Famously known as Hong sisters, Hong Jung-eun and Hong Mi-ran are two South Korean screenwriters who had several popular romantic comedies under their belts.
Before the sisters started to write TV drama scripts, they were writing for variety shows.
Their first drama was Sassy Girl Choon-Hyang (2005). Since then, they have made their names in the Korean entertainment industry and it is common to read about K-drama enthusiasts anticipating about the Hong sisters’ next project online.
With 12 projects to date, here are five of KajoMag’s favourite dramas written by the Hong sisters:
1.Hotel del Luna (2019)
This Hong sister’s drama is one of the must-watch series for 2019. It is no surprise that this drama is also the eighth-highest rated Korean drama in cable television history.
It starS Lee Ji-eun as the owner and Yeo Jin-goo as the manager of a hotel that caters only to ghosts.
The story goes that during the Goguryeo era, a woman rebel named Jang Man-wol (Ji-eun) drank some liquor, unknowingly turning her into the hotel’s owner. She was then stuck running the hotel for the past 1,000 years before meeting Ku Chan-seong (Yeo Jin-goo).
This fantasy drama has drawn in viewers not just for its entertaining storyline but also for its cinematography.
Korean drama fans even went crazy for Ji-eun’s hair and makeup in the series.
2.A Korean Odyssey (2017)
This drama is like a mini-reunion for the Hong sisters, reuniting them with the stars they worked with prior to this.
Cha Seung-won, Lee Seung-gi and Lee Hong-gi have worked with the Hong sisters in The Greatest Love (2011), My Girlfriend is a Nine-Tailed Fox (2010) and You’re Beautiful (2009) respectively.
Additionally, the director Park Hong-kyun has also worked with the Hong sisters in Warm and Cozy (2015) and The Greatest Love (2011).
The drama is a modern spin-off of the Chinese classic novel “Journey to the West”. The story follows Jin Sun-mi (Oh Yeon-seo) who can see evil spirits. When she was a girl, she meet two supernatural creatures Woo Hwi-chul (Cha Seung-won) and Son Oh-Gong (Lee Seung-ki). Twenty five years later, fate brings the three together again.
If you have watched A Korean Odyssey and you are not happy with the ending, then you are not the only one.
Apparently, there is an ongoing online petition to TvN and Netflix to continue the drama with a second season.
Watch the trailer here.
3.Master’s Sun (2013)
Korean actor So Ji-sub is famous for his melodramatic role. When he made an acting transformation in Master’s Sun playing a charming character who provides occasional comic relief, Ji-sub instantly reached a new height of popularity.
In this Hong sisters’ drama, he takes up the role of cold and distant CEO Joong-won. He meets the clingy and gloomy Tae Gong-shil (Gong Hyo-jin) who can see ghosts.
Together, they solve supernatural events around them as Joong-won continues to solve a mystery from his past.
The drama is another commercial hit for the Hong sisters. It also reunited the sisters with Gong Hyo-jin whom they worked with in The Greatest Love (2011).
4.The Greatest Love (2011)
Speaking of the drama The Greatest Love (2011), this is the project that earned the Hong sisters the Writer of the Year Award in 2011 MBC Drama Awards.
Additionally, the drama won Drama of the Year, Top Excellence Award Actor in a Miniseries for Cha Seung-won, Top Excellence Award Actress in a Miniseries for Gong Hyo-jin and Best Young Actor for Yang Han-yeol.
On the international level, The Greatest Love (2011) won the Silver Prize in 8th New York Television Festival’s International TV & Films Awards.
Set amidst the image-conscious world of the South Korean entertainment industry, the story follows a famous star falling for a washed-out pop singer.
5.My Girlfriend is a Gumiho (2010)
Here is another award-winning series by the Hong sisters. It centers around Cha Dae-woong (Lee Seung-gi) a college student who accidentally releases a nine-tailed fox or gumiho (Shin Min-ah).
The drama proved Shin Min-ah’s acting ability as it is one of her memorable roles yet. Otherwise, she was previously better known as just a advertisement model who happened to be acting.
Before there was Kim Eun-sook’s Goblin, My Girlfriend is a Gumiho was the best known fantasy Korean drama.
It reinvented and romanticized characters from Korean folklore such as gumiho.
