"Basketball" Sounds Like A Slam Dunk Drama

The upcoming drama series "Basketball" is about more than the game. It portrays a slice of Korean history, a time between the liberation of Korea and the time when the country split in half.

For that brief time the country had a national basketball team that hoped to perform in the 1948 Olympics. It was the first and last team to play in the Olympics for a unified Korea. And by doing so it captured the dreams and hopes of a nation.

The drama "Basketball" will not focus on the political transitions of the time, but rather portray the life of a character that hopes to escape poverty and achieve success as part of a basketball team. Do Ji Han, who appeared in the drama "Incarnation of Money" and the film "The Tower," plays Kang San, a poor young man with hoop dreams.

In keeping with the theme of rising from  obscurity to achieve fame, the cast includes quite a few rookie actors. There are several actors with credits, including Gong Hyung Jin, who appeared in "All About My Romance," Lee Han Wi, who appeared in Level Seven Civil Servant and Jo Hee Bong of "Good Doctor," but most of the lead roles are played by actors making their drama debut.

In her first drama role, actress Lee Elijah plays Choi Shin Young, the rich magazine reporter that Kang falls for. As ambitious as Kang is for basketball success, he is also optimistic about his chances at love. He hopes the love he feels for Choi Shin Young can overcome any differences in social standing.

Jung Dong Hyun, also a drama rookie, will play Min Chi Ho, Kang's popular fellow basketball player. He and Kang San are rivals in basketball add love.

Wonder Girls' Park Ye Eun, also known as Yenny, will play an optimistic and practical maid who works for Shin Young's family. She remains loyal to Shin Young throughout the changing circumstances of their lives. It's Park Ye Eun's drama debut and the drama's director has already complimented her on her understanding of the character she plays.

On the other hand, the director Kwak Jung Hwan is no rookie. He directed "Runaway Plan B," "Chuno," and "Conspiracy in the Court." Kwak is well known for his beautiful cinematic style.

The 24-episode drama, which began filming in June, has been in pre-production for seven years. It is due to premiere on Oct. 24.