With the current weekender The Real Has Come ending in less than a month, KBS is getting ready to pass the baton to its next big family drama Hyo-shim’s Independent Life. Starring UEE (The Reason for Our Break Up) as the titular character Lee Hyo-shim, the drama will center around a filial daughter who devoted her life to supporting her family, but now, she tries to find independence for herself.
Nicknamed “Sim Cheong” (a.k.a., the epitome of filial piety in Korean folklore), Hyo-shim is the third child out of four and only daughter in her family. After her father abandons them, she takes up the role of breadwinner and works as a health trainer. In the poster, though, Hyo-shim carries a flag with the word “independence” on it, signaling a shift in our heroine’s priorities.
Playing opposite UEE is Ha Joon (Missing: The Other Side 2) as Kang Tae-ho. He has the trappings of a typical weekender lead — rich and handsome with a chip on his shoulder — and after studying abroad for twenty years, he returns to Korea hoping to uncover a secret. He gets entangled with Hyo-shim while visiting the health club where she works, and despite his initial rudeness, her firm professionalism breaks down his barriers and opens his heart.
Making his return to the small screen after four years is Go Joo-won (Haechi) as Tae-ho’s cousin Kang Tae-min. He holds an inferiority complex towards Tae-ho, so when his cousin returns and threatens to take over his position in the company as well as his love interest, Tae-min decides to face him head-on.
Rounding out the cast is Nam Bora (Today’s Webtoon) who will be playing ex-attorney and aspiring actor Jung Mi-rim. Though she achieved success in her old profession, Mi-rim grew disillusioned with the justice system, and thus, she starts anew in the entertainment business.
Directed by PD Kim Hyeong-il (The King of Tears, Lee Bang-won) and written by Jo Jeong-seon (Mother of Mine), KBS weekender Hyo-shim’s Independent Life will premiere on September 16.
Clockwise: UEE, Ha Joon, Nam Bora, Go Joo-won