Welcome to Waikiki
Welcome to Waikiki (Korean: 으라차차 와이키키) is a South Korean television series that aired on JTBC from February 5 to April 17, 2018. The series follows the lives of three men who operate a guest house named Waikiki in Itaewon, Seoul, while struggling to pursue their respective career dreams.
Plot
The story centers on three friends: Kang Dong-Goo (Kim Jung-Hyun), an aspiring film director struggling with misfortune; Lee Joon-Ki (Lee Yi-Kyung), a minor actor attempting to follow his father's career path; and Bong-Doo-Sik (Son Seung-Won), a writer who moved to Seoul to pursue a career in screenwriting. As their guest house faces the threat of bankruptcy, their lives are disrupted by the arrival of a mysterious single mother and her baby.
Production
The series was directed by Lee Chang-Min with a script written by Kim Ki-Ho, Song Ji-Eun, and Song Mi-So. The first script reading took place on December 18, 2017, at the JTBC building in Sangam, Seoul. Originally slated for 16 episodes, the series was extended to 20 episodes due to its popularity. During the broadcast, episodes 11 and 12 were delayed by one week to March 19 and 20, 2018, to allow for improved production quality; a special behind-the-scenes episode was aired in their place.
Cast
The main cast includes:
- Kim Jung-Hyun as Kang Dong-Goo
- Lee Yi-Kyung as Lee Joon-Ki
- Son Seung-Won as Bong-Doo-Sik
- Jung In-Sun as Han Yoon-A
- Go Won-Hee as Kang Seo-Jin
- Lee Joo-Woo as Min Soo-A
Sequel
A second season, titled Welcome to Waikiki 2, was produced and aired in 2019.