Queen Of Tears

''Queen of Tears'' () is a 2024 South Korean romantic comedy television series written by Park Ji-eun, co-directed by and Kim Hee-won, and starring Kim Soo-hyun, Kim Ji-won, Park Sung-hoon, Kwak Dong-yeon, and Lee Joo-bin. The series explores the nuances of a married couple going through a difficult time together. It aired on tvN from March 9, to April 28, 2024, every Saturday and Sunday at 21:20 ( KST). It is also available for streaming on TVING in South Korea, and on Netflix in selected regions.

According to Nielsen Korea, the series recorded a nationwide TV rating of 24.850% for its final episode and became the highest-rated tvN series, surpassing ''Crash Landing on You''. In Netflix's biannual Engagement Report released in September 2024, ''Queen of Tears'' was the most-watched Korean television series of all time on Netflix, with 682.6 million hours viewed in total. ''Queen of Tears'' became the first Korean television series to win at both the Asian Academy Creative Awards and Asian Television Awards in the same year, receiving the Best Direction at the former and the Best Scriptwriting at the latter. The series also won the Best Drama award at the Korea Drama Awards and the Seoul International Drama Awards.

Plot

The story revolves around Hong Hae-in – a third-generation chaebol heiress of the Queens Group – and Baek Hyun-woo, the son of farmers from Yongdu-ri. With the couple on the verge of divorce after three years of marriage, Hae-in was diagnosed with brain cancer one day, forcing them to confront their deep-seated issues and regain love towards each other. When Hae-in's health condition deteriorates, Hyun-woo is forced to confront his own selfishness and the mistakes he has made. Yoon Eun-sung, Hae-in's childhood friend who harbors a long-held love for her, comes to offer his support and care to Hae-in. As Hae-in fights her illness, the couple is forced to confront their past mistakes and understand their personality differences.

Cast and characters

Main

* Kim Soo-hyun as Baek Hyun-woo
** Moon Seong-hyun as teen Baek Hyun-woo
** Choi Yi-an as child Baek Hyun-woo
: Hae-in's husband and the legal director of Queens Group. Born in the rural area of Yongdu-ri, he is a lawyer who graduated from Seoul National University.
* Kim Ji-won as Hong Hae-in
** as teen Hong Hae-in
** Min Seo-hyung as child Hong Hae-in
: Hyun-woo's wife and the CEO of Queens Department Store. She is a third-generation chaebol heiress and granddaughter of the Queens family.
* Park Sung-hoon as Yoon Eun-sung / David Yoon
** Lee Joo-won as child Yoon Eun-sung
: Hae-in's university acquaintance. He is a former Wall Street analyst and M&A expert who returns to South Korea as a famous investor.
* Kwak Dong-yeon as Hong Soo-cheol
** Kim Joon-eui as child Hong Soo-cheol
: Hae-in's younger brother and the CEO of Queens Mart.
* Lee Joo-bin as Cheon Da-hye
** Choi Na-rin as child Cheon Da-hye
: Soo-cheol's wife.

Supporting

Hae-in's family

* Kim Kap-soo as Hong Man-dae
: Hae-in's grandfather and the chairman of Queens Group.
* Lee Mi-sook as Moh Seul-hee
: Man-dae's live-in girlfriend.
* Jung Jin-young as Hong Beom-jun
: Hae-in's father and the vice-chairman of Queens Group.
* Na Young-hee as Kim Seon-hwa
: Hae-in's mother.
* Kim Jung-nan as Hong Beom-ja
: Hae-in's aunt.
* Goo Shi-woo as Hong Geon-u
: Soo-cheol and Da-hye's son.
* as Hong Beom-seok
: Hae-in's uncle and the former CEO of Queens Distribution.
* Ko Dong-ha as Hong Su-wan
: Hae-in's late elder brother.

Hyun-woo's family

* Jeon Bae-soo as Baek Du-gwan
: Hyun-woo's father and the head of Yongdu-ri.
* Hwang Young-hee as Jeon Bong-ae
: Hyun-woo's mother.
* as Baek Hyun-tae
: Hyun-woo's elder brother who runs a boxing gym.
* Jang Yoon-ju as Baek Mi-seon
: Hyun-woo's elder sister who runs a beauty salon.
* Kim Dong-ha as Baek Ho-yeol
: Hyun-tae's son.

Yongdu-ri

* Kim Young-min as Yong-song
: A selfless person similar to Oh Eun-young.
* Park Jung-pyo as Chun-sik
: Kang-mi's husband and Du-gwan's right-hand man.
* Shim Woo-sung as Park Seok-hoon
: President of Yongdu-ri Youth Association and Du-gwan's rival.
* Park Sung-yeon as Kang-mi
: Chun-sik's wife and a regular customer at Mi-seon's beauty salon.
* as Bang-sil
: Hyun-woo's childhood friend from church and a regular customer at Mi-seon's beauty salon.
* Lee Ji-hye as Hyun-jung
: A regular customer at Mi-seon's beauty salon.
* Kim Do-jin as a boxing student

Others

* Kim Joo-ryoung as Grace Ko / Ko Jeong-ja
: A private secretary who is in charge of the Queens family's affairs.
* Yoon Bo-mi as Na Chae-yeon
: Hae-in's secretary.
* as Kim Yang-ki
: A respected divorce lawyer. He is Hyun-woo's university friend and reliable supporter.
* as Kim Min-gyu
: Hyun-woo's secretary.

Extended

* Seo Sang-won as Park Jin-guk
: Hae-in's doctor.
* Shim Hye-rim as Kim Min-ji
: An employee at the Queens Department Store's cosmetics section.
* as Pyeon Seong-uk
: CEO of a real estate agency.

Special appearances

* Oh Jung-se as Lee Min-woo
: Hyun-woo's psychiatrist.
* Lee Hang-na as a prisoner
* Im Chul-soo as a private investigator
* Ko Kyu-pil as a private investigator
* Heo Tae-hee
* Seo Ye-hwa as Kim Ye-na
: CEO of Royal Department Store.
* Sebastian Roché as Liam Braun
: A German doctor.
* Dieter Hallervorden as a Sanssouci Park guard
* Song Joong-ki as Vincenzo Cassano
* Kim Shin-rok as Hyeon-suk
: Hyun-tae's wife.
* Hong Jin-kyung as private investigator Hong
: Owner of Hong Gil-dong Detective Agency.
* Jo Se-ho as private investigator Hong's right-hand man
* Nam Chang-hee as private investigator Hong's left-hand man

Production

Development

Screenwriter Park Ji-eun started preparing her new project entitled ''Queen of Tears'' about two years after finishing ''Crash Landing on You'' (2019–2020), which starred Hyun Bin and Son Ye-jin. Lee Eung-bok, who has directed hit dramas like '' Guardian: The Lonely and Great God'' (2016–2017), ''Descendants of the Sun'' (2016), '' Mr. Sunshine'' (2018), and '' Sweet Home'' (2020–present), was reportedly in talks to join the team at that time.

Studio Dragon confirmed that the production of ''Queen of Tears'' would start in the first half of 2023, and the series was expected to be released in the second half of 2023. It is co-directed by , who worked on ''Crash Landing on You'' (2019–2020) and '' Bulgasal: Immortal Souls'' (2021–2022), and Kim Hee-won, who worked on ''Vincenzo'' (2021) and ''Little Women'' (2022). Aside from Studio Dragon, the series is also co-produced by Culture Depot and Showrunners.

The first script reading was conducted on March 30, 2023, near Sangam-dong, Mapo District, Seoul.

Initially estimated at over billion, the total budget of the series was billion, costing billion per episode.

Casting

In April 2022, Park Ji-eun proposed the female lead role in her new project to Lee Ji-eun, but the offer was declined. Kim Soo-hyun received a proposal for the male lead role the next day.

The appearances of Kim Soo-hyun and Kim Ji-won were officially confirmed in December 2022. This is the third collaboration between Park and Kim Soo-hyun, after ''My Love from the Star'' (2013–2014) and '' The Producers'' (2015).

Park Sung-hoon, Kwak Dong-yeon, and Lee Joo-bin were cast in February and April 2023, respectively.

Filming

Principal photography took place between April and December 2023, across various cities in South Korea and Germany.

Original soundtrack

The soundtrack of the series, led by music director Nam Hye-seung and featuring artists BSS, 10cm, Heize, Crush, Hong Isaac, Kim Na-young, Paul Kim, Choi Yu-ree, , and Dori, was revealed on March 6, 2024. Zerobaseone's Kim Tae-rae also participated in the soundtrack, while the series' lead actor, Kim Soo-hyun, lent his voice for the first time in 10 years.

Album

''Queen of Tears'' soundtrack album was released on April 30, 2024; it contains all of the singles and background tracks from the series.

Tracklist

Chart performance

Singles

Singles included on the album were released from March 9 to April 27, 2024. A special single from the series, "Way Home" (), sung by Kim Soo-hyun, was released on April 29, 2024.

Part 1

Part 2

Part 3

Part 4

Part 5

Part 6

Part 7

Part 8

Part 9

Part 10

Part 11

Special track

Chart performance

Release

''Queen of Tears'' was originally part of tvN's 2023 drama lineup and was scheduled for broadcast in December 2023. However, it was moved to the first half of 2024, due to the changes in the network's Saturday–Sunday lineup. According to a ''Metro Seoul'' article, the series was rescheduled to air in March 2024. tvN confirmed the news after releasing its 2024 drama lineup. The series premiered on March 9, 2024, at 21:20 ( KST). It is also available for streaming on TVING and Netflix.

Reception

Critical response

''Forbes'' wrote that "many K-dramas end with 'happily ever after', but ''Queen of Tears'' starts that way", adding that the series "not only has a solid cast, but boasts a talented screenwriter and two directors with a track record of drama success". Tanu I. Raj of ''NME'' gave the series 4 out of 5 stars and described it as "a whirlwind office romance", which is "buoyant and decidedly comic". Geoffrey Bunting of ''Time'' described the first six episodes of the series as a "bucks convention, sending up familiar tropes of the genre for a truly unexpected viewing experience". Pierce Conran of ''South China Morning Post'' gave a score of 4/5, and wrote that "through 16 episodes threaded between tales of family woes, illness and corporate intrigue" and "Baek Hyun-woo and Hong Hae-in captured each other's hearts, as well as those of the audience at home". Joly Herman of Common Sense Media wrote that "courtesan restraint is definitely not on display in this production, which features dynasty infighting in a current setting with hints of past Korean dramas". Kate Sánchez of ''But Why Tho?'' gave a score of 9/10, and stated that "sometimes unwieldy but always entertaining" and "already leading the pack for best drama of the year".

Viewership

According to Nielsen Korea, the series recorded a nationwide TV rating of 24.850% for its final episode and became the highest-rated tvN series, surpassing ''Crash Landing on You''.

''Queen of Tears'' ranked third in Netflix's Global Top 10 TV (Non-English) category two days after its release and received a strong response from twelve countries, with 5.4 million hours watched by 2.6 million viewers in its first week. It remained on the chart as No. 2 for its second and third week, respectively. On its fourth week, the series topped the chart with 41.4 million hours watched by 4.3 million viewers, and remained on the chart for the next 10 consecutive weeks. ''Queen of Tears'' amassed a total of 373.2 million hours during its broadcast run from March 9 to April 28.

According to Netflix's biannual Engagement Report released in September 2024, ''Queen of Tears'' was the most-watched Korean drama of all time on Netflix, with 682.6 million hours viewed in total. In addition, it logged 29 million views in total, becoming the 14th most-watched show overall on Netflix as of September 2024 and also ranked third as the most-watched global non-English language series during the first half of 2024.

Accolades

Awards and nominations

Listicles

Remake

In October 2024, CJ ENM announced that ''Queen of Tears'' would have a Turkish remake, in collaboration with O3 Medya and Dass Yapim. It is set to premiere at a later date.

Notes

References

External links

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{{TvN (South Korean TV channel) television dramas (2020–present)

2020s romantic comedy television series
2024 South Korean television series debuts
2024 South Korean television series endings
Korean-language Netflix exclusive international distribution programming
Korean-language television shows
South Korean romantic comedy television series
South Korean pre-produced television series
South Korean television series remade in other languages
Television series by Culture Depot
Television series by Studio Dragon
Television shows filmed in Germany
Television shows filmed in South Korea
Television shows written by Park Ji-eun
TvN (South Korean TV channel) television dramas