Im Soo-jung, Jang Ki-yong, Lee Da-hee, Jeon Hye-jin
Well, someone’s star is rising rapidly, isn’t it? Jang Ki-yong’s (Come Here and Hug Me) next project, OCN’s Kill It, hasn’t even premiered yet, and the actor has already lined up his next gig in tvN’s Search Query: WWW. It’s a pretty awkward title, with the acronym ostensibly standing for the world-wide web, but it’s supposed to refer to the career women (and man) who operate online portals. These women are Im Soo-jung (Chicago Typewriter), Lee Da-hee (Beauty Inside), and Jeon Hye-jin (Misty).
Im Soo-jung will play the strategy manager of the industry’s top portal site, specializing in what’s termed as “unicorn service,” which refers to rapidly growing startups. Think venture capital, or an investment firm with a particularized interest in tech startups. Her character is highly competitive, which makes sense given her chosen career, and loves winning above all, even above romance. At least, until Jang Ki-yong enters her life. Jang Ki-yong will be playing the young CEO of a computer game music-producing company, as well as a genius composer. He attended high school in Australia, but has since returned to Korea, and has had his fair share of life’s ups and downs compared to the average guy in his twenties.
Lee Da-hee sounds like she’ll be a formidable rival to our main heroine, as the social media manager of a portal site that always trails in second place to Im Soo-jung’s. She was a judo athlete in a former life, and without an outlet, she has some anger management issues, which is expressed in bouts of physical strength that is surprising coming from someone her size. I hope she plays one of those likable frenemies to Im Soo-jung, though, because she’s just about the most endearingly unlucky woman alive when it comes to romance, with all her past boyfriends having cheated on her.
And last, but certainly not least, is Jeon Hye-jin, a board member of Im Soo-jung’s company. She must come from a privileged background, because she’s married to the son of a chaebol family, whose conglomerate is the parent company of the portal site she works at. The marriage was more of a strategic one than one borne out of love, and the couple treat each other as partners in a business arrangement, with an understanding that neither will interfere in each other’s lives.
Directing is PD Jung Ji-hyun, and writing is Kwon Do-eun, both of whom were involved in tvN’s Mr. Sunshine, as co-director and assistant writer, respectively. WWW is scheduled to air on tvN sometime in the first half of this year.