Jo Bo Ah gave birth to a son in February. Ten months later, she is stepping into a noir action role that another actor had to leave because of a back injury.
TVING confirmed on Oct. 29 that Jo and Kim Da Mi will lead The Obedient Killer (고분고분한 킬러), a new original series scheduled for release in 2027. The cast also includes Jo A-ram, Kim Jae-wook in a special appearance, and Nam Yoon-soo. English-language trade reports have used both The Obedient Killer and The Docile Killer; TVING’s Korean title remains the definitive one.
The announcement ends months of casting speculation and gives TVING a female-led genre project with a clear commercial hook: three women with code names, a divorce at the center of the plot, and a production that kept moving after an injury forced a major change.
A Divorced Housewife, a Trio of Killers
Kim plays Go Dal-bun, a woman whose only plan in life was to be a devoted wife. After a divorce, she takes an unexpected job to regain custody of her young daughter and discovers a talent she never knew she had. The job puts her in criminal territory. Her code name is “Miss Go.”
Jo Bo Ah plays Lee Hwa-ra, or “Miss Lee,” the ace and leader of the so-called “Ugly Trio.” Miss Lee has spent years sacrificing everything to become the best, hardening both body and mind. Jo A-ram plays Miss Gye, the trio’s mood-maker and troublemaker, a character TVING describes as a “fighting rooster” whose next move is impossible to predict.
Kim Jae-wook’s Team Leader Cha is a special appearance, not a regular role. He is described as a gentle, quiet gentleman whose inner motives remain unclear. Nam Yoon-soo plays Jung Jung-won, an eager rookie detective.
Fantagio, one of the co-producers, has called the show a “cheongsun-garyeon noir” — a noir built on innocence and pathos — set in the 1970s and ’80s. That framing matters. The series is not a straightforward crime procedural. It is a story about a woman who was told her only value was domestic, then finds power in a world that rewards violence.
The Recasting Behind Miss Lee
The role of Lee Hwa-ra was first offered to Lee Chung-ah. She left the project after a car accident left her with a back injury that made the action scenes physically difficult to perform. Jo Bo Ah’s agency, Billions, confirmed on Oct. 17 that she had joined the cast and would begin filming that day.
That is a fast turnaround for a production of this size. TVING did not announce a delay or a scaled-back action sequence. Instead, it replaced the actor and kept the shoot moving. The role’s physical demands are not incidental; they are the reason the recasting happened. Jo Bo Ah, who married a non-celebrity in October 2024 and gave birth in February, is returning to television in a part that requires more stamina than a standard romantic drama.
The switch also changes the commercial read on the show. Jo Bo Ah’s postpartum return becomes a selling point, not a liability. TVING gets a familiar face stepping into a physically demanding role, and the production gets an actor who can start immediately. That combination is rare in Korean drama casting, where action roles often go to performers without young infants at home.
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A 2027 Slot and an Unusual Production Chain
TVING has not announced a precise premiere date, episode count, or a linear broadcast window. The only confirmed release detail is 2027. The show is co-produced by KT Studio Genie, Glaine, and Fantagio — a combination that links a telecom-backed studio, a creator group, and an established entertainment company.
Writer Joo Hwa-mi, whose credits include I’m No Hero (also known as The Atypical Family), wrote the script. Director Lee Jung-heum, known for Inspector Koo and Our Movie, is directing. Kang Eun-kyung, the writer behind Gyeongseong Creature, is credited as creator.
For Kim Da Mi, the series marks a return to television after roughly two years. For TVING, it adds another female-led genre project to a 2027 slate that is still taking shape. The streamer has not said whether the show will be a weekly release or a full-season drop.
The cast announcement does more than fill a grid. It shows how TVING is positioning the show: three women with code names, a divorced protagonist who finds power outside the home, and a production that kept moving after an injury forced a major change. The killer in the title is not just a plot device. It is the tone TVING is selling.
VVIPTimes will track The Obedient Killer as TVING firms up its 2027 premiere date and releases the first look at Kim Da Mi and Jo Bo Ah in character.
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