''Bitter Sweet Hell'' () is a 2024

South Korean television series Korean drama (), also known as K-drama or Koreanovela, refers to Korean-language television shows made in South Korea. These shows began to be produced around the early 1960s, but were mostly consumed domestically until the rise of the Korean Wa ...

written by Nam Ji-yeon, directed by Lee Dong-hyun, and starring

Kim Hee-sun Kim Hee-sun (; born June 11, 1977) is a South Korean actress. She rose to fame in the 1990s with leading roles in television series such as ''Men of the Bath House'' (1995), ''Propose'' (1997), ''Wedding Dress'' (1997), ''Forever Yours'' (1998), ...

, Lee Hye-young,

Kim Nam-hee Kim Nam-hee is a South Korean actor. He is known for his roles in dramas ''Mr. Sunshine'', ''Spring Turns to Spring,'' and ''Sweet Home''. Career Kim Nam-hee revealed in an interview that he discovered his passion for acting when he was in hi ...

, and

Yeonwoo Lee Da-bin (; born August 1, 1996), better known by her stage name Yeonwoo (), is a South Korean actress and singer managed by 9ato Entertainment. She is a former member of the South Korean girl group Momoland. She is currently active as an ac ...

. It aired on

MBC TV MBC TV (Munhwa Broadcasting Corporation Television) is a South Korean free-to-air television channel launched on 8 August 1969 and owned by Munhwa Broadcasting Corporation. History The Seoul Private Broadcasting Corporation was establish ...

from May 24, to June 29, 2024, every Friday and Saturday at 21:50 ( KST). It is also available for

streaming Streaming media refers to multimedia delivered through a network for playback using a media player. Media is transferred in a ''stream'' of packets from a server to a client and is rendered in real-time; this contrasts with file downl ...

on Viu in selected regions.

Synopsis

The series tells the story of Noh Young-won who is recognized as the country's best family psychological counselor. When her career and family are threatened by an unknown blackmailer, she tries to protect her family by joining hands with her mother-in-law.

Cast and characters

Main

as Noh Young-won : A successful family psychological counselor who lives a perfect life that many would envy. * Lee Hye-young as Hong Sa-gang : Young-won's mother-in-law who is a famous mystery novel author and a devoted mother to her only son. *

as Choi Jae-jin : Young-won's husband and Sa-gang's son who is a doctor. *

as Lee Se-na : A mysterious person with many secrets.

Supporting

Young-won and Sa-gang's family

Kwon Hae-hyo Kwon Hae-hyo (; born November 6, 1965) is a South Korean actor and activist. In addition to his acting career, he is also known for his activism. Kwon has been involved with a number of organizations advocating for political and social justice ...

as Choi Go-myeon : A former Prosecutor General and Young-won's father-in-law. * Park Jae-chan as Choi Do-hyun : Young-won and Jae-jin's son. *

Hwang Chan-sung Hwang Chan-sung (, born February 11, 1990), also known mononymously as Chansung, is a South Korean singer, songwriter, rapper and actor. He is a member of the Korean boy band 2PM. He made his debut as an actor in the 2006 comedy series '' Uns ...

as Noh Young-min : Young-won's childish younger brother.

People around Young-won

* Choi Jeong-in as Ra-kyung : Young-won's secretary.

People around Sa-gang

Ahn Gil-kang Ahn Gil-kang (; born August 24, 1966) is a South Korean actor. He frequently appears as a supporting actor in director Ryoo Seung-wan's films, such as '' Die Bad'' (2000), '' Crying Fist'' (2005), ''The City of Violence'' (2006), and ''Dachimawa ...

as Park Kang-sung : Sa-gang's helper and runs a corn noodle restaurant.

People around Jae-jin

Shin So-yul Shin So-yul (; born August 5, 1985), birth name Kim Jung-min, is a South Korean actress. Shin began acting in 2006, and appeared in supporting roles in films and television series such as ''Hello My Love'', ''Jungle Fish 2'', and '' Penny Pinche ...

as Oh Ji-eun : A plastic surgeon. *

Jung Gun-joo Jung Gun-joo (; born May 26, 1995) is a South Korean actor. He has starred in several web dramas before venturing into TV broadcasts. Career In 2017, Jung Gun-joo signed an exclusive contract with JYP Entertainment and made an appearance in ...

as Moon Tae-oh : Do-hyun's tutor.

Others

Kim Jung-heon Kim Jung-heon is a South Korean actor. He is known for his roles in dramas such as '' No Matter What'', '' Through the Waves'', '' Golden Cross'' and '' Secrets of Women''. Filmography Television series Film Music video Theatre Referenc ...

as Gu Kyung-tae : A police officer. * Han Sung-min as So Yi : Do-hyun's senior who is honest and outspoken. * Han Sang-jo as Park Seung-jae : Kang-sung's nephew and Young-min's friend. *

Jung Woong-in Jung Woong-in (; born January 20, 1971) is a South Korean actor. He is known for his television series ''Ojakgyo Family'', '' I Can Hear Your Voice'' and Netflix film '' Seoul Vibe''. Early life Jung Woong-in was born on January 20, 1970, in ...

as Jung Doo-man : A private investigator.

Extended

* Bae Woo-jin

Production and release

''Bitter Sweet Hell'' was originally scheduled for release in the second half of 2023, under its former title ''Gaslighting'' (). Kim Seung-woo, who wrote and directed the 2019 film '' Bring Me Home'', was initially announced to participate as the creator and director of the series. Actress Kang Hae-rim was initially confirmed to play the role of Lee Se-na. However, in October 2023, it was revealed that filming for the series was temporarily halted in August. After filming about five episodes of the series, reorganization began due to lead actress

's movie promotion schedules and the production company was changed from JPX Studio to Red Nine Pictures. She had to drop out of the series during the production suspension period. In January 2024, it was announced that actress

had joined the cast, taking over Kang Hae-rim's role. In November 2023, it was revealed that the director was also changed to Lee Dong-hyun, who directed ''

She Knows Everything ''She Knows Everything'' () is a 2020 South Korean Korean drama, Mini series starring Kang Sung-yeon and Jo Han-sun. It aired on Munhwa Broadcasting Corporation, MBC from 8 July until 16 July 2020 at 21:30–22:45 every Wednesdays and Thursdays f ...

'' (2020) and ''

Doctor Lawyer ''Doctor Lawyer'' () is a 2022 South Korean television series starring So Ji-sub, Shin Sung-rok, and Im Soo-hyang. It premiered on MBC TV on June 3, 2022, and aired every Friday and Saturday at 21:50 ( KST) for 16 episodes. It is also available ...

'' (2022).

Viewership

References

External links

* * * {{HanCinema drama 2024 South Korean television series debuts 2024 South Korean television series endings Korean-language television shows MBC TV television dramas South Korean black comedy television series South Korean thriller television series South Korean LGBTQ-related television shows Television series set in 2023