Many great men come from humble beginnings. During the end of the tumultuous Joseon Dynasty, Cheon Bong Sam (Jang Hyuk) is a peddler who inherited the leadership of a struggling merchant group (gaekju). Through hard work and perseverance against a corrupt bureaucracy, Bong Sam achieves great success and becomes a powerful merchant. Can he help shape the way that industry and business should be done in the emerging modern era? “The Merchant: Gaekju 2015” is a 2015 South Korean drama series directed by Kim Jong Sun. It is based on the novel “Gaekju” by Kim Joo Young. The term “gaekju” was used during the Joseon Dynasty to refer to “broker” or “commission merchant.”