Highly Anticipated Korean Drama “Heavenly Ever After” Premieres This Week, K-Drama Fans Count Down the Days

After months of buzz sparked by its star-studded cast and a single teaser trailer, JTBC’s new weekend drama ‘Heavenly Ever After’ is set to premiere on April 19 at 10:40 PM (KST).

The drama serves as the follow-up to ‘The Art of Negotiation’ and reunites the acclaimed creative team behind the 2019 hit ‘The Light in Your Eyes’, including director Kim Seok-yoon and writers Lee Nam-kyu and Kim Su-jin. The cast features legendary actress Kim Hye-ja, alongside Son Suk-ku, Han Ji-min, Lee Jung-eun, Chun Ho-jin, and Ryu Deok-hwan.

“Heavenly Ever After” tells the story of Lee Hae-sook (Kim Hye-ja), who arrives in heaven in her 80s only to find her late husband Go Nak-joon (Son Suk-ku) appearing as his youthful 30-year-old self. The drama explores a love that transcends time, presenting a touching romance that begins at the end of life.

The series was specially crafted with Kim Hye-ja in mind, so much so that it was nicknamed the “Kim Hye-ja Project” during development. Director Kim remarked, “This is a tailor-made drama for Ms. Kim. Other actors agreed to join without even reading the script. The characters were redesigned to suit them, like custom-tailored clothes.”

Kim Hye-ja expressed her connection to the role, “Hae-sook is a woman who deeply loves her husband, who passed away in an accident. She goes to heaven expecting to be young again, but arrives just as he liked her, in her 80s. Yet her husband appears in his 30s.” She added that the story moved her from the moment she read the synopsis, especially since she had already committed to working with Director Kim again.

The veteran actress also spoke about her devotion to acting, “This is all I know. I’d fail at anything else. Acting makes me happy.” She expressed gratitude for the year-long production process, calling it a joyful and heartfelt experience.

Co-star Son Suk-ku admitted feeling pressure about portraying a married couple with such a respected senior actress, but said, “It was never awkward. From the start, she made it easy. Nak-joon is a man who only has eyes for Hae-sook, he’s the definition of a romantic.”

Since the teaser was released in February, online buzz has been strong, with comments like: “Such a fresh premise,” “This could be another life-changing drama like ‘The Light in Your Eyes,’” and “A new genre altogether, I’m counting down the days.”

Given the success of ‘The Light in Your Eyes’, which started with a modest 3% viewership but climbed to a high of 9.7%, expectations are high. That drama became beloved for its poignant lines and emotional performances, especially from Kim Hye-ja, which resonated deeply with viewers on social media.
With the same powerhouse team and emotional storytelling, ‘Heavenly Ever After’ is already being tipped as the next must-watch drama of the year.