Kim Soon-ok (; born May 25, 1971) is a South Korean television screenwriter. Kim is best known for writing the television dramas Temptation of Wife (2008–2009) and its spiritual successor Temptation of an Angel (2009), Jang Bo-ri is Here! (2014), My Daughter, Geum Sa-wol (2015–16), and The Penthouse: War in Life (2020–21), all of which are criticized for their provocative themes but are currently the highest-rated dramas ever aired in their respective time slots.
Following the commercial failure of The Escape of the Seven (2023-24), Kim began to move away from the melodrama genre that earned her the title of "ratings queen." She was belatedly revealed to have written the 2025 late-night musical youth drama Spring of Youth under the pen name Kim Min-cheol, a day after the miniseries ended with an average rating of 0.9% despite airing on a terrestrial television network.
Kim is also credited as the creator of two cable dramas: the revenge thriller Pandora: Beneath the Paradise (2023) and Reborn Rookie (2026), the adaptation of the fantasy web novel The New Employee Chairman Kang by San Kyung.
Filmography As writer TitleKorean titleCastDirectorBroadcaster and timeslotBroadcast periodEpisodesHighest ratingLowest ratingAverage ratingMBC Best Theater: "Respect For Love"MBC 베스트극장 - 사랑에 대한 예의Kim Jung-nan, Kim Il-wooIm Hwa-minMBC, Friday 10:55 p.m.August 4, 2000 (episode 413)1N/AN/AN/AMBC Best Theater: "Father's Autumn"MBC 베스트극장 - 아버지의 가을Lee Ho-jae, Jung Seung-ho, Kim Hae-sookIm Hwa-minMBC, Friday 10:55 p.m.October 13, 2000 (episode 421)1N/AN/AN/AMBC Best Theater: "Fish at the End of the Sea"MBC 베스트극장 - 바다 끝 물고기Ha Jae-young, Shin Eun-jung, Lee Dong-wook Im Hwa-minMBC, Friday 10:50 p.m.August 3, 2001 (episode 455)1N/AN/AN/AMBC Best Theater: "Till Winter Goes Away"MBC 베스트극장 - 겨울이 갈 때까지Kim Hae-sook, Myung Gye-namChoi Won-seokMBC, Friday 9:55 p.m.January 11, 2002 (episode 475)1N/AN/AN/AMBC Best Theater: "Baking Bungeoppang in Heaven"MBC 베스트극장 - 붕어빵을 굽도다... 천국에서Song Ok-sookChoi Nak-kwonMBC, Friday 9:55 p.m.October 25, 2002 (episode 510)1N/AN/AN/A빙점Choi Soo-ji, Sunwoo Jae-duk, Yoo Tae-woong, Kim Hyun-jungKang Byung-moonMBC, Monday-Saturday 9:00 a.m.October 4, 2004 – January 8, 200582N/AN/AN/AHearts of Destiny그래도 좋아!Kim Ji-ho, Lee Chang-hoon, Go Eun-mi, Shim Hyung-takKim Woo-seonMBC, Monday-Friday 7:50 a.m.October 1, 2007 – April 11, 200813823.4%7.6%16.4%Temptation of Wife아내의 유혹Jang Seo-hee, Kim Seo-hyung, Byun Woo-min, Lee Jae-hwang, Jung Ae-riOh Se-kangSBS, Monday-Friday 7:20 p.m.November 3, 2008 – May 1, 200912937.5%11.7%26.8%Temptation of an Angel천사의 유혹Bae Soo-bin, Han Sang-jin, Lee So-yeon, Jin Tae-hyun, Hong Soo-hyunSon Jung-hyunSBS, Monday-Tuesday 8:50 p.m.October 12, 2009 – December 22, 20092122.6%10.0%17.0%Smile, Mom웃어요, 엄마Yoon Jung-hee, Lee Jae-hwang, Go Eun-mi, Lee Mi-sook, Kang Min-kyung, Kim Jin-woo, Seo Jun-youngHong Sung-changSBS, Saturday-Sunday 8:50 p.m.November 6, 2010 – April 24, 20115017.0%9.7%13.3%Five Fingers다섯 손가락Chae Shi-ra, Ju Ji-hoon, Ji Chang-wook, Jin Se-yeonChoi Young-hoonSBS, Saturday-Sunday 9:50 p.m.August 18, 2012 – November 25, 20123014.1%8.4%11.4%The Birth of a Family가족의 탄생Lee So-yeon, Lee Kyu-han, Sung Hoon, Lee Chae-young, Kim Jin-wooGo Heung-shikSBS, Monday-Friday 7:20 p.m.March 6, 2013 – May 17, 20135311.2%6.6%9.4%Jang Bo-ri is Here!왔다! 장보리Oh Yeon-seo, Kim Ji-hoon, Lee Yoo-ri, Oh Chang-seokBaek Ho-minMBC, Saturday-Sunday 8:45 p.m.April 5, 2014 – October 12, 20145237.3%9.6%20.8%My Daughter, Geum Sa-wol내 딸 금사월Baek Jin-hee, Yoon Hyun-min, Park Se-young, Do Sang-woo, Jeon In-hwaBaek Ho-min, Lee Jae-jinMBC, Saturday-Sunday 10:00 p.m.September 5, 2015 – February 28, 20165134.9%14.7%26.1%Band of Sisters언니는 살아있다Jang Seo-hee, Kim Ju-hyeon, Oh Yoon-ahChoi Young-hoonSBS, Saturday 8:45 p.m. April 15, 2017 - October 14, 20176824.0%6.1%14.0%The Last EmpressJang Na-ra, Shin Sung-rok, Choi Jin-hyuk, Shin Eun-kyung, Lee ElijahJoo Dong-minSBS, Wednesday-Thursday 10:00 p.m.November 21, 2018 - February 21, 20195217.9%5.7%12.2%The Penthouse: War in LifeLee Ji-ah, Kim So-yeon, Eugene, Um Ki-joon, Yoon Jong-hoon, Shin Eun-kyung, Bong Tae-kyu, Park Eun-seok, Yoon Joo-heeSBS, Monday and Tuesday at 22:00October 26, 2020 – January 5, 20212128.8%6.7%16.4%The Penthouse 2SBS, Friday and Saturday at 22:00February 19, 2021 – April 2, 20211329.2%15.1%22.2%The Penthouse 3SBS, Friday at 22:00June 4, 2021 – September 10, 20211419.5%14.4%17.1%The Escape of the SevenUm Ki-joon, Hwang Jung-eum, Lee Joon, Lee Yu-bi, Shin Eun-kyung, Yoon Jong-hoon, Jo Yoon-hee, Jo Jae-yoon, Lee Deok-hwaSBS, Friday and Saturday at 22:00September 15, 2023 – November 17, 2023177.7%5.2%6.2%The Resurrection of the SevenOh Joon-hyuk, Oh Song-heeMarch 29, 2024 – May 18, 2024164.4%2.1%3.2%Spring of YouthHa Yoo-joon, Park Ji-hu, Lee Seung-hyub, Seo Hye-won, Kim Seon-minKim Sung-yongSBS, Wednesday at 22:40May 6, 2025 – July 2, 2025101.4%0.7%0.9%
As creator TitleKorean titleCastDirectorBroadcaster and timeslotBroadcast periodEpisodesHighest ratingLowest ratingAverage ratingPandora: Beneath the Paradise판도라: 조작된 낙원Lee Ji-ah, Lee Sang-yoon, Jang Hee-jin, Park Ki-woong, Bong Tae-gyuChoi Young-hoontvN, Saturday and Sunday at 9:10 p.m.March 11, 2023 – April 30, 2023165.707%2.880%4.007%Reborn Rookie신입사원 강회장Lee Jun-young, Son Hyun-joo, Lee Ju-myoung, Jeon Hye-jin, Jin GooGo Hye-jinJTBC, Saturday at 10:40 p.m. and Sunday at 10:30 p.m.May 30, 2026 – July 9, 20261213.568%3.695%8.923%
Awards 2014 MBC Drama Awards: Writer of the Year (Jang Bo-ri is Here!) 2021 SBS Drama Awards: Lifetime Achievement Award (The Penthouse: War in Life)
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