Character Relationship Map: New World

Characters

• Lee Ja-sung (played by Lee Jung-jae) — protagonist

  Undercover police officer infiltrating Goldmoon International for 8 years. After his friend Jung Chung is killed and he is abandoned by Chief Kang, he seizes power, eliminates rivals, and becomes the...

• Jung Chung (played by Hwang Jung-min) — supporting

  Leader of the Northmoon clan and Lee Ja-sung's closest friend. Backed by Chief Kang who uses him to take down rival Lee Joong-gu, Jung is betrayed, arrested, and ultimately assassinated by Joong-gu's...

• Lee Joong-gu (played by Park Sung-woong) — supporting

  Leader of the Jaebum faction and primary rival to Jung Chung. He is manipulated by Chief Kang, arrested, and learns of Jung's betrayal. Enraged, he orders assassinations against Jung and raids Ja-sung...

• Jang Su-ki (played by Choi Il-hwa) — supporting

  Nominal vice president of Goldmoon with no real power. Chief Kang intends to install him as a weak chairman to dismantle the company, but he is killed when he attempts to execute Lee Ja-sung.

Story Dynamics

Alliances, conflicts, and narrative interactions that evolve throughout the story.

• Lee Joong-gu → Jang Su-ki (Conflict Succession Rival) — Their positions are tied to competing outcomes in the leadership succession.

  Lee Joong-gu fights to succeed the dead chairman, while Chief Kang plans to install Jang Su-ki as chairman instead.

• Jung Chung → Jang Su-ki (Alliance Faction Connection) — The two power bases become connected through Ja-sung's posthumous takeover of Jung's faction.

  After Jung Chung's death, Lee Ja-sung takes control of Jung's faction and secures the loyalty of Su-ki's men.

• Lee Ja-sung → Jang Su-ki (Conflict Political Opponent) — Su-ki becomes an immediate threat when Ja-sung begins consolidating power.

  Jang Su-ki attempts to have Lee Ja-sung executed, but Su-ki's men kill him instead.

• Jung Chung → Lee Joong-gu (Conflict Arch Rival) — Their succession struggle drives the central criminal power conflict.

  After the chairman's death, Jung Chung and Lee Joong-gu fight to succeed him while representing opposing factions.

• Lee Ja-sung → Lee Joong-gu (Conflict Faction Rival) — Ja-sung ultimately becomes the opposing power to Joong-gu's faction.

  Lee Joong-gu leads the Jaebum faction and is the primary rival to Jung Chung, whose faction Ja-sung later controls.

• Lee Ja-sung → Jung Chung (Social Closest Friend) — Their deep friendship becomes the emotional foundation of Ja-sung's final decision.

  The plot identifies Jung Chung as Lee Ja-sung's closest friend, and their friendship is evident when they begin as small-time thugs.

Story Analysis

An undercover officer abandons institutional loyalty, inherits his friend's faction, and rises to control the criminal empire.

Plot Progression

1. The Infiltrator's Burden — Lee Ja-sung spends eight years undercover inside Goldmoon International. His promised reassignment is repeatedly delayed, leaving him trapped between the police and the syndicate.
2. A Throne Without Heirs — The chairman's accidental death creates a succession crisis between Jung Chung and Lee Joong-gu. Jang Su-ki appears as a possible but powerless alternative.
3. Blood Consequences — Evidence leads to Joong-gu's arrest, while the accusation of betrayal provokes an attack on Jung. Violence reaches Ja-sung's home and destroys his remaining sense of safety.
4. The Loyalty Decision — With his police profile destroyed, Ja-sung visits the dying Jung. Jung's final request forces Ja-sung to choose between institutional duty and personal power.
5. The New Chairman — Ja-sung inherits Jung's faction, wins Su-ki's supporters, and removes the remaining obstacles. He becomes chairman while preserving the secrecy of his undercover identity.