Hong sisters
홍자매
OccupationScreenwriter
Years active2005–present
AgentStudio Dragon (since 2017)
Korean name
Hangul
Hanja
Revised RomanizationHong Jamae
McCune–ReischauerHong Jamae
Hong Jung-eun
유영은
Born1974 (age 49–50)
South Korea
Alma materEwha Womans University
(Bachelor of Public Administration)
Years active1998 to present
Spouse
undisclosed
​
(m. 2000)​
Children1
Korean name
Hangul
Hanja
Revised RomanizationHong Jeong-eun
McCune–ReischauerHong Chŏngŭn
Hong Mi-ran
홍미란
Born1977 (age 46–47)
South Korea
EducationTeacher's College
Korean name
Hangul
Hanja
Revised RomanizationHong Mi-ran
McCune–ReischauerHong Miran

Hong Jung-eun (born 1974) and Hong Mi-ran (born 1977), collectively known as the Hong sisters (Korean: 홍자매; Hanja: 洪姊妹; RR: Hong Jamae), are South Korean television screenwriters currently managed by Studio Dragon. Together, they have written popular romantic-comedies, notably My Girl (2005), You're Beautiful (2009), My Girlfriend Is a Gumiho (2010), The Greatest Love (2011), Master's Sun (2013), A Korean Odyssey (2017–2018), Hotel del Luna (2019), Alchemy of Souls (2022) and its second part Alchemy of Souls: Light and Shadow (2022–2023).

Career

Works

Sisters Hong Jung-eun and Hong Mi-ran were originally writers on a variety show. Hong Jeong-eun has worked as an assistant writer at MBC for about 8 years, and Hong Mi-ran has worked as an entertainment program writer at SBS for about 5 years. Hong Jeong-eun, worked as a composition writer for the MBC re-enactment programs Mysterious TV Surprise and Sunday Sunday Night. Hong Mi-ran wrote SBS' Game of Truth and KBS2's sitcom Run, My Mom.[1]

They made their TV drama writing debut in 2005 with Sassy Girl Chun-hyang, a modern retelling of the famous Korean folktale Chunhyangjeon in which Chun-hyang is no passive heroine, but a headstrong sassy girl.[2][3] It became a huge hit not only in Korea, but throughout Asia. Their follow-up My Girl (2005), about a cheeky con artist who pretends to be the long-lost granddaughter of a rich man, was equally successful.[4] The two dramas effectively made its young actors -- Han Chae-young and Jae Hee,[5][6] and Lee Da-hae,[7] Lee Joon-gi,[8] and Lee Dong-wook -- into household names and Korean Wave stars.

The Hongs' winning streak continued with Couple or Trouble (also known as Fantasy Couple, 2006), a remake of the 1987 Hollywood film Overboard. It starred Han Ye-seul as a snooty heiress with amnesia who falls for a handyman played by Oh Ji-ho.[9][10][11]

For Hong Gil-dong (2008), the Hongs based their protagonist on the fictional folk hero Hong Gil-dong, a Joseon-era Robin Hood who stole from the rich and gave to the poor. But the fusion period comedy-drama starring Kang Ji-hwan and Sung Yu-ri combined royal plotting and romance with over-the-top stunts, gaudy costumes, toilet humor and anachronistic modern music.[12][13] The series was popular online, but received average ratings. It also won Best Miniseries at the 2008 Roma Fiction Fest.[14]

You're Beautiful (2009) starred Jang Keun-suk and Park Shin-hye, in which a naive nun cross-dresses as a male idol singer in a boy band. Unlike the Hongs' early work, the drama did not get high ratings, but it did create a cult following (or "mania" fan base) online and among international viewers. Such was its pan-Asian popularity that remakes were produced in Japan (Ikemen desu ne, 2011) and Taiwan (Fabulous Boys, 2013).

The Hongs played with Korean mythology for their next hit drama in 2010. In My Girlfriend Is a Nine-Tailed Fox, the gumiho (or nine-tailed fox) isn't the terrifying femme fatale of legend who feeds on human livers. Instead, she's a cute and clueless girl (played by Shin Min-ah) who loves to eat beef, while an aspiring stuntman (Lee Seung-gi) accompanies her in her quest to become human.[15][16][17]

Their next drama, 2011's The Greatest Love was again set amidst the gossipy and image-conscious world of entertainment, starring Cha Seung-won as the most beloved star in the nation who falls for a has-been pop singer (Gong Hyo-jin).[18][19][20] The drama topped its timeslot during its run, and not only did it sweep the 2011 MBC Drama Awards (including the Writer of the Year award for the Hong sisters),[21] Gong also won Best Actress at the 2012 Baeksang Arts Awards.[22]

Big (2012), in which an 18-year-old and a 30-year-old swap bodies, starred Gong Yoo and Lee Min-jung.[23][24] The drama is arguably the Hongs' least successful work thus far, lacking both in ratings and buzz.[25]

The Hongs reunited with Gong Hyo-jin in Master's Sun (2013), a horror romantic comedy with So Ji-sub about a woman who sees ghosts.[26]

"Writers with entertainment backgrounds are good at creating stories that can keep viewers glued to each episode. “Because entertainment is a competition based on minutes and seconds, I think the compulsion to change the channel even if it was boring for just one minute naturally led to training." SBS PD Jinhyuk, Director of Master’s Sun[1]

In 2015, they cast Yoo Yeon-seok and Kang So-ra in Warm and Cozy, set in a restaurant on Jeju Island. The title is the English translation of the Jeju dialect phrase "Mendorong Ttottot."[27]

Reinventing acting careers

The Hong sisters are credited with reinventing the careers of several of their leading ladies. Han Chae-young was a sexy "Barbie doll" known for her figure more than her acting when her role in Sassy Girl Chun-hyang turned her sultry image on its head and transformed her into a plucky, optimistic, hard-working model student. Lee Da-hae had a somewhat melancholy image from Heaven's Fate, and surprised viewers with her versatility by going cute in My Girl. Han Ye-seul and Sung Yu-ri were dogged early in their careers by criticisms for their poor acting, until Han's privileged, rude character won viewers over with her notable catchphrases in Couple or Trouble,[9][10] and the Hongs were so impressed with Sung in Hong Gil-dong that they posted up strong praise and defense of her acting on the drama's website. Shin Min-ah had become better known in recent years for being a stylish advertisement model rather than an actress, but My Girlfriend Is a Nine-Tailed Fox gave her her most memorable character yet. Similarly, with his role of Dokko Jin, Cha Seung-won returned to his comedic roots after years of serious roles, resulting in massive media attention.

Critical assessment

The Hong sisters have become known for mixing broad, somewhat juvenile comedy with elements of romance, then transitioning to heartbreak in the drama's second half. They've created a trademark style with their fast, fun narratives, hilarious situations, love of puns and meta references, and memorable and quirky characters, and their name has become a recognizable brand in the Korean drama industry.[28]

Filmography

Broadcast period Title Network Director(s) Ep. Rating
English Korean Highest Lowest Average
January 3 – March 1, 2005 Sassy Girl Chun-hyang 쾌걸 춘향 KBS2 Jeon Ki-sang, Ji Byung-hyun 17 31.3% 15.4% 23.8%
December 14, 2005 – February 2, 2006 My Girl 마이걸 SBS Jeon Ki-sang 16 24.0% 14.0% 19.4%
October 14 – December 3, 2006 Couple or Trouble 환상의 커플 MBC Kim Sang-ho 16 21.4% 9.9% 13.6%
January 2 – March 26, 2008 Hong Gil-dong 쾌도 홍길동 KBS2 Lee Jung-sub 24 16.9% 8.8% 14.5%
October 7 – November 26, 2009 You're Beautiful 미남이시네요 SBS Hong Sung-chang 16 10.9% 7.5% 9.2%
August 11 – September 30, 2010 My Girlfriend Is a Nine-Tailed Fox 내 여자친구는 구미호 Boo Sung-chul 16 19.9% 8.7% 12.6%
May 4 – June 23, 2011 The Greatest Love 최고의 사랑 MBC Park Hong-kyun, Lee Dong-yoon 16 21.0% 8.4% 16.0%
June 4 – July 24, 2012 Big 빅 KBS2 Ji Byung-hyun, Kim Sung-yoon 16 11.1% 7.4% 8.5%
August 7 – October 3, 2013 Master's Sun 주군의 태양 SBS Jin Hyuk 17 21.8% 13.6% 17.2%
May 13 – July 2, 2015 Warm and Cozy 맨도롱 또똣 MBC Park Hong-kyun, Kim Hee-won 16 8.8% 5.6% 7.4%
December 23, 2017 - March 4, 2018 A Korean Odyssey 화유기 tvN Park Hong-kyun 20 6.942% 3.586% 5.415%
July 13 – September 1, 2019 Hotel del Luna 호텔 델루나 Oh Choong-hwan 16 12.001% 7.023% 8.867%
June 18, 2022 – January 8, 2023 Alchemy of Souls 환혼 Park Joon-hwa 30[lower-alpha 1] 9.651% 4.989% 6.665%

Accolades

Awards and nominations

Award YearCategoryRecipientResultRef.
4th Korea Drama Awards 2011 Best Writer(s) The Greatest LoveNominated [33]
MBC Drama Awards 2011 Drama of the YearWon [34]
Writer(s) of the YearWon
Korea PD Awards 2012 Production Category Award: TV Writer Category Won
8th New York Television Festival's
International TV & Films Awards		 2012Silver Prize, Miniseries categoryWon [35][36]
48th Baeksang Arts Awards 2012 Best DramaNominated [37]
Best Screenplay (TV)Nominated
7th Seoul International Drama Awards 2012Outstanding Korean DramaNominated

State honors

Name of country, year given, and name of honor
Country Ceremony Year Honor Or Award Ref.
South Korea Korean Popular Culture and Arts Awards[lower-alpha 2] 2012 Minister of Culture, Sports and Tourism Commendation [41]

Notes

  1. ↑ The series was divided into two parts: Part 1 aired from June 18 to August 28, 2022 for 20 episodes,[29][30] while Part 2 (Alchemy of Souls: Light and Shadow) aired from December 10, 2022 to January 8, 2023 for 10 episodes.[31][32]
  2. ↑ Honors are given at the Korean Popular Culture and Arts Awards, arranged by the Korea Creative Content Agency and hosted by the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism.[38][39] They are awarded to those who have contributed to the arts and South Korea's pop culture.[40]

References

  1. 1 2 "한국일보 정상 발행, "언론의 바른 길 새기겠다"". PD저널 (in Korean). 2013-08-12. Retrieved 2024-01-03.
  2. ↑ "Han Chae-young, Jae Hee Named Chun-hyang Festival Spokespersons". KBS Global. 24 March 2005. Retrieved 2013-05-22.
  3. ↑ "띵똥~ 우리가 홍자매야". 씨네21 (in Korean). 2011-07-14. Retrieved 2024-01-03.
  4. ↑ Shin, Hae-in (12 December 2005). "An 'irresistible trickster' to meet viewers in My Girl". The Korea Herald via Hancinema. Retrieved 2013-05-22.
  5. ↑ "Jae Hee Makes Inroads into Taiwan". KBS Global. 5 July 2005. Retrieved 2013-05-22.
  6. ↑ "Han Chae-young, Jae Hee Hold Fan Meeting in Tokyo". KBS Global. 2 May 2006. Retrieved 2013-05-22.
  7. ↑ "Actress Lee Da-hae to Visit Taiwan". KBS Global. 26 June 2006. Retrieved 2013-05-22.
  8. ↑ "Lee Joon-ki emerges as rising star". The Korea Herald via Hancinema. 6 January 2006. Retrieved 2013-05-22.
  9. 1 2 "Han Ye-seul Wins Over Detractors as Amnesiac Heiress". The Chosun Ilbo. 28 October 2006. Retrieved 2013-05-22.
  10. 1 2 Yang, Sung-jin (7 December 2007). "Han Ye-seul, a bilingual beauty, eyes foreign entertainment markets". The Korea Herald via Hancinema. Retrieved 2013-05-22.
  11. ↑ "Oh Ji-ho's Approachable Demeanor". Broasia via Hancinema. 1 June 2007. Retrieved 2013-05-22.
  12. ↑ Oh, Jean (7 January 2008). "New KBS drama takes fusion to extremes". The Korea Herald via Hancinema. Retrieved 2013-05-22.
  13. ↑ Kwon, Mee-yoo (1 January 2008). "Epic Dramas Continues to Boom This Year". The Korea Times. Archived from the original on 15 July 2014. Retrieved 2013-05-22.
  14. ↑ Han, Sang-hee (13 July 2008). "KBS Drama Wins Award From Roma Fiction Fest". The Korea Times. Archived from the original on 2 April 2015. Retrieved 2013-05-22.
  15. ↑ Han, Sang-hee (10 August 2010). "Star couple seeks to lure more fans with new soap". The Korea Times. Retrieved 2013-05-22.
  16. ↑ Oh, Jean (9 August 2010). "Will two big stars create fireworks?". The Korea Herald. Retrieved 2013-05-22.
  17. ↑ Choi, Ji-eun (5 August 2010). "PREVIEW: SBS TV series My Girlfriend Is Gumiho". 10Asia. Retrieved 2013-05-22.
  18. ↑ Kwon, Mee-yoo (3 May 2011). "TV soap to peek into celebrity life". The Korea Times. Retrieved 2013-05-22.
  19. ↑ Hwang, Hyo-jin (29 April 2011). "PREVIEW: MBC TV series The Greatest Love". 10Asia. Retrieved 2013-05-22.
  20. ↑ Choi, Ji-eun (24 June 2011). "Interview with the Hong Sisters". 10Asia via Electric Ground. Retrieved 2013-05-22.
  21. ↑ Hong, Lucia (2 January 2012). "The Greatest Love snags 7 honors at 2011 MBC Drama Awards". 10Asia. Retrieved 2013-05-22.
  22. ↑ Kwon, Mee-yoo (27 April 2012). "Kim Soo-hyun wins Paeksang awards". The Korea Times. Retrieved 2013-05-22.
  23. ↑ Oh, Jean (29 May 2012). "Lee Min-jung says Gong Yoo is a riot in new drama". The Korea Herald. Retrieved 2013-05-22.
  24. ↑ Sunwoo, Carla (16 April 2012). "Actors hope to score Big in new show". Korea JoongAng Daily. Archived from the original on 16 June 2013. Retrieved 2013-05-22.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: unfit URL (link)
  25. ↑ Jeon, Su-mi (25 July 2012). "Big Concludes with Open Endings, Unsatisfied Fans, and Highest Rating". enewsWorld. Archived from the original on 31 October 2013. Retrieved 2013-05-22.
  26. ↑ Kim, Gwang-kuk (7 August 2013). "PREVIEW: SBS Wed/Thu Drama Master's Sun". 10Asia. Archived from the original on 2014-03-28.
  27. ↑ Jo, Yeon-kyung (25 March 2015). "Yoo Yeon Seok and Kang Sora Confirmed for Warm and Cozy". enewsWorld. Archived from the original on 28 March 2015. Retrieved 2015-03-26.
  28. ↑ "Hong Sisters Collection". DramaFever.
  29. ↑ Moon Ji-yeon (June 14, 2022). "[SC현장] 지금껏 본 적 없던 '환혼'..이재욱→유준상 보여줄 판타지 액션 활극 (종합)" (in Korean). Sports Chosun. Archived from the original on June 19, 2022. Retrieved January 13, 2023 – via Naver.
  30. ↑ Yoo Won-jeong (August 29, 2022). "이재욱×정소민 '케미' 활극…'환혼' 파트1이 남긴 3가지" (in Korean). No Cut News. Archived from the original on August 31, 2022. Retrieved January 13, 2023 – via Naver.
  31. ↑ Choi Hee-jae (October 19, 2022). "tvN 측 "'환혼' 파트2, 12월 10일 첫 방송" [공식입장]" (in Korean). Xports News. Archived from the original on October 19, 2022. Retrieved January 13, 2023 – via Naver.
  32. ↑ Hwang Su-yeon (January 9, 2023). "'환혼2' 이재욱♥고윤정 해피엔딩…완벽한 결말로 이뤄낸 유종의 미 [엑's 이슈]" (in Korean). Xports News. Archived from the original on January 11, 2023. Retrieved January 13, 2023 – via Naver.
  33. ↑ "Winners of the 2011 Korea Drama Awards". Korea Tourism Organization. October 10, 2011. Retrieved February 4, 2014.
  34. ↑ Hong, Lucia (January 2, 2012). "The Greatest Love snags 7 honors at 2011 MBC Drama Awards". 10Asia. Retrieved November 24, 2012.
  35. ↑ Suk, Monica (March 23, 2012). "MBC's The Greatest Love wins silver at 2012 NY TV Festival". 10Asia. Retrieved November 24, 2012.
  36. ↑ Suk, Monica (August 27, 2012). "6 TV series that were inches away from clinching SDA nomination". 10Asia. Retrieved November 24, 2012.
  37. ↑ Kwon, Mee-yoo (April 27, 2012). "Kim Soo-hyun wins Paeksang awards". The Korea Times. Retrieved April 28, 2013.
  38. ↑ Hicap, Jonathan (October 18, 2018). "BTS, Red Velvet win at Korean Popular Culture and Arts Awards". Manila Bulletin. Archived from the original on October 18, 2018. Retrieved June 18, 2021.
  39. ↑ Yeo, Yer-im (October 25, 2018). "BTS gets award upon their return home". Yonhap News Agency. Archived from the original on November 7, 2018. Retrieved June 18, 2021 – via Korea JoongAng Daily.
  40. ↑ Lee, Sang-won (October 25, 2016). "Korean Popular Culture and Arts Awards announces winners". The Korea Herald. Archived from the original on September 29, 2018. Retrieved June 18, 2021.
  41. ↑ "대중문화예술상 2012년" [2012 Popular Culture and Arts Awards]. Korea Creative Content Agency (in Korean). Archived from the original on 2022-05-19. Retrieved 2022-05-19.
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