The Escape of the Seven: War for Survival (2023) Review

A CEO of a drama production business, an ex-gangster, a wannabe idol, an OB-GYN doctor, an entertainment CEO, and a school art teacher.

7 Escape War for Survival

The Escape of the Seven (2023) is a South Korean TV show that is still going on. It stars Um Ki-joonHwang Jung-eumLee JoonLee Yu-biShin Eun-kyungYoon Jong-hoonJo Yoon-hee, and Jo Jae-yoon. There are seven important characters in it. 

It first aired on SBS TV on September 15, 2023, and every Friday and Saturday at 22:00 (KST), it’s back. Some parts of the world can also watch it on Viu, Kocowa, and Viki.

Profile

DramaThe Escape of the Seven / 7 Escape
Hangul7인의 탈출
DirectorJoo Dong-Min
WriterKim Sun-Ok
NetworkSBS
No of Episodes17
Release DateSeptember 15 – November 17, 2023
RuntimeFriday & Saturday 22:00-23:10
Duration1 hr. 29 min
LanguageKorean
CountrySouth Korea

The Escape of the Seven: Story

A CEO of a drama production business, an ex-gangster, a wannabe idol, an OB-GYN doctor, an entertainment CEO, and a school art teacher. What do all of these people have in common? All seven of these people were involved in the hot case of a girl who went missing. In this revenge story, the main characters try to avoid their fate and find the truth, but they get caught up in lies, secrets, and their own wants.

The Escape of the Seven: Cast

Main Characters:

1) Um Ki-joon as Matthew Lee / Lee Hwi-so (Instagram)

Um Ki-joon

Um Ki-joon is a South Korean actor who was born in Seoul on April 22, 1976. He started playing in the stage play Richard III in 1995. But he became famous for his roles in musicals like Singin’ in the Rain, The Sorrows of Young Werther, Grease, The Three Musketeers, Jack the Ripper, The Count of Monte Cristo, Catch Me If You Can, and Rebecca. He was also in the play Closer by Patrick Marber

Um became more well-known after he started having supporting parts in TV dramas like The Escape of the Seven (2023), Life Special Investigation TeamWorlds WithinHeroDream HighScent of a Woman, and Phantom. He also played the lead role in Good Job, and The Virus

Um’s first movie, Man of Vendetta, starred Kim Myung-min as the bad guy. After this, he played Lee Ki-cheol, a detective looking into serial killings, in the horror movie Killer Toon, which he shared with Lee Si-young.


2) Hwang Jung-eum as Geum Ra-hee (Instagram)

Hwang Jung-eum

Hwang Jung-eum is a singer and actor from South Korea. She was born in Seoul, South Korea, on January 25, 1985. Her big break came from the sitcom High Kick Through the Roof, and her first lead part was in the TV show Listen to My Heart

Hwang started her career as a major singer with the K-pop girl group Sugar in 2002. She left the group in 2004 to start her own solo career. She has been in a number of TV shows, including Giant, Golden Time, and Incarnation of Money. Hwang got married to Lee Young-don in 2016 and the two of them have two children.


3) Lee Joon as Min Do-hyeok (Instagram)

Lee Joon

Lee Joon is a producer, singer, actor, and model from South Korea. He was born in Seoul, South Korea, on February 7, 1988. Lee is most well known for being in the South Korean boy band MBLAQ. Along with movies, he has been in a number of TV series, including The Escape of the Seven (2023), GapdongMy Father Is Strange, and The Silent Sea

In 2008, Lee got his start as an actor with a small, one-time part in the first episode of the sitcom That Person Is Coming. He was also in the movie Ninja Assassin, which came out in 2009. Lee quit MBLAQ in October 2014 to improve his acting career. On October 24, 2017, he joined the South Korean service. On December 19, 2019, he was released.


4) Lee Yu-bi as Han Mo-ne (Instagram)

Lee Yu-bi

Lee Yu-bi is an actor from South Korea. She was born in Seoul, South Korea, on November 22, 1990. She was born to stars Kyeon Mi-ri and Im Young-gyu. Lee’s acting career began with the 2011 sitcom Vampire Idol. 

Since then, she has been in a number of shows on TV, including The Escape of the Seven (2023), The Innocent ManGu Family Book, and Pinocchio. She has also been in movies like Twenty and The Royal Tailor. The horror show The Escape of the Seven, which stars Hwang Jung-eum and Um Ki-joon, is Lee’s most recent work.


5) Shin Eun-kyung as Cha Ju-ran

Shin Eun-kyung

Shin Eun-kyung is an actress from South Korea. She was born in Busan, South Korea, on February 15, 1973. Shin is best known for her major parts in the movies My Wife Is a Gangster (2001) and Downfall (1997). 

Along with Shim Eun-ha, Go So-young, and Jeon Do-yeon, she is thought to be one of the most famous Korean actors of the 1990s. 

Shin’s first job was in ads when she was 13. Her first TV show was on KBS in 1988. In movies like “The Ring Virus” (1999), “Uzumaki” (2000), and “The Plan” (2014), she has played roles. 

Shin has also been in a number of TV shows, including The Escape of the Seven (2023), General Hospital (2000), Bad Couple (2007), and The Last Empress (2018). Since 2011, she has taught in the Department of Performing Arts at Seoul Hoseo Art College. 

Shin got married to Kim Jung-soo in 2003, but they got a divorce in 2007 because he used her private seal without her permission to steal ₩400 million ($424,800) for his business after it merged with Fantom Entertainment and several of the movies he made didn’t do well at the box office.


6) Yoon Jong-hoon as Yang Jin-mo (Instagram)

Yoon Jong-hoon

Yoon Jong-hoon is a South Korean actor who was born in Daejeon on February 15, 1984. He is best known for his parts in the TV shows MisaengReply 1994, and The Penthouse: War in Life. Yoon’s first role as an actor was in the 2009 TV show Empress Cheonchu. 

Since then, he’s been in a number of other Dramas, including The Escape of the Seven (2023), Golden FishCome and Hug Me, and Extraordinary You. He has also been in movies like It’s Alright (2010) and Frozen Land (2010). On June 19, 2012, Yoon joined the South Korean military. He was released on March 18, 2014.

Jo Yoon-hee is a model and actor from South Korea. She was born in Cheongju, Chungcheongbuk-do, South Korea, on October 13, 1982. Jo is best known for her lead parts in the 2012 and 2013 TV dramas My Husband Got a Family and Nine


7) Jo Yoon-hee as Go Myung-ji (Instagram)

Jo Yoon-hee

Along with The Escape of the Seven (2023), The King’s Face (2014), Pied Piper (2016), and Beautiful LoveWonderful Life (2019), she has also been in a number of other shows. Among the movies Jo has been in are “The Last Supper” (2003), “The Con Artists” (2014), and “The Day After.” 

In 2017, she married actress Lee Dong-gun, and the two of them have a daughter. But in 2020, they got a divorce because they couldn’t get along anymore.


8) Jo Jae-yoon as Nam Cheol-woo (Instagram)

Jo Jae-yoon

Jo Jae-yoon is a South Korean actor. He was born in Cheongju, South Korea, on October 29, 1974. Jo started acting in 2003 and has since been in many movies and TV shows as a supporting player, such as The Escape of the Seven (2023), The Man from Nowhere (2010), The Chaser (2012), Gu Family Book (2013), The Suspect (2013), Descendants of the Sun (2016), Mad Dog (2017), and Sky Castle (2018–2019). He has also been in Animals, a comedy show/reality show.


Supporting Characters:

  • Lee Deok-hwa as Bang Chil-sung
  • Han Bo-reum as Noh Paeng-hee
  • Kim Do-hoon as K
  • Kim Ki-doo as Joo Yong-ju
  • Jung Ra-el as Bang Da-mi
  • Yoon Tae-young as Kang Ki-tak
  • Seo Young-hee as Park Nan-young
  • Kim Hyun as Yoon Ji-sook
  • Ahn Eun-ho as Hong Man-du
  • Eom Ji-yoon as Yoo-jin
  • Jung Da-eun as Song Ji-ah
  • Im Seong-gyun as Min Jae-hyuk
  • Jang Ha-kyung as So-yeon
  • Lee Eugene as Han Cheong-soo
  • Eun Hae-sung as Han Kyung-soo
  • Lee Jong-nam as Jung Mi-so

Extended:

  • Ji Seung-hyun as Um Ji-man
  • Lee Boo-young as Executive Director Hwang
  • Lee Jung-hyun as Baek Ik-ho
  • Han Da-hee as Oh Hye-bin

Why I Watch This TV Show?

Here are some reasons why you might want to watch “The Escape of the Seven”:

  • The story of the show is about seven people who were involved in the search for a lost girl. It’s a revenge story. 
  • People in the story try to avoid what will happen to them and find the truth, but they get caught up in secrets, lies, and their own wants.
  • Characters on the show come from a wide range of backgrounds. There is an ex-gangster as the CEO of a drama production company, a wannabe star as an OB-GYN doctor, an entertainment CEO, and a school art teacher.
  • Both viewers and reviewers have said nice things about the show. It has been hailed for having an interesting plot, great acting, and a story that keeps you guessing.