Wonderful World (South Korean TV series)

Wonderful World is a 2024 South Korean television series starring Kim Nam-joo, Cha Eun-woo, Kim Kang-woo, and Im Se-mi. It aired on MBC TV from March 1, to April 13, 2024, every Friday and Saturday at 21:50 (KST). It is also available for streaming on Disney+ in selected regions.

Synopsis
Wonderful World tells a story about an author and professor whose life falls apart after her son is killed in a hit-and-run accident. She seeks justice but ends up committing a crime herself and is sentenced to prison. The show explores themes of grief, guilt, and redemption.

Main

 * Kim Nam-joo as Eun Soo-hyun
 * A successful and famous psychology professor and writer who loses her young son after he is hit by a car.


 * Cha Eun-woo as Gwon Seon-yul
 * A mysterious person who grew up in a wealthy family, but lives a rough life after losing his parents due to a series of incidents.


 * Kim Kang-woo as Kang Su-ho
 * Soo-hyun's husband who is a successful anchor.


 * Im Se-mi as Han Yoo-ri
 * The representative of Cheongdam Select Shop, and Soo-hyun's former manager who is like a real sister to her.

People around Soo-hyun

 * Won Mi-kyung as Oh Go-eun
 * Soo-hyun's mother who is a restaurant owner.


 * Kang Ae-sim as Jang Hyung-ja
 * Soo-hyun's fellow inmate who is a long-term prisoner serving a twenty-year sentence.


 * Lee Jun as Kang Gun-woo
 * Soo-hyun and Su-ho's son.

People around Seon-yul

 * Yang Hye-ji as Hong Su-jin
 * Seon-yul's best friend who has an easy-going and honest personality.


 * Kim Woo-hyun as Park Yong-gu
 * Seon-yul's best friend and colleague.

People around Su-ho

 * Jin Geon-woo as Kang Tae-ho
 * Su-ho's younger brother who is a neurosurgery resident.


 * Gil Hae-yeon as Jung Myung-hee
 * Su-ho's mother.


 * Sung Ji-ru as Han Sang
 * A former detective and owner of a jewelry store.

Others

 * Park Hyuk-kwon as Kim Joon
 * Former mayor of Seoul and the current representative of Korean Union Party.


 * Cha Soo-yeon as Yoon Hye-geum
 * Soo-hyun's neighbor and the director of Gold Gallery who lives with her son who suffers from epilepsy.


 * Jin Jae-hee as Yoon Hee-jae
 * Hye-geum's son.


 * Oh Man-seok as Gwon Ji-woong
 * CEO of a construction company.


 * Lim Ji-sub as Gwon Min-hyuk
 * A person who lives a rough life and does anything for money.


 * Jeon Hyun-ah as Kim Si-ra
 * A professor of psychology department.

Extended

 * Kang Myung-joo as Kim Eun-min
 * Kim Cheol-gi as Choi Joo-seok
 * A member of the National Assembly.

Release
In November 2023, production company Samhwa Networks announced that it had signed a license contract with Walt Disney Korea for the broadcasting rights of the series.

Critical response
NME's Hidzir Junaini gave it a 2/5 stars and wrote that Kim Nam-joo performance as Soo-hyun, calling it "powerful." However, the storytelling is criticized for being melodramatic and reliant on clichés, detracting from the overall impact of the series.