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A Rookie Lawyer Finds Her Place
“Extraordinary Attorney Woo,” a 16-episode courtroom drama, aired in South Korea from June 29 to Aug. 18, 2022, and became the highest-rated series in the history of cable channel ENA. Its finale drew a nationwide rating of 17.5%.
Park Eun-bin stars as Woo Young-woo, a rookie attorney on the autism spectrum who joins Hanbada, one of South Korea’s major law firms. Raised by her single father, Woo graduated at the top of her class from Seoul National University Law School but faced repeated rejection from law firms before securing a position at Hanbada through one of her father’s connections.
Woo’s exceptional intelligence and near-perfect memory give her an advantage in the courtroom, but her direct communication style can be unfamiliar to her neurotypical colleagues. Senior attorney Jung Myung-seok, played by Kang Ki-young, colleague Choi Su-yeon and legal staffer Lee Jun-ho, played by Kang Tae-oh, gradually learn to work with her. Fellow attorney Kwon Min-woo continues to view her as a rival and does not shed his prejudice.
Written by Moon Ji-won and directed by Yoo In-sik, the series combines legal disputes with ethical questions. Woo frequently draws comparisons between her cases and the behavior of whales and dolphins, with those observations often coinciding with breakthroughs. The drama also follows a growing romance between Woo and Lee, as well as the rivalry between Hanbada chief Han Seon-young and Tae Su-mi, the head of competing firm Taesan and Woo’s biological mother.
A Global Streaming Success
The series reached international audiences through Netflix, streaming simultaneously in about 80 countries across North America, Europe and Japan. Its finale ranked eighth among Korean cable television programs by nationwide rating and seventh among shows aired in the 2020s when measured by audience size.
For American and other English-speaking viewers, the Netflix release provided direct access to a drama originally shown on a relatively new Korean cable brand. ENA had adopted its current name only months before the premiere, after previously operating as SKY.
Awards and Recognition
“Extraordinary Attorney Woo” won best drama at the 2022 Korea Drama Awards. At the eighth APAN Star Awards, Moon received the writing prize, Baek Ji-won won an acting award and Park received the Idol Champ popularity award.
Park later won the television grand prize at the 2023 Baeksang Arts Awards, one of South Korea’s most prominent entertainment ceremonies, while Yoo won for television directing. The series also received a program award at the Seoul International Drama Awards, where Park was honored with an Asia Star Award.
A Role Worth Waiting For
Park initially declined the role because of scheduling concerns involving her previous drama, “The King’s Affection,” and the pressure of portraying an autistic character without hurting anyone. The production team said it had not considered another actor and waited a year to persuade her to join.
Kim Byung-gun, a professor at Korea Nazarene University, was initially hesitant to advise the production because of the potential consequences of an inaccurate portrayal of autism. After reading the script, he concluded that the project could contribute to greater awareness and agreed to participate.
Supporting actor Joo Hyun-young originally auditioned for the role of Choi Su-yeon but was offered the part of Woo’s close friend Dong Geu-ra-mi after producers noticed her work on “SNL Korea.” Joo said she drew inspiration from the Japanese films “Memories of Matsuko” and “Kamikaze Girls” while preparing for the character.
From Production to Premiere
Production company AStory announced the project in 2021 and later sold streaming rights to Netflix while retaining the intellectual property, describing plans for a potential multiseason tentpole drama. Filming began in November 2021.
ENA promoted the show with a series of teasers and posters featuring whales and Korean words that read the same forward and backward, reflecting Woo’s memorable self-introduction. KT also recreated locations from the drama on the ZEP metaverse platform as part of the promotional campaign.
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