Kim Won-seok (; born September 7, 1977) is a South Korean film director and scriptwriter. Starting his career in the directing department of the film in 1999. Followed by assistant director for two Ryoo Seung-wan's film Die Bad and The City of Violence. In 2008, he made his debut as a writer with the script adaptation of the film . The following year, he co-wrote and co-directed the drama Friend, Our Legend with Kwak Kyung-taek. However, it was in 2013 that he truly established himself as a writer with the MBC drama The Queen's Classroom. After the success of The Queen's Classroom, Kim went on to co-write the immensely popular dramas Descendants of the Sun and Man to Man. His latest work is the screenplay for the drama Payback.
Early life and education Kim Won-seok was born September 7, 1977. He received his Bachelor of Arts from Seoul National University.
Career Kim Won-seok initially entered the entertainment industry as a director before transitioning to become a writer. He started as part of directing department of the film in 1999. Followed by assistant director for two Ryoo Seung-wan's film Die Bad and The City of Violence. In 2008, he made his debut as a writer with the script adaptation of the film .
In 2009, Kim co-wrote and co-directed Kwak Kyung-taek's drama Friend, Our Legend. It is a remake / TV adaptation of Kwak Kyung-taek's own 2001 box-office hit film Friend.
In 2013, Kim made his debut as a television writer with the MBC drama The Queen's Classroom, which was an adaptation of a Japanese drama with the same name. It revolves around Ma Yeo-jin (played by Go Hyun-jung), a stern teacher who becomes the homeroom teacher of an elementary school class. The drama gained attention for its distinctive storyline, which places the children in difficult situations, forcing them to confront reality. It portrays the children's journey of personal growth and self-discovery as they navigate through a harsh teaching method that involves harsh words and extreme circumstances. Even after Ma Yeo-jin's departure, the students continue to reflect on her teachings and apply them, solidifying her status as a guiding hero for the children.
Kim Won-seok collaborated with writer Kim Eun-sook on the 2016 KBS2 drama Descendants of the Sun, which was based on Kim Won-seok's award-winning work Doctors Without Borders. The drama, set in an unfamiliar and challenging environment, depicted the struggles of young soldiers and doctors. While the romantic relationships in the series were captivating, the story also emphasized the sense of duty displayed by the main characters, portraying them as genuine heroes. Descendants of the Sun became a sensation in South Korea and China, attracting a wide audience due to its compelling storyline and exploration of life's value.
A year later, Kim returned with his new drama Man to Man, which made history as the first South Korean television series to be simulcast on both television and Netflix. Man to Man tells the story of a mysterious agent who becomes a bodyguard for a famous Korean star and deals with secretive people around him. The drama presents the thrilling adventures of these secret agents in different exciting ways. The action scenes in the show are choreographed by Park Jung-ryul, who is well known for his work on the movie The Man from Nowhere. The project is led by director Lee Chang-min. First script reading took place on October 3, 2016. Filming began on October 17, 2016, and ended on March 6, 2017, taking place in Seoul, South Korea and Budapest, Hungary.
Notably, the first episode featured a parody of a famous scene from Descendants of the Sun', and two actors from the drama, David Lee McInnis and Song Joong-ki, made cameo appearances. Director Kwak Kyung-taek also made cameo appearance. Director Lee Chang-min, known for shows like Birth of a Beauty and Remember: War of the Son, had actors Lee Si-eon and Namkoong Min, who respectively acted in those dramas, make cameos in Man to Man as well.
Kim took a hiatus for several years before returning in 2023 with Payback, a revenge drama that revolves around the characters Eun-yong (played by Lee Sun-kyun), a skilled financial merchant, and Jun-kyung (Moon Chae-won), a legal expert. Together, they confront a formidable cartel. The drama has achieved a noteworthy viewership rating of approximately 10%.
Filmography
Film +Directing and scriptwriting credits for filmYearTitleDirectorCredited as English Korean Directing Staff Screenwriter 1999 닥터 K Kwak Kyung-taek 2000 Die Bad 죽거나 혹은 나쁘거나 Ryoo Seung-wan rowspan="2" Ryoo Seung-wan 2006 The City of Violence 짝패 2008 대한이, 민국씨
Television series +Directing and scriptwriting credits for television seriesYearTitleNetworkCredited as English Korean Original author Scriptwriter Director2009Friend, Our Legend친구, 우리들의 전설MBCKwak Kyung-taek2013The Queen's Classroom여왕의 교실Kazuhiko Yukawa2016Descendants of the Sun태양의 후예KBS2Lee Eung-bok2017Man to Man맨투맨JTBC rowspan="2" rowspan="2" Lee Chang-min2023Payback법쩐SBSLee Won-tae
Accolades Awards and nominations +Name of the award ceremony, year presented, category, nominee of the award, and the result of the nominationAward ceremonyYearCategoryNominee / WorkResult52nd Baeksang Arts Awards2016Grand Prize (TV)Descendants of the Sun Best Drama Best Scriptwriter (TV)Descendants of the Sun 43rd Korean Broadcasting Grand PrizeBest DramaDescendants of the Sun 11th Seoul International Drama AwardsExcellent Korean Drama 5th APAN Star AwardsDrama of the Year 9th Korea Drama AwardsBest Drama Best Drama WriterDescendants of the SunKorean Advertisers Association AwardsBest DramaDescendants of the Sun 21st Asian Television AwardsBest Drama Series 30th KBS Drama AwardsBest ScreenwriterDescendants of the Sun Korea Communications Commission Broadcasting Awards2017 Grand Prize for Excellence in ProductionDescendants of the Sun 50th WorldFest-Houston International Film FestivalSpecial Jury Award (TV series)
State honors +Name of country, year given, and name of honorCountryAward CeremonyYearHonorSouth Korea Korean Content Story Awards2011 Korea Creative Content Agency's Director Excellence Award 2023 Minister of Culture, Sports and Tourism Award
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