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The Art of Negotiation aired its final episodes on April 12 and 13, 2025, starring Lee Je-hoon, Kim Dae-myung, and more. The drama depicts the story of Yoon Joo-no (Lee Je-hoon), an M&A expert renowned for his negotiation skills and rigid personality. Yoon Joo-no is known as the white snake, derived from his grey hair, but it describes his cunning personality.
Yoon Joo-no was accused of being involved in a stock manipulation scam and was away from Sanin Group. He returns after three years to help Chairman Song Jae-shik (Sung Dong-il) pay off the company's 11 trillion won debt. He regrouped his previous M&A team, including lawyer Oh Soon-young (Kim Dae-myung) and financier Kwak Min-jeong (Ahn Hyun-ho).
The M&A team is introduced to a new member, intern Choi Jin-soo (Cha Kang-yoon), chosen by Yoon Joo-no. With his team's unwavering support and his skills, Yoon Joo-no goes on a vicious journey to save Sanin Group, whilst navigating office politics. He also has a mission to clear his name and learn the truth about his brother's death.
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The Art of Negotiation is a slow-paced workplace drama that may not please a diverse audience. However, the Amazon Prime Video series is worth watching for the realistic portrayal of stories that go beyond business deals.
The Art of Negotiation review: Lee Je-hoon's mind-bending drama has viewers on edge
The Art of Negotiation is helmed by renowned director Ahn Pan-seok, known for his work in Something in the Rain and The Midnight Romance in Hagwon. He is popular among K-drama fans for his realistic portrayal of stories, which raised anticipation from the beginning.
The drama is slow-paced, giving an insight into Korea's conglomerate politics through naturalistic direction. Due to this, the show's pace may not retain viewers, but as the episodes progress, The Art of Negotiation starts to show its charm. One may observe Ahn Pan-seok's unique direction approach, with sharp colors depicting the corporate setting.
From business deals to negotiations and company crises, the drama kept the viewers hooked throughout with added cliff hangers in each episode. It also navigates individual narratives and scenarios behind each merger and acquisition project, going beyond business deals and becoming more humane.
Yoon Joo-no's traits that set him apart from other employees started to show up with the second episode. However, it was not as strong as the characters played by Lee Je-hoon in previous hits like The Taxi Driver. Lee Je-hoon's acting skills delivered Yoon Joo-no's stiffness but may not resonate with some viewers.
His character seemed to have been overshadowed by the heavy subplots featuring other characters in the first half. If one observes carefully, Yoon Joo-no's weapon was his careful use of words— he may not speak much, but his message is crisp and calculated, convincing the opposition of what he wants.
Moreover, the supporting characters depicted by Kim Dae-myung, Cha Kang-yoon, and Ahn Hyun-ho were interesting in their own ways. For instance, Choi Jin-soo (Cha Kang-yoon) makes mistakes as an intern, and Kwak Min-jeong (Ahn Hyun-ho)— who was a no-nonsense person— yet tried to understand him. Meanwhile, Oh Soon-young, guiding Choi Jin-soo with his subtle humor, turned the moment light despite the seriousness of the situation.
Sung Dong-il, widely popular for his role in Reply 1988, who depicted the role of Chairman Song Jae-shik, continued to impress with his acting, proving his versatility. Notably, by the end, the plot puts all its focus on Yoon Joo-no and the antagonist Ha Tae-soo in a way one may not want to miss out on.
The Art of Negotiation wrapped up with yet another cliffhanger, leaving viewers wanting more. On the downside, one may give up on the show, not only due to its pace, but also the heavy negotiation jargon and detailed depiction of the subject, as it may not interest them. If one enjoys workplace dramas with thrilling business exchanges, then one would enjoy the show.
Meanwhile, all episodes of The Art of Negotiation are available on Viki and Amazon Prime Video in limited regions.
