HOME SUCCESS

LOST actress Kim Yun-jin has found success in her homeland after a 19 year career outside of Korea.

Kim  returned to her home turf to take the lead role in SBS series “Ms. Ma, Goddess of Revenge.” The story is loosely based on the fictional character of Miss Marple from Agatha Christie’s crime novels and short stories. When LOST finished its sixth season in 2010, Kim was able to secure a spot in the US entertainment scene by starring in another US hit series, “Mistresses.”

In the SBS mystery-thriller series, which premiered Oct. 6, Kim plays a mother seeking revenge for her daughter’s death. After being locked up in a mental institution for killing her daughter, she digs into the mystery to clear her name.

The Saturday-Sunday drama, at its halfway point, is in second place with an average viewership rating of 6.9 percent, trailing behind MBC’s “Hide and Seek,” which has been raking in an average viewership share of 12 percent. Korean viewership tends to increase as the show progresses and usually climaxes in the final episodes.

Though Kim has taken part in local films while pursuing her career in the US, the SBS series is her first return to the local TV scene in almost two decades. At a press event held for promotions of the show, she said it was hard to find time to star in local TV productions as Korean production schedules are much tighter.

“I normally worked four days a week in the US, but since shooting (this series), I have not been able to find the time to do laundry,” she said.

“I have never imagined shooting 20 scenes a day, but everything goes so quickly. I was very worried when I first saw the shooting schedule, but things happened smoothly according to the timetable and I found it truly amazing.”

US network and streaming platforms have been licensing Korean dramas. Netflix created its own Korean mystery variety show, "Busted," which was renewed for a second season. With the success of the film "Crazy Rich Asians," more Asian actors will be cast in more diverse roles. But it also nice to know that some actors can go home to find success.