Every now and then, a surprise hit K-drama dominates Netflix's non-English rankings and becomes a must-watch for fans. ENA's Extraordinary Attorney Woo is the latest drama to take the spot, with it's uplifting, heartwarming story about an autistic lawyer tackling her first full-time job.
Woo Young-woo, played with kindness and heart by Park Eun-bin, is Korea's first-ever lawyer on the autism spectrum, a prodigy who was the top of her class at the country's most prestigious law school. But when she enters the real world and the courtroom, she has to deal with her differences in a challenging field. Luckily, with her helpful colleagues and her love of whales (yes, whale facts play a big part in her thought process), Young-woo wins cases, gains some new friends, and maybe even a love interest along the way.
Though the season 1 finale is this week, news just dropped that the show is planning a second season with the same cast and creative team, expected in 2024! So now's the perfect time to catch up on Woo Young-woo's story. For everyone who has fallen in love with the feel-good drama (and everyone else who needs to watch immediately), time to meet the cast of Extraordinary Attorney Woo.
Park Eun-bin as Woo Young-woo
Woo Young-woo (spelled the same way backwards and forwards) is the newest lawyer at Hanbada law firm. Though she's brilliant and loves the law, her social skills are very different from those of her colleagues. Still, she's determined to succeed at her job, even if she can't talk about whales with her co-workers.
Park made her debut as a child actor and has appeared in dozens of dramas. She's best known for playing the lead in last year's historical gender-switch drama The King's Affection, as well as starring in the popular friendship drama Hello, My Twenties!. Her other recent dramas include The Ghost Dectective, Hot Stove League, and Do You Like Brahms?.
Kang Tae-oh as Lee Jun-ho
Jun-ho is another Hanbada employee who becomes fast friends with Young-woo. He's super kind and compassionate, and he begins to get romantic feelings for his new colleague.
Kang, who made his acting debut in 2011, is a former member of 5urprise, a K-pop group known for starting their careers as actors before debuting as singers (unlike most idol-actors start out as idols). He's starred in dramas including Run On, My First, First Love, The Tale of Nokdu, and Doom at Your Service.
Kang Ki-young as Jung Myung-seok
Attorney Jung is a senior attorney at the firm and Young-woo's boss. Though it takes him a while to adapt to Young-woo's unique personality, he has become a supportive mentor.
Kang is an award-winning actor who's best known for playing the supportive best friend in What's Wrong With Secretary Kim?. He also starred in Moment of Eighteen, I'm Not a Robot, Weightlifting Kim Bok-joo, and Vivid Romance.
Joo Hyun-young as Dong Geurami
Young-woo's best friend Geurami is the lawyer's biggest cheerleader. The girls met in high school, when rebellious Geurami defended the quiet Young-woo from bullies, and they've been besties ever since. They also have a catchy handshake that's going viral among fans. (Don't be surprised when you start randomly chanting "Woo to the Young to the Woo.")
Joo made her acting debut in 2018 on the high school superhero drama Govengers. She's since starred in the web dramas Best Mistake and As Your Heart Tells. After Extraordinary Attorney Woo, she's set to star in the k-drama remake of the French comedy Call My Agent!.
Jeon Bae-su as Woo Gwang-ho
Young-woo's father Gwang-ho raised her as a single dad after her mother left. He raised Young-woo while attending law school himself, and he encouraged his daughter to study law after she memorized his textbooks as a child. He now runs a gimbap restaurant.
Jeon debuted in 2004 and acted in mostly movie roles for the next decade, including the 2014 box-office hit The Pirates. Since 2016, he's appeared in several dramas including The K2, Fight For My Way, Lawless Lawyer, When the Camellia Blooms, and Mr. Queen. Recently, he played On-jo's heroic dad in the Netflix zombie drama, All of Us Are Dead.
Baek Ji-won as Han Seon-young
Young-woo also has a powerful mentor in Han Seon-young, CEO of Hanbada. When Attorney Jung was skeptical about hiring a lawyer on the autism spectrum, CEO Han insisted that Young-woo had a special talent. Han also has a mysterious history with Young-woo's father.
Baek made her debut in 2013 and has appeared in dramas including Secret Love Affair, Encounter, The Fiery Priest, Be Melodramatic, Mystic Pop-up Bar, and Snowdrop. She has also worked with Park Eun-bin before, playing a professor in Do You Like Brahms?.
Ha Yoon-kyung as Choi Soo-yeon
Soo-yeon was Young-woo's classmate at law school and also works at Hanbada. The young lawyers work together on the same cases often, but Soo-yeon has mixed feelings about her old classmate who always beat her in the class rankings. She also has a crush on Jun-ho.
Ha made her debut in 2014 and appeared mostly in films before joining the cast of the hit medical drama Hospital Playlist in 2018. She also appeared in Hospital Playlist's second season and the web comic adaptation She Would Never Know.
Joo Jong-hyuk as Kwon Min-woo
Min-woo is another new associate at Hanbada who often works with Attorney Jung, Soo-yeon, and Young-woo on cases. He's super competitive and more negative towards Young-woo, even actively plotting against her at some points.
Joo made his acting debut in 2018. He's appeared in several hit dramas lately, including the zombie thriller Happiness, the webtoon adaptation Yumi's Cells, and the military drama D.P.
Jin Kyung as Tae Soo-mi
Tae Soo-mi is the rival of Han Seon-young and CEO of Hanbada's rival, Taesan law firm. The two CEOs were college classmates and now compete to be the most successful law firm in Korea. She also has a secret connection to Young-woo.
Jin started out as a stage actor, making her debut in 1998 and working in theater for a decade before crossing over to film and television. The award-winning actress won a Baeksang Arts Award for her role in the 2013 surveillance thriller Cold Eyes. She's also starred in the dramas Good Doctor; It's Okay, That's Love; Uncontrollably Fond; Dr. Romantic; and Melancholia.
Im Sung-jae as Kim Min-shik
Min-shik is the owner of the pub where Geurami works, and he has a sweet friendship with both Geurami and Young-woo. He's played by Im, who's appeared in films including A Year-End Medley, The King's Letters, and Sunset in My Hometown. He's also had short roles in dramas including Hyena, Bad and Crazy, and Vincenzo.
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