A new TV drama called “Typhoon Family“ will show the powerful story of office workers banding together to survive a major economic crisis. The show, set to start on October 11, has released a new poster that gives a first look at the team of colleagues at the heart of the story. The drama stars Lee Junho as a rookie businessman who must lead a struggling company during the difficult 1997 IMF period in South Korea.
The Story Behind “Typhoon Family”
“Typhoon Family” is set in 1997, during the IMF foreign exchange crisis, a time of great economic hardship in South Korea. The story follows Kang Tae Poong (played by Lee Junho), a free-spirited young man who suddenly finds himself as the president of a failing trading company. The company has no employees, no money, and nothing left to sell. He must navigate this immense challenge and find a way to help the business survive.
By his side is a group of people who stick together through the crisis. This includes Oh Mi Seon (played by Kim Min Ha), an ace bookkeeper who carries the responsibility for her family’s finances while chasing her own dream of becoming a successful businessperson. The team also includes sales manager Go Ma Jin, General Affairs Department deputy manager Cha Seon Taek, Management Department executive director Koo Myung Kwan, and Logistics Department assistant manager Bae Song Joong. Despite their different personalities, they unite under the company name to form a true team, supporting each other to overcome their circumstances.
A First Look at the United Colleagues
The newly released poster for the drama effectively captures the feeling of the era and the spirit of its characters. It shows the employees standing together in their dated office. The setting itself tells a storyโdesks are cluttered with scattered papers, and the office equipment looks old-fashioned, painting a clear picture of the bleak economic situation.
However, the people in the office are not giving up. They are shown busy at their workstations, with a determined spark of life in their eyes. The poster does more than just show people trying to survive; it hints at the warmth and human connections that managed to flourish even during a crisis. The tagline on the poster, “1997, our story of rising again,” powerfully conveys the fierce will of ordinary people who were determined to get back on their feet no matter how hard things got.
The Actors’ Connection to the Era
For the actors, the drama’s time period brought back personal memories or stories from their families.
Lee Junho recalled his own parents’ experience during that time. He shared, “My parents both worked jobs when I was young. Even in that tough situation, they were the kind of people who wanted to somehow show their children that the future would be bright. Watching them, I felt the power of people coming together to overcome hardship.” He added that even though he was young, he remembers his parents “trying to teach their children warm affection and working hard to overcome things by all sticking together.”
Kim Min Ha, who was very young in 1997, drew from stories told by her elders. She noted that people around her often said, “It was really hard, and we did all sorts of jobs. But those were good times.” She used this as a key for her acting, thinking about what gave her character the strength to get back up after falling down.
A Carefully Recreated 1990s World
The production team behind “Typhoon Family” worked hard to authentically recreate the world of 1997. The director, Lee Na Jung, said the team did a lot of research, meeting with actual businesspeople from that era to hear their stories. They even went to great lengths to find authentic props, like a “telex” machine, which they had to get from a museum.
The director also mentioned that looking at photo records from the time was a sad experience, showing images of families and company workers who had lost their jobs. However, the people they interviewed who lived through that period all agreed on one thing: while it was incredibly difficult, they managed to stand up again and completely overcome those challenges.
A Reliable Team On and Off Screen
The actors have built a strong sense of teamwork that mirrors the story of their characters. Lee Junho spoke highly of his colleagues, calling them “a truly reliable team.” He mentioned that from the first script reading, he felt their genuine and positive energy, and that their natural humor and attention to detail come through on set.
Kim Min Ha shared a similar sentiment, adding that on days when the “company staff” films together, they can’t stop laughing. She said that the senior actors on set have inspired her and helped her add more depth to her own character.
“Typhoon Family” will premiere on October 11 at 9:20 p.m. KST on the channel tvN.
Also Read: Typhoon Family: Your Complete Guide to the 2025 K-Drama About Family and Survival
Credit: tvN
