Jung So-min up to rescue disaster victims in D-Day

20 May 7, 2015August 17, 2015

by javabeans

I’ve been waiting for Jung So-min (Big Man) to take on another drama, and would be very happy if she signed on JTBC’s upcoming disaster drama D-Day; she’s just surfaced as the main contender for a lead role in it, though the cable station was hasty to add that nothing’s been decided yet.

The latest stories inform us that the disaster that strikes Seoul in the drama will be a large-scale earthquake. That sounds exciting as a narrative possibility, but also makes me wonder if it’s too soon, with the Nepal disaster so fresh on our minds. The drama focuses on the medical relief efforts in the wake of the destruction, led by a team of rescue workers and doctors who rush in and risk their lives to save others. The tone sounds like a moving human drama, conveying messages of humanity, love, and the value of life.

That actually sounds a lot like another upcoming drama, the buzz project Descended From the Sun, starring Song Hye-gyo and Song Joong-ki and written by Heirs’ and Secret Garden’s Kim Eun-sook. That drama also centers around medical aid workers, only they’ll be in foreign disaster zones. (Frankly, I’d really rather see this version where the disaster is closer to home and the drama is less flashy with the location shoots. Though Descended does have a pretty great cast lineup.)

Kim Young-kwang (Plus Nine Boys) is in the mix to play the male lead, a general surgeon who follows his convictions. Jung So-min’s potential character is a resident in orthopedic surgery who has a “strong personality,” whatever that means, though it is in all ways better than having a weak one. There will also be a third lead character (male) that has yet to be cast.

Jung So-min had a great run heading JTBC’s Could We Marry, so perhaps she’ll be able to find success again with the station. I do love that talented actors who aren’t yet able to headline broadcast television shows now have cable as an option, where they can prove they can handle carrying a show.

D-Day hasn’t secured a timeslot yet, but is in talks to take the Friday-Saturday spot in the summer, following Beloved Eun-dong.

Via TV Daily

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1 Aly

May 7, 2015 at 3:04 PM

Great news! I just love her! I've been eagerly awaiting her next role!

Now my happiness would be complete if Im Joo Eun was cast in another drama.

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2 btsxfangirl94

May 7, 2015 at 3:38 PM

eww kim young douche is in this..I like jung so min but I don't want her in this cuz of that douche

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nomad

May 9, 2015 at 3:39 PM

Had to look him up due to your comment, and having a true disgusted reaction out of his comments. I'm not sure whether he's already agreed on the casting, but I'm hoping not. I like Jung So Min so much, and him..ugh!

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3 windsun33

May 7, 2015 at 3:46 PM

Major problem I see is that Korea has almost no earthquakes, so starting off with a bad premise right off the bat. Tsunami would have been more credible.

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4 glowry

May 7, 2015 at 4:19 PM

hell yeah..! since this is SM drama, atleast one lead must come from them.. so Jung Somin is definitely a perfect choice..
hopefully the writing (and CG!) will be good..

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5 SilentSquee

May 7, 2015 at 4:22 PM

Hmmm... I'll keep an eye out on this drama. I'm definitely watching Descended From the Sun because of the cast, but I'm worried about the drama itself because of the writer. Oh well. Hopefully, both of these dramas will be decent.

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nomad

May 9, 2015 at 3:37 PM

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6 esjpx

May 7, 2015 at 4:45 PM

Yes! I was wishing for her to get a role in this since it's produced by S.M C&C. Now I want to know who will write and direct it.

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7 Kim

May 7, 2015 at 6:08 PM

I'm excited about this news. She nailed her character portrayal in Big Man and actually was more memorable then the lead actress (IMO). And of course she was super cute in Playful Kiss. I hope she gets the part.

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8 raindrops1

May 7, 2015 at 6:08 PM

I'm very excited to hear that she being considered for a lead role. I hope we confirmation soon. I'm not as excited about the male lead but I'm open to the possibility of him really shining in the role.

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9 sojuboy

May 7, 2015 at 6:14 PM

I'm pretty sure there's no faultline running Seoul. They may want to change that to something else.

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windsun33

May 8, 2015 at 11:58 AM

Yup - a typhoon or tsunami would have been a lot more credible. But most of these kinds of dramas are not real heavy on facts or science.

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10 anabella

May 7, 2015 at 8:05 PM

Again... with the "strong personality" in female lead description when they are totally opposite in the drama.... -_- But hopefully this turns out good!

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windsun33

May 8, 2015 at 12:00 PM

That is what I find most annoying about so many of the K-drama "pre hype". Far too often "strong" when used with a female lead actually means loud, sarcastic, and obnoxious.

And of course as soon as the male lead shows up, they are anything BUT strong... /sigh.

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11 canxi

May 7, 2015 at 8:43 PM

It sounds good though intense. I enjoy both Young Kwan and So Min whom I morw than enjoy always, lol. She is awesome and I'm sure she will make the role great.

Hope she takes it on!

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12 Ai Sky

May 8, 2015 at 3:58 AM

Best news... I just want hear her news, and today its come. so hopefully she get the roles and play it great like she always do. Can't wait to hear the next news from her

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13 conan

May 8, 2015 at 6:36 AM

Yay! I love Jung So-min (she's definitely one of my favorite 20's actress) and I'm glad she's considering coming back to TV! I'm not too interested in the premise but I guess I'll have to wait for more info.

I'm okay with Kim Young-kwang. I think he does better in more airy affairs but you never know.

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lookingfordramacrack

May 8, 2015 at 12:28 PM

Snap! It's so exciting to see her back and she was fantastic in 'Can we get married'.

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14 pinktape

May 8, 2015 at 6:32 PM

I've been expecting her since she's an SM C&C artist but I'm really happy that they really wanted to cast her! I love Somin in every drama she had starred in, except for Big Man but that's because I haven't watched it yet!

But, am I the only one who's tired with the 'woman-with-strong-character' thing? To be very honest, I don't really like female characters to be over-the-top rude because we hardly find those kind of people in real life? Yes, there are rude/straightforward women but sometimes it's just too much in dramas

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Jon G.

May 9, 2015 at 12:01 AM

"But, am I the only one who’s tired with the ‘woman-with-strong-character’ thing? To be very honest, I don’t really like female characters to be over-the-top rude because we hardly find those kind of people in real life? Yes, there are rude/straightforward women but sometimes it’s just too much in dramas"

I've been living in Germany for some time now, and very rude women here are a dime a dozen (and the ones who are not plain rude are still very straightforward). Funny thing is, you very rarely see them as heroines on tv or in cinema, with the exception of a few rough comedies. Real life and fiction are two pairs of shoes, I guess, one way or the other.

K-drama loves to go to extremes. The lead characters must be as extreme as possible (extremely poor vs. extremely rich, for example) to create enough tension and external conflict for an engaging 16+-hour romance plot.
Extreme personalities are even more common than class differences, and the "rude male" vs "doormat female" setup has been beaten to death for decades.

Now that "strong" women have become more en-vogue, of course this is taken to the extremes again. It's even worse, because the female lead still has to bend to her conventional social role eventually: obedient and passive compared to the male counterpart.

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D-Day