Mother (2018 South Korean TV Series)

Mother is a South Korean television drama series that aired on the cable network tvN from January 24 to March 15, 2018. The series, which consists of 16 episodes, was directed by Kim Cheol-Kyu and written by Jung Seo-Kyoung. It is a remake of the 2010 Japanese television series of the same name produced by NTV.

Plot

The story follows Soo-Jin, played by Lee Bo-Young, a temporary teacher at an elementary school. She discovers that one of her students, Hye-Na (Heo Yool), is suffering from abuse at home by her mother, Ja-Young (Ko Sung-Hee). Recognizing the severity of the situation and the child's plight, Soo-Jin makes the life-altering decision to abduct Hye-Na and assume the role of her mother to protect her.

Production

The production process included a competitive casting phase for the role of Hye-Na, with Heo Yool selected from approximately 400 auditioning participants. The first script reading for the series was held on November 1, 2017, at the CJ E&M Center in Sangam-dong, Seoul. The series occupied the Wednesday and Thursday 21:30 time slot on tvN, following the conclusion of Prison Playbook and preceding My Mister.

Cast

The series features an ensemble cast including:

• Lee Bo-Young as Soo-Jin
• Heo Yool as Hye-Na
• Lee Hye-Young as Young-Sin
• Nam Gi-Ae as Nam Hong-Hee
• Ko Sung-Hee as Ja-Young
• Son Suk-Ku as Seol-Ak

Reception

At the 54th Baeksang Arts Awards in 2018, the series was recognized with the award for Best Drama, and Heo Yool received the award for Best New Actress for her performance as Hye-Na.