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Autumn promises to be an exciting time with Typhoon FamilytvN's new drama, due in October. Starring Lee Junho and Kim Min-ha, this project promises a poignant journey into 1997 Korea, in the midst of the Asian financial crisis. At the first script reading, the team came together for an intense session, already revealing a rare chemistry and a gripping immersion in the characters.
Back to the past with Kang Tae-poong
Lee Junho plays Kang Tae-poong, a free-spirited, carefree young man who finds himself thrust into the role of head of his family's small business in the midst of an economic storm. The actor impressed with his nuanced performance, moving with ease from lightness to gravity. His transformation into a young executive determined to save Typhoon Company is shaping up to be a real showstopper. With her confident looks and precise diction, Junho has already made her mark. This performance also marks her long-awaited return to the screen, following several critical successes.
Kim Min-ha, a touching and determined elder
Alongside her, Kim Min-ha plays Oh Mi-seon, the eldest of two siblings, who carries her family at arm's length while dreaming of becoming a successful professional. Her performance at the script reading won us over with its emotional accuracy, and her accent perfectly suited to the times. We felt she was inhabited by her role, reflecting with intensity the quiet strength of Korean women in the 90s, caught between tradition and personal ambition.
Colorful secondary characters
The drama would not be complete without a rich and varied cast. Kim Min-seok plays Wang Nam-mo, Tae Poong's best friend and a member of the "Apgujeong Street Boys", an iconic band of young rebels from the 90s. His charismatic presence brought lightness and energy to the reading, revealing scenes as funny as they were moving.
The Typhoon Company staff (played by Lee Chang-hoon, Kim Jae-hwa, Kim Song-il and Lee Sang-jin) have skilfully recreated a realistic office atmosphere, tinged with humor and solidarity. The synergy between the members of this "ship adrift", caught up in the turmoil of the IMF, is already palpable.
A family fresco set in a pivotal era
Sung Dong-il will make a striking appearance in the role of Tae Poong's father, a man with a modest background who has become a company boss. Opposite him, Kim Ji-young, in the role of the mother, gives substance to a formerly wealthy woman forced to adapt brutally to the new reality. Together, they embody the sacrificed generation with overwhelming intensity.
The families of Mi Seon and Nam Mo are not to be outdone: Kwon Han-sol plays Mi Ho, the slightly rebellious younger sister; Kim Young-ok plays an endearingly outspoken grandmother; and Park Sung-yeon, Nam Mo's mother, embodies the silent strength of mothers of this era.
Finally, the arrival of the rival duo (Kim Sang-ho and Moo Jin-sung) will add a welcome dose of tension, embodying the external obstacles that threaten Typhoon Company's future.
Directing and reading the script
Directed by Na Jung (Fight for My Way, Love Alarm), Typhoon Family aims to be more than just a period drama. It's a tale of survival, transmission and hope, which will speak to Generation X as much as to the younger generation. For some, it will be an echo of a difficult but foundational past. For others, it will be a gateway to understanding their parents' recent history.
Watch the video of the script reading and the translation of what it says below:
0:08 What made this time so painful was that everything started to fall apart in the most ordinary places.
0:14 It looks like we've really lost everything.
0:17 What? Do we give up that easily?
0:19 Just come out and say it's all over. We're all doomed anyway.
0:26 I really want to become a real employee of Typhoon Company.
0:28 I have faith. I have faith in my abilities and my dreams.
0:32 We fall, again and again... then one day, we get up again.
0:41 Hello, I'm Lee Junho and I play Kang Tae Poong in Typhoon Company.
0:45 Hello.
0:49 If you've built it, you have to defend it.
0:51 It's a child we've brought into the world, even if it's in danger.
0:54 Yes, one of those "Apgujeong Orange Boys" as they were called.
0:59 Isn't this style a bit like... that Italian family, Armani?
1:03 Giorgio, Crema Regia, Armani...
1:06 If you're here with your looks, at least dance. You all look depressed.
1:09 Well, I'll take a cab then.
1:11 He grew up in luxury and doesn't know much about the real world.
1:13 He was a young man who ran only after his dreams.
1:18 I say I have a dream, can't you just wish me luck?
1:20 I trust myself, could you trust me a little?
1:23 From the moment he inherits Typhoon Company, he really starts to come of age.
1:29 The boiler has stopped. Are you cold? Can I hold you?
1:33 We're really out of money... Please help me.
1:37 I want to learn. Understand what to do now, what we need.
1:41 I sold something for the first time. It's a great feeling!
1:45 He's a character who values energetic people.
1:50 Honestly, I still don't know what it means to be a boss.
1:54 Whatever happens, I'll do anything for the company.
1:57 I'm counting on you in the future. Oh Mi Seon is like a cosmos flower.
2:01 Hi, I'm Kim Min Ha and I play Oh Mi Seon in Typhoon Company. Pleased to meet you.
2:11 I work from 8 am to 8 pm. 12 hours a day. But it's not hard.
2:15 I'm used to it.
2:17 Mi Seon is the eldest daughter, head of the family and accountant at Typhoon Company.
2:23 Yes, yes. Typhoon Company, good morning.
2:24 Miss, send this and... coffee, please.
2:27 Jung Woo, I think I'd better take care of it myself.
2:30 I don't need a chair, I can stand.
2:32 She's bright-eyed, full of dreams and desires.
2:37 What was your dream? Oh, just... being an office worker?
2:42 A real one, not an assistant. A real professional.
2:46 But she has a family to support, so she keeps it all to herself.
2:51 Go to sleep now. We're out of milk.
2:55 As you did it for me, so I do it for you.
2:56 You think you're my mother? Or my father?
2:59 She makes her dreams come true at Typhoon Company and grows enormously.
3:04 Finding the right products and the right customers, that's what salesmanship is all about.
3:10 I don't ask to be admired. Just to be respected.
3:13 He's a really smart character.
3:15 For me, she's also very endearing.
3:17 When we think of youth, we think of them: Tae Poong and Mi Seon.
3:22 Is it really worth going that far?
3:26 We want to show ourselves what we've found, what we've chosen.
3:29 I got this product at a great price.
3:32 Kang Tae Poong...
3:34 President...
3:36 [music]
3:38 To recreate the atmosphere of the period, we also focused on style, dialects...
3:45 I like cosmos.
3:47 Oh no, that's not possible.
3:49 I'm doing my best to make it as natural as possible.
3:54 Mi Seon is 24, like me in my younger days.
3:57 I remembered a lot about my 20-25 years.
4:02 I even reread my old diaries.
4:11 These kids from the '70s need their heads shaved to get them back on the right track.
4:15 Good morning! Even though I'm not a fan of mornings....
4:21 The sky, tomorrow, today... what?
4:25 Hello?
4:25 I can't wait to shoot with all my Typhoon Company colleagues.
4:31 It's both realistic and humorous, and I think it's sure to please viewers.
4:35 I really want to shoot all these scenes as soon as possible.
4:39 Hey, you there... why?
4:40 See that glass? It's a classic!
4:42 What's that? It's "solid style"!
4:45 President, you said we were a family. Come on, let's toast, even with water!
4:48 Come on, let's eat.
4:51 This story is really touching, I laughed and I cried.
4:55 It shows how powerful a good story can be.
5:01 I think a lot of people will like it.
5:04 I'm very excited, honestly.
5:07 We can't just part with Typhoon Company!
5:10 Hey, I know you. That guy's a goner!
5:12 Oh, Director Kim!
5:15 He's moving in with his family?
5:28 Whether you knew that time or not...
5:31 ...I hope you will see how sorrows are overcome.
5:37 And how we imagine a better tomorrow.
5:39 Thank you for following this adventure with us.
5:43 I hope you'll feel the warmth as you watch.
5:46 And that you will think of hope, of love.
5:51 And you will fall in love with Typhoon Company.
5:55 Thank you very much.
5:58 Just a little patience, take care of yourself and be happy.
6:01 Thank you very much. Thank you!
6:05 [applause]
6:07 [music]
With immersive staging and a solid cast right from the start, Typhoon Family is already shaping up to be a must-see autumn movie. Join us in October on tvN (awaiting an international broadcaster) to immerse yourself in this tale of resilience at the heart of one of the most defining moments in contemporary Korean history.
