Yoo Je-won

Yoo Je-won (Korean: 유제원; Hanja: 劉諸元) is a South Korean television director best known for his television dramas series High School King of Savvy (2014), Oh My Ghost (2015), Abyss (2019) and Hi Bye, Mama! (2020). Also with his most recent Netflix hit simulcast original series Hometown Cha-Cha-Cha (2021) and Crash Course in Romance (2023).

In this Korean name, the family name is Yoo.
Yoo Je-won
유제원
Yoo Je-won 2019
Born
South Korea
Other namesYu Je-won
OccupationTelevision director
Years active2007–present
Employers
Notable work
Spouse
Lee Shi-ra
​
(m. 2009)​
Korean name
Hangul
Hanja
Revised RomanizationYu Je-won
McCune–ReischauerYu Chewŏn

Career

Early careers

Yoo began his career in the broadcasting industry as part of the drama crew at the SBS network. In 2007, Yoo worked as assistant director for director Park Gung-ryeol on a 20-episode drama series called "Salt Doll," written by Park Eon-hee. Later that same year, Yoo worked with director Park Gung-ryeol and writer Park Eon-hee again on the SBS drama Fly to The Sky, which aired every Friday from August 24 to October 26, 2007, and consisted of 19 episodes.[1]

In 2008, Yoo worked as assistant for director Jang Yong-woo weekend drama I am Happy. Written by Kim Jung-soo, the drama was aired in SBS from February 10 to August 31, 2008.[2] In 2010, Yoo worked as assistant director for Jung Eul-young in famous writer Kim Soo-hyun's drama Life Is Beautiful or La Vida es Bella. This 63 episodes family drama aired in SBS from March 20, 2010, to November 7, 2010, every Saturday and Sunday.[3]

2014–2020: Career as director

High School King of Savvy[4] was Yoo's first drama series as director. The drama genre was a lighthearted rom-com penned by Yang Hee-seung. Starring Seo In-guk, Lee Ha-na, Lee Soo-hyuk and Lee Yul-eum, it was broadcast on tvN from June 16 to August 11, 2014. Due to the drama popularity, an episode was added so it became 17 episodes,[5] and a special broadcast with behind-the-scenes stories was broadcast on August 12, 2014. It was followed by 25 episodes makjang weekend drama Tears of Heaven (2014). Starring Park Ji-young, Hong Ah-reum, Seo Jun-young and Yoon Seo. It was aired in MBN from October 11, 2014, to January 3, 2015. The drama recorded the highest viewership rating (3.305%) for MBN drama at that time, and the record was stayed unbroken until 2019.[6][7][8]

In 2015, Yoo and Yang Hee-seung met again in fantasy drama Oh My Ghost.[9][10] The drama was highly anticipated because it was Park Bo-young's first television series in seven years, starred alongside Jo Jung-suk, Lim Ju-hwan and Kim Seul-gi. The drama portrays the love story between Na Bong-sun, an assistant chef who has ability to see ghost who has one side love with her boss, arrogant star chef Kang Sun-woo. Na Bong-sun one day possessed by a virgin spirit who completely changes her timid personality.[11][12][13][14] The 16 episodes drama series aired on tvN from July 3 to August 22, 2015.[15][16] The series was a commercial and critical hit. Its 7% rating was the highest for cable television drama at the time. Park Bo-young earned Excellence Award, Actress in a Miniseries at the 4th APAN Star Awards for her role.

After two years Yoo was back with a time-travel themed fantasy drama series Tomorrow, With You. Starring Shin Min-a and Lee Je-hoon, it was started airing on February 3, 2017, on cable channel tvN.[17] This series was not as successful as Yoo previous television series. Yoo then worked as assistant ditector of tvN drama Stranger.

In 2018, Yoo reunited with Seo In-guk for a South Korean remake of the 2002 Japanese television series Sora Kara Furu Ichioku no Hoshi. The adapted Korean version english title is The Smile Has Left Your Eyes.[18] Jung So-min and Park Sung-woong joined this project. It was first aired on tvN on October 3, 2018.[19][20]

In 2019, Yoo reunited with Park Bo-young in tvN drama Abyss, with Ahn Hyo-seop and Lee Sung-jae joined as her costars. Theme of the drama was about a man and a woman who have been resurrected from death with different faces with the mysterious soul-reviving bead called Abyss.[21][22][23]

In 2020, Yoo work with writer Kwon In-woo in a fantasy melodrama Hi Bye, Mama![24] The drama was highly anticipated as Kim Tae-hee's comeback drama after five years, joined by rising stars Lee Kyu-hyung and Go Bo-gyeol. Drama's storyline depicts the 49-day real reincarnation story of a ghost mother who reappears in front of her husband and daughter who already started a new life after overcoming the pain of bereavement. It was aired on tvN from February 22 to April 19, 2020.[25][26]

2021–present: Breakthrough, mainstream success

In April 2021, Studio Dragon announced that Yoo will be reunited with Shin Min-a, as director of Seaside Village Cha-Cha-Cha, a remake of 2004 South Korean film Mr. Handy, Mr. Hong.[27] It was first announced on December 21, 2020, under the working title of Hong Ban-jang (홍반장) with Shin Min-a and Kim Seon-ho being offered the lead roles.[28] In June, it was announced that the series english title is Hometown Cha-Cha-Cha and it will be available for streaming on Netflix.[29][30][31] This is a healing romance drama about a realist dentist Yoon Hye-jin (Shin Min-a) and an all-rounder, Hong Banjang (Kim Seon-ho), a sea village called Gongjin. A genius variety producer Ji PD (Lee Sang-yi) then select Gongjin as setting for his new variety show. This 16 episodes drama were aired from August 28 to October 17, 2021, on tvN's Saturdays and Sundays at 21:00 (KST) time slot.[32][33]

Branded as healing drama, Hometown Cha-Cha-Cha received favorable reviews from domestic and foreign viewers.[34][35] It became one of the highest-rated series on cable television history.[36][37] It ranked first place during its entire run for eight weeks, and the last episode achieved 12.665% nationwide rating, with over 3.2 million views.[38] Hometown Cha-Cha-Cha also one of 2021 most-watched non-English television on Netflix. According to FlixPatrol,[lower-alpha 1] the series placed number 8 on Netflix global chart. Netflix's one of its longest-running hits as it spent 16 weeks in global top ten ranking in more than 20 countries.[40][41][42] It also remained on Netflix's Top 10 Chart for television shows for more than two months from its last episode.[43][44]

On December 21, 2020, Kim Soo-hyun Drama Art Hall operated by Cheongju City Culture Industry Promotion Foundation, selected Hometown Cha-Cha-Cha as '2021 Good Drama of the Year'. Yoo as director and Shin Ha-eun as writer are also recognized in the certificate of award.[45] It was selected by both the viewer evaluation team and expert group and it was praised as a 'K-healing drama' that appeared at a time when sensational genre content was overflowing, and was loved by domestic and foreign viewers.[46]

Yoo reunited with Yang Hee-seung for their third collaboration in the romantic-comedy drama Crash Course in Romance which premiered on tvN in January 2023. The series, starring Jeon Do-yeon and Jung Kyung-ho, revolved around a former national handball player who now runs a banchan shop, raising her high school daughter alone and celebrity math instructor at a popular private academy.[47]

Personal life

Yoo has been married to Lee Shi-ra since 2009.

Since they met in drama Oh My Ghost, Yoo was given the nickname Yoovely by Park Bo-young, a portmanteau of his surname and the English word "lovely."[48]

Filmography

As assistant director in television series
Television series assistant director
Year Title Network Director Note Ref.
English Korean
2007 Salt Doll 소금인형 SBS Park Gung-ryeol
Fly to The Sky 날아오르다 [1]
2008 I am Happy 행복합니다 Jang Yong-woo [2]
2010 Life Is Beautiful or La Vida es Bella 인생은 아름다워 Jung Eul-young
  • with Seo Young-rok
  • Choi Han-gyeol
 [3]
2012 Rooftop Prince 옥탑방 왕세자 Shin Yoon-sub
Ahn Gil-ho
  • with Kim Na-young
  • Lee Nam-cheol
  • Kim Yoon-jin
 [49]
2017 Stranger 비밀의 숲 tvN Ahn Gil-ho (season 1) [50]
2020 The King: Eternal Monarch 더 킹: 영원의 군주 Baek Sang-hoon with Jung Ji-hyun [51]
2021 Doom at Your Service 어느 날 우리 집 현관으로 멸망이 들어왔다 Kwon Young-il

As director in television series
Television series director
Year Title Network Ref.
English Korean
2014 High School King of Savvy 고교처세왕 tvN [4]
Tears of Heaven 천국의 눈물 MBN [8]
2015 Oh My Ghost 오 나의 귀신님 tvN [9]
2017 Tomorrow, With You 내일 그대와 숲 [17]
2018 The Smile Has Left Your Eyes 하늘에서 내리는 일억개의 별 [18]
2019 Abyss 어비스 [23]
2020 Hi Bye, Mama! 하이바이, 마마! [24]
2021 Hometown Cha-Cha-Cha 갯마을 차차차 [29]
2023 Crash Course in Romance 일타 스캔들 [52]

Casting

Yoo frequently re-casts actors whom he has worked with on previous dramas.

Recurring casts
Actor
Work
 ! class = "nowrap unsortable" style="line-height:99%;vertical-align:bottom;padding:.4em .4em .2em;background-position:50% .4em !important;min-width:0.875em;max-width:0.875em;width:0.875em;overflow:hidden;" |
High School King of Savvy checkY checkY checkY checkY
Tears of Heaven checkY checkY
Oh My Ghost checkY checkY checkY checkY checkY checkY checkY
Tomorrow, With You checkY checkY
The Smile Has Left Your Eyes checkY checkY checkY checkY checkY
Abyss checkY checkY checkY checkY
Hi Bye, Mama! checkY checkY checkY
Hometown Cha-Cha-Cha checkY checkY checkY checkY checkY checkY checkY checkY checkY checkY checkY
Crash Course in Romance checkY checkY checkY checkY checkY

Awards and nominations
List of award(s) and nomination(s)
Year Award Category Recipient Result Ref.
2022
 Asian Academy Creative Awards National Winner (Korea) – Best Direction (Fiction) Yoo Je-won — Hometown Cha-Cha-Cha Won [53]
Best Direction (Fiction) Nominated [54]
2021
 Kim Soo-hyun Drama Art Hall[lower-alpha 6] Serial Drama Category – Good Drama of the Year Won[lower-alpha 7] [55]

Notes
    1. FlixPatrol is a portal that provide provides VOD charts and streaming ratings worldwide, includes the Netflix charts (Netflix TOP 10 or what is Trending on Netflix), iTunes charts, Amazon Prime charts and HBO charts. These charts are based on the official trending or the most popular movies and the most popular TV shows on VOD. TOP 10 lists are updated daily.[39]
    2. Shin Hye-sun also worked with Yoo Je-won for 3rd time in Stranger Season 1
    3. Park Bo-young also worked with Yoo Je-won for the 3rd time in Doom at Your Service
    4. Seo In-guk also worked with Yoo Je-won for the 5th time in Doom at Your Service
    5. Shin Hye-sun also worked with Yoo Je-won for 3rd time in Stranger Season 1
    6. Kim Soo-hyun Drama Art Hall managed by Cheongju Cultural Industry Promotion Foundation is drama literature center, an exhibition space of drama writer Kim Soo-Hyun and her works
    7. Drama’s network, director, writer and main actors are recognized in the award certificates, with tvN, Shin Ha-eun, Shin Min-a, Kim Seon-ho, Lee Sang-yi, Gong Min-jeung, and Kim Young-ok[45]

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