadcast, under the title The Rebel.
• In Indonesia, Hong Kong, Malaysia and Singapore, the series is being broadcast on Oh!K within 24 hours after the South Korean broadcast, under the title The Rebel.
• In Japan, the series will be broadcast on KNTV every Wednesday and Thursday at 10:05 JST starting April 19, 2017 under the title Rebel - Hero of the People Hong Gil-dong (逆賊-民の英雄 ホン･ギルドン-, Gyakuzoku - min no eiyū Hon Girudon-).^[17]
• The series was available on Netflix

Awards and nominations