''When the Camellia Blooms'' () is a 2019

South Korean television series Korean dramas (; RR: ''Han-guk deurama''), more popularly known as K-dramas, are television series in the Korean language, made in South Korea. They are popular worldwide, especially in Asia, partially due to the spread of Korean popular cultu ...

starring

Gong Hyo-jin Gong Hyo-jin (born April 4, 1980) is a South Korean actress. She is best known for her leading role in the film '' Crush and Blush'' (2008), as well as for her popular television series '' Sang Doo! Let's Go to School'' (2003), ''Thank You'' (20 ...

Kang Ha-neul Kang Ha-neul (born Kim Ha-neul on February 21, 1990) is a South Korean actor. He is best known for his roles in television dramas ''The Heirs'' (2013), ''Misaeng: Incomplete Life (2014)'', ''Moon Lovers: Scarlet Heart Ryeo'' (2016), ''When the ...

, and Kim Ji-seok. It aired on

KBS2 The Korean Broadcasting System (KBS) () is the national broadcaster of South Korea. Founded in February 1927, it is one of the leading South Korean television and radio broadcasters. KBS operates seven radio networks, ten television channels, a ...

's Wednesdays and Thursdays at 22:00 ( KST) time slot from September 18 to November 21, 2019. Each episode was released on

Netflix Netflix, Inc. is an American subscription video on-demand over-the-top streaming service and production company based in Los Gatos, California. Founded in 1997 by Reed Hastings and Marc Randolph in Scotts Valley, California, it offers a fil ...

in South Korea and most

Asia-Pacific Asia-Pacific (APAC) is the part of the world near the western Pacific Ocean. The Asia-Pacific region varies in area depending on context, but it generally includes East Asia, Russian Far East, South Asia, Southeast Asia, Australia and Pacific Isla ...

and English speaking countries after their television broadcast. ''When the Camellia Blooms'' became the highest rated mini-series drama airing in 2019 with a single episode rating of 23.8%. According to ''Nielsen Korea'', the drama also became the second highest rated drama of 2019 with all episodes' average ratings of 14.83% behind SBS's ''

The Fiery Priest ''The Fiery Priest'' () is a 2019 South Korean television series starring Kim Nam-gil, Kim Sung-kyun, Lee Hanee, Go Jun, and Keum Sae-rok. It was the first drama to air on SBS's Fridays and Saturdays timeslot, airing from February 15 to April ...

''. The series was met with praise by critics and audiences for its production and solid actors' performances. It also received favourable reviews for its realistic plot and unique genre combinations of romantic-comedy and thriller. The drama received 10 nominations at

56th Baeksang Arts Awards The 56th Baeksang Arts Awards () ceremony, organised by ''Ilgan Sports'' and JTBC Plus, was held on June 5, 2020, at KINTEX, Ilsanseo-gu, Gyeonggi Province, hosted by Shin Dong-yup, Bae Suzy and Park Bo-gum for the third consecutive year. The a ...

, winning 4 – Grand Prize for Television,

Best Screenplay Best or The Best may refer to: People * Best (surname), people with the surname Best * Best (footballer, born 1968), retired Portuguese footballer Companies and organizations * Best & Co., an 1879–1971 clothing chain * Best Lock Corporatio ...

, Best Actor for

and Best Supporting Actor for

Oh Jung-se Oh Jung-se (born February 26, 1977) is a South Korean actor. He is best known for his roles in the television series ''Missing 9'' (2017), '' When the Camellia Blooms'' (2019), ''Hot Stove League'' (2019), and ''It's Okay to Not Be Okay'' (2020) ...

and won multiple awards at

2019 KBS Drama Awards The 2019 KBS Drama Awards (), presented by Korean Broadcasting System (KBS), was held on December 31, 2019 at KBS Hall in Yeouido, Seoul. It was hosted by Jeon Hyun-moo and Shin Hye-sun. Winners and nominees See also * 2019 SBS Drama Awards ...

including Grand Prize for

Synopsis

''When the Camellia Blooms'' is the story of Oh Dong-baek (

), a single mother who moves to the fictional town of Ongsan and opens a bar named Camellia. Dong-baek faces many challenges and meets a variety of colourful characters as she attempts to settle down in the small town. Six years later, Dong-baek meets playful Yong-sik (

), a justice seeking police officer who declares his love for her. Meanwhile, a notorious killer sets out to claim Dong-baek as his next victim. Yong-sik balances his attempts to woo Dong-baek who does her best as a single working mother, while also discovering the killer’s identity.

Cast

Main

as Oh Dong-baek :A single mother who runs a bar called "Camellia" in Ongsan. She is the mother of Pil-gu and ex-girlfriend to Jong-ryul. Although initially she does not reciprocate Yong-sik's feelings, she eventually grows to like him the more he spends time with her and her son. *

as Hwang Yong-sik :A police officer with a strong instinct for finding and beating up criminals. He moves back to his hometown Ongsan after being demoted and there he meets and falls for Dong-baek. He vows to always be on her side and protect both her and her son, even at his mother's disapproval. He becomes focused on catching the serial killer known as "Joker" after Dong-baek becomes his next target. * Kim Ji-seok as Kang Jong-ryul :A famous baseball player and ex-boyfriend to Dong-baek. He is shown to be continuously self-centered and jealous of Yong-sik's relationship with Dong-baek and Pil-gu. *

Ji Yi-soo Ji Yi-soo is a South Korean actress and model. She is best known for her roles in dramas such as ''Woman with a Suitcase'', ''Solomon's Perjury'' and '' When the Camellia Blooms''. Biography and career She was born on October 26 in 1991 in Jeol ...

as Jessica / Park Sang-mi :Wife to Jong-ryul she's insecure and mainly focuses on trying to be a social media icon. She is mostly neglectful of her daughter and takes advantage of her relationship with Jong-ryul for fame. *

as No Gyu-tae :Dong-baek's landlord, who repeatedly hits on her. He is unhappily married to Ja-young. *

Yeom Hye-ran Yeom Hye-ran (born October 30, 1976) is a South Korean actress. Career Yeom began her career in theater in 1999 and made her screen debut in 2003. She has since played supporting roles in film and television, notably ''Dear My Friends'' (2016 ...

as Hong Ja-young :A very intelligent lawyer and wife to Gyu-tae. She often talks down to her husband because of his incompetency. *

Son Dam-bi Son Dam-bi (; born September 25, 1983) is a South Korean singer, actress and entertainer. She began her career as a solo singer in 2007. She also made her acting debut in the 2009 Korean drama ''Dream.'' Career Son first came to fame when she ...

as Choi Hyang-mi / Choi Go-woon :A part time employee at Camellia and Dong-baek's friend. She is a kleptomaniac. She often talks about moving to Copenhagen and is always looking for ways to gain enough money, leading her to blackmail others.She died before the first episode and the series goes through flashbacks. *

Kim Kang-hoon Kim Kang-hoon (Korean: 김강훈; born 2009) is a South Korean child actor. He is known for his roles in the television series ''Pride and Prejudice'' (2014), ''Criminal Minds'' (2017), '' Mr. Sunshine'' (2018), '' When the Camellia Blooms'' (20 ...

as Kang Pil-gu :Dong-baek's 8-year-old son, who plays baseball and is very protective of his mother. *

Go Doo-shim Go Doo-shim (; born May 22, 1951) is a South Korean actress. Career A native of Jeju Island, Go Doo-shim made her acting debut in 1972 and since then she had a prolific career on television, film and theater. Best known for playing the quintes ...

as Kwak Deok-soon :Yong-sik's widowed mother who runs a marinated crab restaurant in Ongsan. *

Jeon Bae-soo Jeon Bae-soo (Korean: 전배수, born 2 June 1970) is a South Korean theatre, film and television actor. He is known for his supporting roles in various TV series and films. His better known works are: 2016 TV series ''The K2'', 2019 romantic c ...

as Byun Bae-soo :The chief police in Ongsan and Yong-sik's superior. *

Lee Jung-eun Lee Jeong-eun or Lee Jung-eun () is the name of the following people: *A series of South Korean golfers, all of them have been numbered in order of age: :*Lee Jeoung Eun (golfer, born 1976) (), also known as 'Jeongeun Lee1' :*Lee Jeong Eun (golfer, ...

as Jo Jung-sook :Dong Baek's mother who abandoned her as a child.

Supporting

Ongsan Crab Alley

* Kim Sun-young as Park Chan-sook * Kim Dong-hyeon as Song Jin-bae * Kim Mi-hwa as Kim Jae-yeong *

Lee Seon-hee Lee Seon-hee is a South Korean actress. She is known for her roles in dramas such as '' When the Weather Is Fine'', ''When the Camellia Blooms'', ''100 Days My Prince'' and ''Do Do Sol Sol La La Sol''. She also appeared in movies '' Casa Amor: ...

as Jeong Gwi-ryeon * Han Ye-joo as Jo Ae-jeong * Lee Sang-yi as Yang Seung-yeop * Kim Mo-ah as Yang Seung-hee *

Baek Hyun-joo Baek Hyun-joo (Korean:백현주; born on 22 May 1970) is a South Korean actress. She is alumni of Sogang University, Department of Sociology. She made her acting debut in 2006, since then, she has appeared in number of plays, films and televisi ...

as Oh Ji-hyeon * Lee Joong-yeol as Han Tae-hee * Jin Yong-wook as Choi Jong-rok *

Lee Kyu-sung Lee Kyu-sung is a South Korean actor. He is known for his roles in dramas such as '' When the Camellia Blooms'', ''Touch Your Heart'', ''Youth of May'' and ''Joseon Attorney ''Joseon Attorney'' () is a 2023 South Korean television series st ...

as Park Heung-sik * Carson Allen as Helena

Ongsan Police

* Lee Jae-woo as Kwon Oh-joon * Park Yeon-woo as Park Seong-min

Others

Hwang Young-hee Hwang Young-hee is a South Korean actress and model. She is known for her roles in dramas, '' While You Were Sleeping'', ''My Healing Love'', and '' Nokdu Flower''. She also appeared in movies such as '' The Witness'', '' Stray Dogs'', ''May 18 ...

as Lee Hwa-ja *

Baek Eun-hye Baek Eun-hye is a South Korean actress, model and singer. She is known for her roles in dramas such as '' Nokdu Flower'', ''What's Wrong with Secretary Kim'', ''No, Thank You'' and ''The Good Detective''. Biography and career She was born Septe ...

as Sung-hee * Lee Jin-hee as Geum-ok * Yoo Yeon as Lee Ji-ho * Jeon Guk-hyang as Hong Eun-sil * Kim Geon as Song Joon-gi * Yoon Seong-woo as Soo-bong * Seo Jang-hyeon as Dae-seong * Kim Dae-gon as Shaman performing funeral * Jang Ye-rim as restaurant employee * Jeong Eun-jeong as waitress * Park Bo-eun as staff * Kyeong Gi-hyeon as staff * Kim Han-na as Hye-in * Kang Tae-woong as Number 7 * Kwon Eun-seong as Hye-hoon * Jeon Eun-mi as co-op member * Hong Seo-joon as Jeong Chan-geol * Kim Gi-cheon as Park Man-seop

Special appearances

Choi Dae-chul Choi Dae-chul (born Choi Won-chul on October 16, 1978) is a South Korean actor. He has been active in musical theatre since 2002, but has also played supporting roles in television dramas such as ''Wang's Family'' (2013), ''Jang Bo-ri Is Here!'' ...

as Hwang Kyu-sik, Yong-sik's eldest brother (Ep. 26) *

In Gyo-jin In Gyo-jin(; born August 29, 1980) is a South Korean actor. He is best known for his supporting roles in various television dramas. Career In Gyo-jin was born in Jochiwon, Yeongi County, South Chungcheong Province (now Sejong City). He studie ...

as Hwang Doo-sik, Yong-sik's second brother (Ep. 26) *

Jung Ga-ram Jung Ga-ram (born February 23, 1993) is a South Korean actor. He rose to prominence for his roles in the films ''4th Place'' (2016) and ''The Poet and the Boy'' (2017). He is also known for his roles in television series such as '' Standby'' (2 ...

as adult Pil-gu (Ep. 36, 40)

Original soundtrack

Part 1

Part 2

Part 3

Part 4

Part 5

Part 6

Part 7

Part 8

Part 9

Part 10

Part 11 Special OST

Pop OST

Chart performance

Viewership

Awards and nominations

Notes

References

External links

* * * * * {{Works by Pan Entertainment 2019 South Korean television series debuts 2019 South Korean television series endings Korean Broadcasting System television dramas South Korean romantic comedy television series South Korean thriller television series Television series by Pan Entertainment Korean-language Netflix exclusive international distribution programming