Snowdrop

***Snowdrop*** (Korean: 설강화; Hanja: 雪降花; RR: Seolganghwa) is a 2021 South Korean television series starring Jung Hae-in, Kim Jisoo, Yoo In-na, Jang Seung-jo, Yoon Se-ah, Kim Hye-yoon, and Jung Yoo-jin. It aired on JTBC from December 18, 2021, to January 30, 2022, every Saturday and Sunday at 22:30 (KST) for 16 episodes. The series is also available for streaming on Disney+ in the US and under the Star hub in selected international regions.

## Synopsis

Set in 1987, when South Korea was governed by a dictatorial government.

Graduate student Lim Soo-ho (Jung Hae-in) is covered in blood and he jumps into the female dormitory at Hosu Women’s University. Eun Yeong-Ro (Kim Ji-soo) finds him and helps to hide him. They develop a romantic relationship.

Lim Soo-ho is graduate student at a prestigious university. He is Korean-German. He has charisma and he is also mysterious.

Eun Yeong-ro is in the first grade of Hosu Women’s University. She is a major in English literature. She first met Im Soo-Ho on a blind date and fell in love with him at first sight.

Gye Bun-Ok (Kim Hye-Yoon) gave up entering university due to her poor family background. She now works as a telephone operator at a women’s dormitory. Pretending to be a university student, she attends a blind date with Eun Young-Ro. Gye Bun-Ok later gets involved in a case.

Lee Gang-Mu (Jang Seung-Jo) is the leader of team 1 at NSP (National Security Planning). He is a man of principle, who doesn't compromise in any situation.

## Cast and characters

### Main

* Jung Hae-in as Lim Soo-ho
* Jisoo as Eun Yeong-ro
* Yoo In-na as Kang Cheong-ya
* Jang Seung-jo as Lee Gang-mu
* Yoon Se-ah as Pi Seung-hee
* Kim Hye-yoon as Gye Bun-ok
* Jung Yoo-jin as Jang Han-na

### Supporting

#### People around Soo-ho

* Kim Min-kyu as Joo Gyeok-chan,
* Jang In-sub as Lee Eung-cheol,
* Heo Nam-joon as Oh Gwang-tae,
* Jeon Moo-song as Lim Ji-rok
* Jeon Ae-ri as Choi Soo-ryeon
* Chae Won-bin as Lim Soo-hui

#### People around Yeong-ro

* Jung Shin-hye as Go Hye-ryeong,
* Kim Mi-soo as Yeo Jeong-min,
* Choi Hee-jin as Yoon Seol-hui,
* Song Geon-hee as Eun Yeong-u
* Ahn Dong-goo as Choi Byung-tae,
* Kim Jong-soo as Kim Man-dong,
* Nam Mi-jung as Oh Deok-shim,
* Kim Jeong-hoon as Kim Sang-beom / Man-dong's son.

#### People related to the ANSP

* Heo Joon-ho as Eun Chang-su,
* Park Sung-woong as Nam Tae-il,
* Lee Hwa-ryong as Ahn Gyeong-hui,
* Kim Jung-nan as Hong Ae-ra,
* Jung Hye-young as Cho Seong-sim,
* Baek Ji-won as Choi Mi-hye,
* Jang Tae-min as Choi Hui-jun
* Moon Yoo-kang as Seung-jun
* Choi Kyung-hoon as Oh Dong-jae
* Choi Yoon-je as a member of the ANSP team.

#### Others

* Jung Yi-seo as Shin Gyeong-ja
* Park Ye-ni as Kim Ye-ni,
* Ariane Desgagnés-Leclerc as Gong Gil-soon
* Lee Jung-hyun as Park Geum-cheol
* Lee Joo-ahn as Jun-pyo
* Kang Moon-kyung as Park Moo-yeol

## Production

### Development

Written by Yoo Hyun-mi and directed by Jo Hyun-tak, *Snowdrop* is their second collaboration after having worked together on the hit satirical thriller *Sky Castle* (2018–19). Based on the memoirs of a man who escaped a political prison camp in North Korea, Yoo Hyun-mi had been planning the series for twelve years. The early working title of the series was *Leehwa Women's University Dormitory* (이대 기숙사; *Idae Gisuksa*).

### Casting

On June 18, 2020, media reported that Kim Hye-yoon, who was propelled to fame after starring in *Sky Castle*, was in talks to star in the series; her agency confirmed that she was reviewing the offer. On August 18, reports of Kim Jisoo being cast as one of the lead actresses for the series surfaced. It was confirmed later that day by Jisoo's agency, YG Entertainment. On August 24, Kim Hye-yoon was confirmed to co-star alongside Jisoo and it was reported that Jung Hae-in had received an offer but was still reviewing it. Jang Seung-jo officially joined the cast on August 26, followed by Jung Yoo-jin on September 17 and Yoon Se-ah on September 18. On October 5, 2020, the main cast and details on the characters were confirmed by JTBC. Yoo In-na officially joined the cast on December 28.

### Filming

On November 24, 2020, JTBC announced that filming for *Snowdrop* was temporarily halted after a supporting actor came into close contact with someone who tested positive for COVID-19. The following day, JTBC confirmed that filming would resume after all cast and crew members tested negative for the virus. Filming was completed in late July 2021.

## Original soundtrack

 Label | * Warner
1. "If You're with Me"Released: December 18, 2021 (2021-12-18)
2. "Friend"Released: December 26, 2021 (2021-12-26)
3. "Looks Like a Real Thing"Released: January 8, 2022 (2022-01-08)
4. "Wishes"Released: January 15, 2022 (2022-01-15)
5. "Memories More than Love"Released: January 22, 2022 (2022-01-22)

The following is the official track list of *Snowdrop (Original Television Soundtrack)* album. Singles included on the album were released from December 18, 2021 to January 22, 2022.

## Viewership

### Television

***Snowdrop* : South Korea viewers per episode (thousands)**

Source: Audience measurement performed nationwide by Nielsen Korea.

### Streaming

The episodes of *Snowdrop* were released weekly on Disney+ in Asia-Pacific regions simultaneously with the television airings. On January 4, NME reported that *Snowdrop* was ranked first among the most-watched series on Disney+ in Singapore, South Korea, Hong Kong, and Taiwan. In Japan, the program was the third most-watched series on the streaming platform, behind *Hawkeye* and *The Book of Boba Fett*. The series later premiered on February 9, 2022 on Disney+ in the United States, Canada and Europe while in Latin America it was released on Star+ and on Hotstar in India.

## Notes

1. ↑ Released as Disney+ Original series in US, and as Star Original series in international markets.
2. ↑ Original song by Lee Moon-sae, released in 2001.
3. ↑ 3.0 3.1 Due to multiple ratings not recorded, the listed average ratings are calculated based on recorded ratings included in the table hence does not represent the exact average ratings.

## References

1. ↑ "'Snowdrop' is period melodrama with all fictional settings: director". *Yonhap News Agency*. December 16, 2021. Archived from the original on December 16, 2021. Retrieved December 17, 2021.
2. ↑ Ahn Byung-gil (December 19, 2021). "'설강화' 첫방, 이 전개 이 속도감 미쳤다 [종합]" [The first episode of 'Seolganghwa', this development has a crazy sense of speed [General]] (in Korean). Sports Kyunghyang. Archived from the original on December 19, 2021. Retrieved December 19, 2021 – via Naver.
3. ↑ Ahn, Byung-gil (January 31, 2022). "'설강화' 정해인 비극적 최후, 지수의 눈물" [Jung Hae-in's tragic end, Jisoo's tears in 'Ganghwa Seol'] (in Korean). Sports Kyunghyang. Archived from the original on January 31, 2022. Retrieved January 31, 2022 – via Naver.
4. ↑ Pederson, Erik (October 13, 2021). "Disney+ Slate Of Asia-Pacific Fare Includes Series Led By K-Pop Star Kang Daniel". *Deadline*. Archived from the original on October 15, 2021. Retrieved October 14, 2021.
5. ↑ 5.00 5.01 5.02 5.03 5.04 5.05 5.06 5.07 5.08 5.09 5.10 5.11 5.12 5.13 5.14 5.15 '설강화' 23명 배우들 모인 역대급 스케일 단체 포스터 공개 ['Snowdrop' 23 Actors Gathered Together To Reveal The Greatest Scale Group Poster]. *JTBC* (in Korean). December 3, 2021. Archived from the original on December 3, 2021. Retrieved December 3, 2021.
6. ↑ Lee Min-ji (December 6, 2021). "'설강화' 김민규 출연 확정, 정해인과 호흡(공식)" [Kim Min-gyu confirmed to appear in 'Seolganghwa', working with Jung Hae-in (official)] (in Korean). Newsen. Archived from the original on December 11, 2021. Retrieved December 11, 2021 – via Naver.
7. ↑ Kim Seon-hee (December 6, 2021). "장인섭, '설강화' 출연…지수·정해인과 호흡 [공식]" [Jang In-seop to appear in 'Sul Ganghwa'... Breathing with Jisoo and Haein Jeong [Official]] (in Korean). Sports Kyunghyang. Archived from the original on December 11, 2021. Retrieved December 11, 2021 – via Naver.
8. ↑ Ahn Byung-gil (December 9, 2021). "신예 허남준 '설강화' 출연" [Rookie Nam-Jun Heo to appear in 'Seol Ganghwa'] (in Korean). Sports Kyunghyang. Archived from the original on December 9, 2021. Retrieved December 9, 2021 – via Naver.
9. ↑ 9.0 9.1 9.2 Park, Soo-in (December 13, 2021). '설강화' 정신혜 김미수 최희진, 지수와 호수여대 '찐친 케미' ['Snowdrop' Jung Shin-hye, Kim Mi-soo, Choi Hee-jin, Jisoo, And Hosu Women's University 'Chemistry']. *Newsen* (in Korean). Archived from the original on December 13, 2021. Retrieved December 13, 2021 – via Naver.
10. ↑ Lee Seung-gil (December 7, 2021). "정이서, '설강화' 합류…'기생충'에 바로 그 배우!" [Jeong Yi-seo joins 'Seol Gang-hwa'... That actor in 'Parasite'] (in Korean). My Daily. Archived from the original on December 12, 2021. Retrieved December 12, 2021 – via Naver.
11. ↑ Ahn Byung-gil (December 3, 2021). "박예니 '설강화' 캐스팅 [공식]" [Park Ye-ni's 'Seol Gang-hwa' Casting[Formula]] (in Korean). Sports Kyunghyang. Archived from the original on December 3, 2021. Retrieved December 3, 2021 – via Naver.
12. ↑ Lee Chang-gyu (December 10, 2021). "이정현, '설강화' 출연 확정…정해인·지수와 호흡 [공식입장]" [Lee Jung-hyun confirmed to appear in 'Seol Ganghwa'... Breathing with Jung Hae-in and Jisoo [Official Position]] (in Korean). Export News. Archived from the original on December 10, 2021. Retrieved December 10, 2021 – via Naver.
13. ↑ Yoon, Hyo-jung (February 23, 2021). "[단독] "'스카이캐슬' 의리" 염정아, JTBC '설강화' 카메오 출격" [[Exclusive] "'Sky Castle' Loyalty" Yeom Jung-ah, JTBC's 'Seolganghwa' cameo scramble]. *news1* (in Korean). Archived from the original on April 14, 2021. Retrieved February 23, 2021.
14. ↑ Hong, Shin-ik (August 18, 2020). "Jisoo (Blackpink) confirms playing lead role in new drama of "SKY Castle" director-scriptwriter duo". *JTBC Plus*. V Live. Archived from the original on October 11, 2020. Retrieved August 26, 2020.
15. ↑ Kim, Soo-yeon (August 24, 2020). "김혜윤에 블랙핑크 지수·정해인까지…'설강화' 어떤 작품이길래". *Hankyung* (in Korean). Archived from the original on October 7, 2020. Retrieved August 26, 2020.
16. ↑ Ahn, Tae-hyun (November 29, 2021). '설강화' 정해인부터 지수까지, 대본리딩 첫 만남 어땠나 [N컷] [From Jung Hae-in To Jisoo, How Was The First Meeting With The Script Reading [N Cut]]. *News 1* (in Korean). Archived from the original on December 7, 2021. Retrieved December 7, 2021 – via Naver.
17. ↑ "Kim Hye-yoon, BLACKPINK Jisoo and Jung Hae-in in "Snowdrop"". *HanCinema*. August 24, 2020. Archived from the original on October 15, 2020. Retrieved August 26, 2020.
18. ↑ Lee, Ho-yeon (June 18, 2020). "김혜윤 측 "'설강화' 검토 중"…'SKY캐슬' 제작진과 재회하나 [공식]" [Kim Hye-yoon's side "Considering 'Snow Ganghwa'"... Hana reunion with the production team of 'SKY Castle' [Official]]. *Hankook Ilbo* (in Korean). Naver. Archived from the original on August 19, 2021. Retrieved August 26, 2020.
19. ↑ Park, Yoon-jin (August 18, 2020). "[단독] 블랙핑크 지수, '설강화' 전격 캐스팅…주연 꿰찼다" [[Exclusive] BLACKPINK's Jisoo, 'Seolganghwa' cast by surprise... starring]. *MyDaily* (in Korean). Naver. Archived from the original on August 19, 2021. Retrieved August 26, 2020.
20. ↑ Lee, Jae-lim (August 18, 2020). "Blackpink's Jisoo lands leading role in upcoming drama series". *Korea JoongAng Daily*. Archived from the original on November 14, 2020. Retrieved August 26, 2020.
21. ↑ "BLACKPINK Jisoo to Star in "Snowdrop"". *HanCinema*. August 19, 2020. Archived from the original on August 22, 2020. Retrieved August 26, 2020.
22. ↑ Ko, Dong-hwan (August 20, 2020). "Will BLACKPINK's Jisoo enter acting hall of fame?". *The Korea Times*. Archived from the original on August 28, 2020. Retrieved August 26, 2020.
23. ↑ Park, Soo-in (August 24, 2020). "김혜윤 '설강화' 주연 캐스팅 'SKY 캐슬' 제작진과 재회(공식)". *Newsen* (in Korean). Naver. Archived from the original on November 5, 2020. Retrieved August 26, 2020.
24. ↑ Kwak, Yeon-soo (August 24, 2020). "정해인 측 "'설강화' 캐스팅? 검토 중인 작품 중 하나" [공식]". *Sports Donga* (in Korean). Naver. Archived from the original on November 21, 2020. Retrieved August 26, 2020.
25. ↑ Moon, Ji-yeon (August 26, 2020). "[단독] 장승조 '모범형사'대박→ '설강화' 주연 합류..'SKY캐슬' 제작진 만난다". *Sports Chosun* (in Korean). Naver. Archived from the original on November 16, 2020. Retrieved August 26, 2020.
26. ↑ Kwak, Hyun-soo (August 26, 2020). "장승조 측 "'설강화' 주연 합류 맞아"…지수·김혜윤과 호흡 [공식]". *Sports Donga* (in Korean). Naver. Archived from the original on August 19, 2021. Retrieved August 26, 2020.
27. ↑ Hong, Se-young (September 17, 2020). "[단독] 정유진 '설강화' 출연, 블랙핑크 지수·김혜윤과 호흡". *Sports Donga* (in Korean). Naver. Archived from the original on November 14, 2020. Retrieved September 17, 2020.
28. ↑ Jang, A-reum (September 18, 2020). "[단독] 윤세아, '설강화' 합류…'SKY캐슬' 작가·감독과 재회". *News1* (in Korean). Naver. Archived from the original on October 3, 2020. Retrieved September 18, 2020.
29. ↑ Kim, Young-jin (October 7, 2020). "Jung Hae-in, Jisoo and Yoon Se-ah Team Up for "Snowdrop"". *HanCinema*. Archived from the original on October 14, 2020. Retrieved October 9, 2020.
30. ↑ JTBC News Operation Team (December 28, 2020). "Yoo in-na to Star in the JTBC Drama "Snowdrop"". *HanCinema*. Archived from the original on December 29, 2020. Retrieved December 31, 2020.
31. ↑ Hyung, Hye-sun (November 24, 2020). ""Snowdrop" Seizes Production Due to Contact With COVID-19". *HanCinema*. Archived from the original on November 25, 2020. Retrieved December 1, 2020.
32. ↑ Kwak, Yeon-soo (November 26, 2020). "Film events, TV productions halted by COVID-19 resurgence". *The Korea Times*. Archived from the original on November 26, 2020. Retrieved December 1, 2020.
33. ↑ 33.0 33.1 ""Snowdrop" resumes filming, cast & crew all COVID-19 negative". *WhatALife!*. November 27, 2020. Archived from the original on April 10, 2021. Retrieved April 10, 2021.
34. ↑ "JTBC drama Snowdrop starring BLACKPINK's Jisoo has completed filming". *The Independent (Singapore)*. July 29, 2021. Archived from the original on August 3, 2021. Retrieved August 3, 2021.
35. ↑ "설강화 OST" [Snowdrop OST]. *Melon*. Retrieved February 10, 2022.

	* "설강화 OST Part.1" [Snowdrop OST Part.1]. *Melon*. Archived from the original on December 19, 2021. Retrieved December 18, 2021.
	* "설강화 OST Part.2" [Snowdrop OST Part.2]. *Melon*. Archived from the original on December 26, 2021. Retrieved December 26, 2021.
	* "설강화 OST Part.3" [Snowdrop OST Part.3]. *Melon*. Archived from the original on January 8, 2022. Retrieved January 8, 2022.
	* "설강화 OST Part.4" [Snowdrop OST Part.4]. *Melon*. Archived from the original on January 15, 2022. Retrieved January 15, 2022.
	* "설강화 OST Part.5" [Snowdrop OST Part.5]. *Melon*. Archived from the original on January 22, 2022. Retrieved January 22, 2022.
37. ↑ 37.0 37.1 Nielsen Korea ratings:

	* "Ep. 1". *Nielsen Korea* (in Korean). December 18, 2021. Archived from the original on December 21, 2021. Retrieved December 21, 2021.
	* "Ep. 2". *Nielsen Korea* (in Korean). December 19, 2021. Archived from the original on December 21, 2021. Retrieved December 21, 2021.
	* "Ep. 5". *Nielsen Korea* (in Korean). December 26, 2021. Archived from the original on December 27, 2021. Retrieved December 27, 2021.
	* "Ep. 6". *Nielsen Korea* (in Korean). January 1, 2022. Archived from the original on January 2, 2022. Retrieved January 2, 2022.
	* "Ep. 7". *Nielsen Korea* (in Korean). January 2, 2022. Archived from the original on January 2, 2022. Retrieved January 2, 2022.
	* "Ep. 8". *Nielsen Korea* (in Korean). January 8, 2022. Archived from the original on January 8, 2022. Retrieved January 9, 2022.
	* "Ep. 9". *Nielsen Korea* (in Korean). January 9, 2022. Archived from the original on January 10, 2022. Retrieved January 10, 2022.
	* "Ep. 10". *Nielsen Korea* (in Korean). January 15, 2022. Archived from the original on January 16, 2022. Retrieved January 16, 2022.
	* "Ep. 11". *Nielsen Korea* (in Korean). January 16, 2022. Archived from the original on January 18, 2022. Retrieved January 17, 2022.
	* "Ep. 12". *Nielsen Korea* (in Korean). January 22, 2022. Archived from the original on January 24, 2022. Retrieved January 23, 2022.
	* "Ep. 13". *Nielsen Korea* (in Korean). January 23, 2022. Archived from the original on January 24, 2022. Retrieved January 24, 2022.
	* "Ep. 14". *Nielsen Korea* (in Korean). January 29, 2022. Archived from the original on January 30, 2022. Retrieved January 30, 2022.
	* "Ep. 15-16". *Nielsen Korea* (in Korean). January 30, 2022. Archived from the original on January 31, 2022. Retrieved January 31, 2022.
38. ↑ Nielsen Korea ratings for Nationwide via Daum:

	* "설강화 시청률" [Snowdrop Ratings] (in Korean). Nielsen Korea. Archived from the original on January 31, 2022. Retrieved January 31, 2022 – via Daum.
39. ↑ Shim, Eon-kyung (January 21, 2022). "[단독]'설강화', 30일 2회 연속 방송으로 앞당겨 종영" [[Exclusive] 'Snowdrop', will air its last two episodes consecutively on the 30th.] (in Korean). SPOTV News. Archived from the original on January 21, 2022. Retrieved January 21, 2022 – via Naver.
40. ↑ Park Seo-hyun (December 23, 2021). "'설강화' 논란에 정면돌파?..5회차 앞당겨 특별 편성 "우려 덜어드리고자"[전문]" (in Korean). Heraldpop. Archived from the original on December 23, 2021. Retrieved December 23, 2021 – via Naver.
41. ↑ Yeo, Gladys (January 5, 2022). "'Snowdrop' is the most-watched Disney+ series in Singapore and South Korea". *NME*. Archived from the original on January 5, 2022. Retrieved January 5, 2022.
42. ↑ sam (January 31, 2022). "'Disney Plus jumps into K-drama phenomenon with Snowdrop starring Blackpink's Jisoo". *polygon*. Archived from the original on February 1, 2022. Retrieved January 31, 2022.

## External links

* Official website (in Korean)
* *Snowdrop* at IMDb1
* *Snowdrop* at HanCinema