My Dearest (Korean: 연인) is a 2023 South Korean television series starring Namkoong Min, Ahn Eun-jin, Lee Hak-joo, Lee Da-in, Kim Yoon-woo, and Lee Chung-ah. According to writer Hwang Jin-young, it is inspired by the 1936 novel Gone with the Wind. It aired on MBC TV from August 4 to November 18, 2023, every Friday and Saturday at 21:50 (KST). It is also available for streaming on Wavve in South Korea, and on Viki in selected regions.
The series was divided into two parts: Part 1 aired from August 4 to September 2, 2023, for ten episodes, while Part 2 aired from October 13 to November 18, 2023, for eleven episodes.
Contents
Synopsis
Set during the Qing invasion of Joseon in the 1630s, the series follows the love story of Lee Jang-hyun, an enigmatic nobleman, and Yoo Gil-chae, the daughter of a noble family, whose lives are upended by the war.
Cast
Main
Namkoong Min as Lee Jang-hyun: an enigmatic nobleman who does not give his sincerity to anything, but after getting to know a woman, he opens the door to his unexpected fate.
Moon Seong-hyun as young Lee Jang-hyun
Ahn Eun-jin as Yoo Gil-chae: the daughter of a noble family who gets entangled with Jang-hyun.
Lee Hak-joo as Nam Yeon-joon: a promising Confucian student at Sungkyunkwan.
Lee Da-in as Kyung Eun-ae: Yeon-joon's fiancée and Gil-chae's closest friend.
Kim Yoon-woo as Ryang-eum: Jang-hyun's close friend who is the best pansori singer in Joseon.
Lee Chung-ah as Gak-hwa: Hong Taiji's daughter and princess of Qing dynasty.
Supporting
Ji Seung-hyun as Gu Won-moo: a military officer.
Park Jung-yeon as Jong Jong-yi: Gil-chae's maid.
Kwon So-hyun as Bang Du-ne: Eun-ae's maid.
Park Kang-seop as Gu-jam: Jang-hyun's servant.
Choi Moo-sung as Yang-cheon: a gangster.
Kim Jong-tae as King Injo: the sixteenth ruler of Joseon.
Kim Mu-jun as Crown Prince Sohyeon: King Injo's eldest son.
Jeon Hye-won as Crown Princess Kang: Crown Prince Sohyeon's wife.
So Yoo-jin as Royal Consort So-yong Jo: King Injo's favorite concubine.
Yang Hyun-min as Pyo Eon-gyeom: Crown Prince Sohyeon's loyal eunuch.
Kim Tae-hoon as Choe Myeong-gil: a pragmatist who does not bend his decisions and prioritizes the national interests.
Choi Jong-hwan as Kim Sang-heon: a loyal subject.
Ha Kyung as Shin I-rip
Jung Byung-cheol as Bong-si: King Injo's eunuch.
Choi Young-woo as Yonggoldae: a military officer.
Kim Jun-won as Hong Taiji: the emperor of Qing dynasty.
Kang Gil-woo as Jung Myung-soo: an interpreter.
Extended
Kim Seo-an as Young-rang: a young kisaeng.
Jeon Guk-hyang as Ae-bok
Kim Eun-woo as a general of the Qing dynasty
Lee Young-seok as Deok-chul: a blacksmith worker.
Lee Nam-hee as Lee Young-ik
Jeon Jin-oh as Maeng-tan
Yoo Ji-yeon as Hwa-yu
Kim Jung-ho as Yoon Chin-wang
Special appearances
Lee Soo-min as So-ya
Yoo Jae-suk as a farmer
Haha as a farmer
Joo Woo-jae as a farmer
Park Jin-joo as a farmer
Lee Yi-kyung as a farmer
Lee Mi-joo as a farmer
Lee Mi-do as Yang-sseu
Production
The script reading of the cast was held in December 2022.
In May 2023, the mother of two sisters who died following a 2004 sexual assault case involving a background actress alleged that one of the men accused in the case was recruiting background actors for My Dearest. MBC confirmed that the individual, who worked for an external background-actor management company, had visited some filming sites; the network barred him from the set and terminated its contract with the company.
On November 9, 2023, it was announced that the series would be extended by one episode due to its popularity, and would end with 21 episodes. The final episode aired on November 18.
