Screenwriter and playwright is one of the most well-known screenwriters in South Korean television. She gained prominence for her work in the sci-fi crime drama, Signal. The series received widespread acclaim from viewers and critics alike. It remains one of the highest-rated Korean dramas in TV history.

In 2016, Kim took on her most ambitious project yet—the political horror period series, Kingdom which is also one of Netflix’s first original Korean series. It received critical acclaim and was immediately renewed for a second season. Jirisan is the reunion project between Jun—whom she worked with for the special episode—and Ju Ji-hoon, who stars in the Kingdom series.

“I’ve worked with writer Kim for five years. She’s like a relative, someone who I will greet during a festival, and we meet often. Her scripts are extremely detailed,” said Ju.

In addition to screenwriter Kim Eun-hee, renowned K-drama director, Lee Eung-bok is helming the drama. Lee worked on some of the biggest hits of the decade including Descendants of the Sun, Goblin and Mr Sunshine. “I feel that I’ve only talked about murders, but I do feel a need for the show to heal the soul. That is why we have chosen to follow the story of park rangers among the mountain, trees and nature of Jirisan,” director Lee said.

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Jun Ji-hyun and Ju Ji-hoon not only have similar-sounding names but the two also exist in the Kingdom universe, although their characters haven’t crossed paths yet. It’s an exciting tease for fans to see the two work together in another series before their characters in Kingdom meet. During the press conference, Jun praised her partnership with Ju, saying she felt at “ease” during filming.

Meanwhile, Ju said that he has been a fan of Jun for a long time. “Her charm has left me speechless and has always been a role model for me. In our collaboration, she was always trying to feed me, so I am very thankful to her.”

The two will be having a senior-junior relationship in the drama so it will be exciting to see how their relationship develops as the story progresses.

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In addition to the main leads, Jirisan also boasts a star-studded supporting cast including Oh Jung-se, Cho Han-chul and Sung Dong-il. They revealed that viewers can also look forward to their chemistry. Oh, Cho and Jung are teammates in the series and will have plenty of bickering moments.

Sung shared that Oh can bring on the laughs. “The three of us in the series are of the same age, I’m very happy with that. Jun jumped in to clarify, “After reading the script, I told writer Kim that I’m innocent, and asked why is my character as old as the uncles and that I could not convince myself.”

The three supporting cast members are notable for their roles in other Korean dramas. Oh is best known in It’s Okay to Not be Okay and When the Camellia Blooms—winning the Best Supporting Actor award for both dramas. Cho is most recently seen in Vincenzo while Sung has made numerous movies and TV shows since 1987.

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#Jirisan may be breathtakingly beautiful but it can also be unkind to strangers & dangerous to evacuate.🔥

Don’t miss 2021's Most Anticipated Drama with Gianna Jun & Ju Ji-hoon starting 24 Oct!🇸🇬🇲🇾🇮🇩#tvNAsia #24hrExpress #지리산 #전지현 #주지훈 pic.twitter.com/aIw0HIyX5i

— tvN (@tvN_Asia) October 17, 2021

Other than the stunning cinematography and landscape around Jirisan, we can also expect a great soundtrack. The OST is curated by Gaemi who has worked on the soundtrack of mega K-dramas such as Descendants of the Sun and The King: Eternal Monarch.

The lineup includes Girls’ Generation’s Taeyeon, Nell’s Kim Jong-wan and Gaho. All three have worked on K-drama OSTs such as Hotel del Luna, The King and Itaewon Class. Meanwhile, the main theme song will be performed by BTS’ Jin and will be released halfway through the series. It will be Jin’s first solo work after previously working with BTS’ V on Even if I Die, It’s You from Hwarang.

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Jirisan is a refreshing drama that follows a team of national park rangers who are responsible for the search and rescue on Jirisan. Jun Ji-hyun will play an experienced ranger, Seo Yi-gang while Ju Ji-hoon is a rookie ranger, Kang Hyun-jo. Together, the two will unravel the secrets of the peak. Viewers can look forward to the exciting rescue missions but also the mysteries and suspense as well as the heartwarming stories of the people they encounter.

Screenwriter Kim shared that Jirisan was inspired by a previous story she wrote where a police officer needs to find the cause of a murder. For Jirisan, instead of a murder taking place, she wanted to highlight how the rangers prevent incidents. 

“Few actors have worked with writer Kim consecutively. I am very thankful for that. The charm in her scripts is that details that seem unimportant at the start, turn out to be crucial at the end,” said Jun.

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Jirisan premieres on October 23 on iQiyi.

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