Song Ji-na | |
---|---|
Born | |
Education | Ewha Womans University - Journalism & Mass Communication |
Occupation | Screenwriter |
Years active | 1982-present |
Organization | Korea Television and Radio Writers Association (KTRWA) |
Agent | Kim Jong-hak Production |
Spouse | Jin Ki-woong |
Children | Jin Han-sae |
Korean name | |
Hangul | 송지나 |
Hanja | |
Revised Romanization | Song Ji-na |
McCune–Reischauer | Song Jina |
Website | http://www.dramada.com/ |
Song Ji-na (born September 12, 1959) is a South Korean screenwriter. She is best known for writing Eyes of Dawn (1991) and Sandglass (1995), two of the most influential and highly rated Korean dramas of all time.
Song Ji-na began her career as a writer for the radio program Starry Night on MBC Radio. She made her television writing debut in 1982 on the children's show Tiger Teacher, while writing the scripts of a social documentary TV series.
She then met TV director Kim Jong-hak, with whom she would famously collaborate on eight television dramas. Their first work together was The Last Station (1987), one of MBC's early experiments with the miniseries format. Adapted from a manhwa by Huh Young-man, the eight-episode series was set in the 1970s and starred Jung Dong-hwan and Kang Moon-young. Song and Kim's second drama was Teacher, Teacher, Our Teacher (1988).
Their third collaboration, Human Market (1988) was based on Kim Hong-shin's bestselling novel and became one of the classics of 1980s Korean television (SBS would later remake it in 2004).
To celebrate MBC's 30th anniversary, Song and Kim adapted Kim Seong-jong's 10-volume novel (published in 1981), embarking on a drama that would make Korean television history. Eyes of Dawn began filming in advance in June 1990, with overseas shoots in the Philippines and Harbin (despite the fact that Korea and China hadn't yet established diplomatic relations), a budget of ₩7.2 billion (five- to ten-times the cost of an average drama at the time), over 270 actors and 21,000 extras. Starring Choi Jae-sung, Park Sang-won and Chae Shi-ra, the series spanned Korea's painful modern history from the Japanese colonial period to the Korean War. When it aired from 1991 to 1992, it reached a peak viewership rating of 58.4%. [1]
In 1992, Song and Kim co-founded the production company Jcom (predecessor to Kim Jong-hak Production, which was founded by Kim in 1999). Three years later, they moved to then-newly launched broadcasting station SBS, and their next drama would be equally popular and critically acclaimed. Set during the politically tumultuous period of 1970s through 1980s Korea (including a reenactment of the Gwangju Massacre interspersed with archival video footage), Sandglass (1995) recorded a peak rating of 64.5%, the third highest of all time, and launched Choi Min-soo, Go Hyun-jung, Park Sang-won and Lee Jung-jae into stardom. [2]
Eyes of Dawn and Sandglass were so phenomenally popular that while they were airing, streets were reportedly deserted because people were in their homes watching. Critics and viewers praised the dramas' outstanding production values (editing, cinematography, acting, writing), and for their realistic portrayal of individual lives amidst dark political times. They are currently still considered iconic masterpieces of Korean TV. [3] Though Song and Kim would collaborate again, their subsequent series would not reach the same heights of success.
Song was also the screenwriter for two films -- 3pm Paradise (1997) directed by Kwak Kyung-taek, and the melodrama Love (1999) starring Jung Woo-sung and Ko So-young.
Later that year, she returned to television and co-wrote Love Story, a 16-episode anthology drama that aired from December 1999 to January 2000 featuring eight different stories with two episodes per story. Among its star-studded cast were Lee Byung-hun, Lee Seung-yeon, Kim Sun-a, Choi Ji-woo, Song Seung-heon, Cha Seung-won, Lee Na-young, Lee Beom-soo, Song Yun-ah, Yoo Ji-tae, Lee Mi-yeon, Lee Geung-young, Bae Doona, So Ji-sub, Kim Hyun-joo, and Kim Tae-woo.
Her 2002 Joseon period drama Daemang (also known as Great Ambition) was again directed by Kim Jong-hak and starred Jang Hyuk and Lee Yo-won.
This was followed in 2003 by Rosemary, which featured Yoo Ho-jeong, Kim Seung-woo, Bae Doona and Yeon Jung-hoon in a story about a terminally ill wife.
Song then moved to New Zealand and went on hiatus for four years. She made her comeback in 2007 with another Kim Jong-hak project, the big-budget historical-fantasy-epic The Legend (also known as Taewangsasingi, or "The Four Guardian Gods of the King"). [4] Highly anticipated for being Korean Wave superstar Bae Yong-joon's first TV series in five years, the series also starred Lee Ji-ah, Moon So-ri, Choi Min-soo, Park Sang-won and Lee Phillip. [5] [6] [7] But despite excellent ratings (its peak was 35.7%) and solid overseas sales, The Legend wasn't able to recoup its huge ₩60 billion budget, so it became (in terms of profit) the biggest flop in Korean drama history.
Her 2009 action thriller Story of a Man (also known as The Slingshot ) starred Park Yong-ha, Kim Kang-woo and Park Si-yeon, and focused on a man forming a "dream team" to face off against a sociopathic businessman and the money-driven world he represents. [8] [9] Despite low ratings in the single digits (it shared the same timeslot as hit period drama Queen Seondeok ), The Slingshot won Best Drama Series at the 2009 Seoul International Drama Awards. [10]
For her next project, Song returned to the genre of campus drama; she had previously written KAIST in 1999, about students attending the titular premier science university, and the series boosted the careers of young stars such as Chae Rim. In What's Up, an ensemble cast composed of Im Joo-hwan, Daesung, [11] Lim Ju-eun, Oh Man-seok, Jang Hee-jin, Kim Ji-won, Lee Soo-hyuk and Jo Jung-suk portray students and teachers of a university's musical theatre department. Song was highly involved in the production process, including the open auditions for the supporting roles through micro-blogging service me2day. The drama was filmed in its entirety in 2010, but later encountered problems finding a timeslot among the three major broadcast networks. [12] It eventually aired a year later on cable channel MBN. [13]
Faith (also known as The Great Doctor, 2012) was Song's eighth and last collaboration with Kim Jong-hak. A fantasy epic about a 21st-century plastic surgeon who time travels to the Goryeo era and falls for royal bodyguard Choe Yeong, the series initially cast Lee Joon-gi and Kim Hee-sun as the protagonists. But Lee was drafted for mandatory military service, and he was replaced by Kang Ji-hwan, who then became embroiled in a legal dispute with his agency, and the role eventually went to Lee Min-ho. [14] Over three years of stalled pre-production, the story itself underwent major changes, becoming less dark and less fantastical. [15] Given its ₩13 billion budget and low ratings (around the 10% range), Faith was considered a financial failure. [16] Members of the cast and crew later sued Kim Jong-hak for unpaid wages, and while being investigated for fraud and embezzlement, he committed suicide in July 2013. Song wrote in her blog about seeing the various actors who'd previously starred in Kim's past series at the director's wake, saying, "It was like a scene from a dream. Perhaps he wanted us all to come together like this and dine... Was that it?" [17]
In 2014, Song cast Ji Chang-wook as the titular character in Healer , about a not-so-ordinary errand guy who becomes embroiled in a decades-long mystery involving two reporters (played by Park Min-young and Yoo Ji-tae). Despite lackluster ratings, Healer drew a cult following among domestic and international viewers. [18]
In 2017, Song took the lead as the main writer for another drama, The King in Love. Set in the Goryeo dynasty, it tells the story of a young and ambitious crown prince, Won (Im Si-wan), and two people who shape his destiny: his childhood friend Rin (Hong Jong-hyun) and a beautiful woman named San (Im Yoon-ah). [19]
Song was supposed to be the writer for the then-developed MBC series Gaia, but was replaced later by Kim Ban-di. The project was eventually retitled as Missing 9 . [20]
Song is married to Jin Ki-woong, a director for KBS1's long-running investigative news program In Depth 60 Minutes .[ citation needed ] They have a son, Jin Han-sae (Gin Han-sai), who is also a drama screenwriter. Jin Han-sae is the writer of the 2020 Netflix original Extracurricular and the 2017 Naver web series Irish Uppercut. [21]
Television
| Film
|
Year | Award | Category | Recipient | Result |
---|---|---|---|---|
1995 | 31st Baeksang Arts Awards | Daesang (Grand Prize) | Sandglass | Won |
Best Drama | Won | |||
Best Screenplay (TV) | Won | |||
22nd Korean Broadcasting Awards | Best Drama | Won | ||
Best Writer | Won | |||
1996 | 8th Producers Association Award | Daesang (Grand Prize) | Won | |
Best Drama | Won | |||
1996 | 2nd Korean TV and Radio Writers Association: | Best Writer | Won |
Sandglass (Korean: 모래시계) is a South Korean television series. It is one of the highest-rated Korean dramas in history, and is also considered one of the most significant. Written by Song Ji-na, directed by Kim Jong-hak and produced by their own company Jcom, it aired on SBS in 1995 in 24 episodes.
Yeon Gaesomun is a 2006 South Korean historical television series, starring Lee Tae-gon in title role. It also featured Hwang In-young, Lee Jung-gil and Son Tae-young. Directed by Lee Jong Han, the series follows the life of Yeon Gaesomun, a powerful military dictator in the waning days of the Goguryeo kingdom. It premiered on June 1, 2006, on SBS and broadcast for 100-episodes on Saturday and Sunday at 20:45 (KST) till June 17, 2007. The budget of the series was 40 billion South Korean won.
Sad Love Story is a 2005 South Korean television drama series starring Kwon Sang-woo, Kim Hee-sun and Yeon Jung-hoon. It aired on MBC from January 5 to March 17, 2005 on Wednesdays and Thursdays at 21:55 for 20 episodes.
East of Eden is a 2008 South Korean television series, starring Song Seung-heon, Yeon Jung-hoon, Lee Da-hae, Han Ji-hye, Park Hae-jin and Lee Yeon-hee. It was produced by Chorokbaem Media as a 47th Anniversary Special Project Drama for MBC, on which it aired from August 25, 2008, to March 10, 2009, on Mondays and Tuesdays at 21:55 for 56 episodes. The ₩25 billion drama tells the story of the brothers Dong-chul (Song) and Dong-wook (Yeon). Their fates diverge after the murder of their coal miner father, with one joining the mob and the other becoming a successful lawyer.
Nonstop (Korean: 논스톱) is a South Korean sitcom that broadcast its first season in 2000 on MBC. It continued with 5 more seasons. The series was popular for its cast of teen idols, many who debuted through the show gaining vast popularity.
Gyebaek is a 2011 South Korean period drama series, starring Lee Seo-jin, Cho Jae-hyun, Song Ji-hyo and Oh Yeon-soo. It aired on MBC from July 25 to November 22, 2011 on Mondays and Tuesdays at 21:55 for 36 episodes.
Vampire Prosecutor is a South Korean television series, starring Yeon Jung-hoon, Lee Won-jong, Lee Young-ah and Kim Joo-young. The crime procedural drama tells the story of a prosecutor who hides his identity of being a vampire and solves crimes with his special powers.
5th Republic is a 2005 South Korean drama television series that aired on MBC from April 23 to September 1, 2005, on Saturdays and Sundays at 21:40 (KST) for 41 episodes. It takes place during the 1981–1988 Fifth Republic of South Korea under the dictatorship of President Chun Doo-hwan. It follows his rise to power through a military coup to his downfall after a series of democratic movements, including the Gwangju uprising and the June Democratic Uprising.
The King's Doctor is a 2012 South Korean television series depicting Baek Gwang-hyeon (1625–1697), Joseon Dynasty veterinarian, starring Cho Seung-woo and Lee Yo-won. It aired on MBC from October 1, 2012 to March 25, 2013 on Mondays and Tuesdays at 21:55 for 50 episodes. The historical/period epic drama commemorated MBC's 51st anniversary.
Faith is a 2012 South Korean television series starring Lee Min-ho and Kim Hee-sun. It was broadcast by SBS from August 13 to October 30, 2012, on Mondays and Tuesdays at 21:55 (KST) for 24 episodes. It is about a modern-day plastic surgeon, who is kidnapped and brought back in time to the Goryeo period, 700 years in the past, where she falls in love with her kidnapper, a warrior who is the leader of the royal guard.
Kim Jong-hak was a South Korean television director and producer, best known for the seminal and highly rated Korean dramas Eyes of Dawn (1991) and Sandglass (1995). After financial losses incurred by the big-budget fantasy series The Legend (2007) and Faith (2012), Kim was under investigation when he committed suicide in 2013.
Eyes of Dawn is a South Korean television series starring Chae Shi-ra, Park Sang-won and Choi Jae-sung. Directed by Kim Jong-hak and written by Song Ji-na based on the 10-volume novel of the same name by Kim Seong-jong, the story spans the years from the Japanese colonial period to World War II, Korea's liberation and the Korean War.
Shine or Go Crazy is a 2015 South Korean television series based on the novel of the same name by Hyun Go-woon about the romance between a Goryeo prince and a Balhae princess. Starring Jang Hyuk, Oh Yeon-seo, Lee Hanee and Lim Ju-hwan, it aired on MBC from January 19 to April 7, 2015 on Mondays and Tuesdays at 22:00 for 24 episodes.
The Guardians is a South Korean television series starring Lee Si-young, Kim Young-kwang, Kim Tae-hoon, Kim Seul-gi and Key. The drama aired on MBC on Mondays and Tuesdays at 22:00 (KST) from May 22 to July 11, 2017.
Misty (Korean: 미스티) is a 2018 South Korean television series starring Kim Nam-joo and Ji Jin-hee. The series marks Kim Nam-joo's small screen comeback after six years. It aired on JTBC from February 2 to March 24, 2018, every Friday and Saturday at 23:00 (KST).
Once Again is a 2020 South Korean family drama television series starring Lee Sang-yeob and Lee Min-jung. The drama aired on KBS2 from March 28 to September 13, 2020, every Saturday and Sunday from 19:55 to 21:15 (KST).
Joseon Attorney (Korean: 조선변호사) is a 2023 South Korean television series starring Woo Do-hwan, Bona, and Cha Hak-yeon. It is based on webtoon with the same name by writer Jung Ho Rak and illustrator Shim Jae Yong, which was serialized on Bomtoon. It aired from March 31 to May 5, 2023 on MBC TV's Fridays and Saturdays at 21:50 (KST). It is also available for streaming on Wavve in South Korea, and on Kocowa and Viki in selected regions.