Jang Hee-jin up to join KBS's On the Way to the Airport

21 June 28, 2016June 28, 2016

Jang Hee-jin up to join KBS’s On the Way to the Airport

by javabeans

Jang Hee-jin has been offered a leading role in upcoming KBS drama On the Way to the Airport, which previously confirmed casting Kim Haneul (A Gentleman’s Dignity) and Lee Sang-yoon (Twenty Again), and is positively considering it. She’s been busy at work on the currently airing fantasy sageuk Mirror of the Witch, so taking on this project would have her jumping back to work almost immediately.

On the Way to the Airport is a contemporary drama centered around married couples and poses the question of whether men and women can be friends, and have non-adulterous relationships outside of their marriages. Described as a sentimental melodrama, the drama aims to be relatable and comforting. So I’m thinking introspective human drama, not extreme relationship angst.

Kim Haneul plays a capable veteran flight attendant who married her pilot husband when she got pregnant and now has a young daughter. Lee Sang-yoon was initially reported to be playing her husband, but that’s since changed; instead, he’d be husband to Jang Hee-jin’s character. Lee is a part-time architecture lecturer who’s said to be happily married, although Jang Hee-jin’s character fears she may lose her husband. That’s partly because she starts to discover and learn things that she hadn’t known about herself. She’s a dignified wife who puts in a lot of effort without voicing any complaint, doing the hard work of preparing endless family memorial rites and playing hostess for important guests. It also sounds like things get shaken up with Lee Sang-yoon and Kim Haneul meet, though those details are stingy.

In any case, I’ve found Jang Hee-jin’s career trajectory to be fascinating, because it’s a case of an actor proving that you can improve and develop acting skill later in your career; she started out so flat and one-note (Myung-wol the Spy, Big) as the textbook dull bitchy second lead that I never thought she’d do much more. And then she really woke up or turned on a switch or discovered something in herself, because she’s been actively compelling in dramas like Scholar Who Walks the Night, Village: Secret of Achiara, and now Mirror of the Witch.

On the Way to the Airport will be written by Lee Sook-yeon of One Fine Spring Day and directed by PD Kim Chul-kyu of Summer Scent and Hwang Jin-yi. The drama will follow Uncontrollably Fond as a Wednesday-Thursday KBS drama, premiering in September.

Via TV Report

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1 yoobitna

June 28, 2016 at 6:31 AM

off the topic, is it just me or the currently airing section is not updated this week. Are we just gonna pretend that OHY is gonna end next week forever. trololol anyway can't wait for this drama! Kang Haneuuuul

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blnmom

June 28, 2016 at 7:25 AM

LOL, I think you did the same thing as me and mixed up Kim Haneul with Kang Haneul. Was so excited for a second until I realized my mistake. I'm super glad Kang Haneul is having so much success and starring in big movies, but I want him back on TV again.

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haha

June 28, 2016 at 8:08 AM

I'm afraid you have the wrong read, it was not kang haneul but kim haneul

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yoobitna

June 29, 2016 at 7:35 AM

@blnmom & @haha

OMG I really thought it was Kang Haneul! oopsy! my baddd hahahahahah! yassss want a new drama with him as the lead for once plsssss

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sungjong

June 28, 2016 at 11:09 AM

Speaking of OHY, I just finished watching the last episode and seriously my heart was breaking... No spoilers but I simply lived and loved that show and feel a big dramatic hole now that its over

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2 Sera The Ms Temper

June 28, 2016 at 6:36 AM

wow, she has been so busy since SWWTN. Good for her, she had been under radar for quite sometime. She has being doing well, hope she stay healthy.

But this drama sounds a very heart breaking one, isn't it?Anyway I am looking forward to see this drama. Jang Hee Jin has a potential to be the first female lead if she is given fair opportunity.

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3 PeepsLeAwesomePotato

June 28, 2016 at 6:51 AM

Yay for people who improve!

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4 mary

June 28, 2016 at 6:54 AM

Yeyeyeyey~ and if she stars with acting sunbaes here, she'll learn a lot more. Really loving her as Queen in MOTW right now.

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Sera The Ms Temper

June 28, 2016 at 7:31 AM

I first saw her in Myung Wol and never thought that she is this good. She and Honey Lee are among the latecomers who are promising and they can do a great job in meatier roles. Honey Lee was fantastic in Shine or Go Crazy, and Oh Yeon Seo was almost got her position stolen for second time from second female lead ( Lee Yoo Ri stole Jang Bo Ri from her). OTT, speaking of Honey Lee and Oh Yeon Seo, they have the best sisromance / womance in Come Back Ahjusshi. lol. I miss that drama.

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Kiara

June 28, 2016 at 7:58 AM

I wish Honey Lee would do more sageuks. She was a charismatic Goryeo princess and queen in SogC. Her costume and mannerism were perfect.

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Sera The Ms Temper

June 28, 2016 at 8:03 AM

I don't mind if her character somewhat like the legendary Mishil. ☺

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5 Kiara

June 28, 2016 at 7:43 AM

She hasn't taken a break since Scholar. I love her in modern dramas more.
She is ok in sageuks depending on the role she is playing. Love her in Scholar but she tends to act with her big eyes at times.
There are very few actresses who can pull off royalty and queenly air to a t like Seo Ji-Hye as Queen Noguk. Jang isn't one of those few.

Glad she is not playing the other woman here. I've seen enough of that from her.

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Sera The Ms Temper

June 28, 2016 at 8:05 AM

As long as not a bitchy second female lead, I'm okey with that. I don't know if she will do good in comedic roles, but would love to see that side of her.

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bd5

June 29, 2016 at 12:17 AM

JHJ is doing a good job as the Dowager Queen in MotW.

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6 pogo

June 28, 2016 at 7:56 AM

I approve of this casting, and hope she gets more to do than the female second leads in most dramas. She vas fantastic in Scholar <3

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7 Adal

June 28, 2016 at 8:14 AM

I love her in MOTW and thought she does an amazing job as Queen. Happy for her in this new project.

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8 loveblossom

June 28, 2016 at 10:36 AM

I liked her in <Scholar. Glad she's getting more roles lately.

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9 Nana Premane

June 28, 2016 at 11:34 AM

I find that she is doing a reeeaaally good job as the Queen in MOTW. She puts heart into a character that would have been ice cold otherwise.

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10 junny

June 28, 2016 at 2:08 PM

I kinda want to see Jang Hee-jin and Lee Jin-wook team up again, for Spy Choi Ryu or something - preferably with Jang's character much smarter than her previous In-ah role. She wasn't great as In-ah, but I'm glad her career is looking up and she's getting more good roles.

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11 girls~

June 28, 2016 at 8:02 PM

Its My Daughter Seoyeong reunion yaay?

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12 bd5

June 29, 2016 at 12:23 AM

1st became aware of JHJ when she appeared on X-Man; didn't exactly know what she was known for then, but it appears that she was a regular for Banjun dramas at the time.

"Myung-wol" is actually mid-career for JHJ as she appeared on a good # of dramas as well as films, but in secondary roles.

Didn't exactly watched much of her before Myung-wol - but probably would give her a bit of break for her performance in Myung-wol since almost everyone gave a sub-standard performance in it since the writing was subpar.

The cast of MotW is doing a great job and JHJ is holding her own.

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On the Way to the Airport