The new MBC Friday-Saturday drama In Your Radiant Season has arrived with a powerful start, winning over audiences with its emotional storytelling and impressive cast. The show premiered on February 20, 2026, and immediately claimed the top spot among Friday-Saturday dramas with peak ratings hitting 5.4%.
This winter romance brings together a stellar ensemble of actors across generations, from young leads Lee Sung-kyung and Chae Jong-hyeop to veteran performers Lee Mi-sook and Kang Suk-woo. The drama weaves together multiple love stories, each representing different seasons of life.
Here is a complete guide to the cast and characters bringing this heartwarming story to life.
Lee Sung-kyung as Song Ha-ran
Lee Sung-kyung takes on the role of Song Ha-ran, the eldest of three sisters and head designer at Nana Atelier, Korea’s top fashion house. Ha-ran is a woman who has completely closed herself off from the world, trapped in what feels like an endless emotional winter.
The character carries deep wounds from past losses. Seven years ago, she lost her boyfriend Kang Hyeok-chan in a tragic explosion in Boston, and that event changed her forever. Before the accident, Ha-ran was bright, cheerful, and full of life—someone who believed a special pen helped her win a design contest. Now she keeps everyone at a distance and disappears to be alone whenever work ends.
Lee Sung-kyung explained why she chose this project. “It’s not a romance where the protagonists are destined to end up together,” she said during the drama’s press conference. “It has a delicate narrative. The emotions unfold as the story unravels layer by layer, and I thought viewers would be moved and empathize.”
This drama marks her return to MBC after ten years, following her breakout role in Weightlifting Fairy Kim Bok-joo. She believes In Your Radiant Season will be a “deep ache” that viewers can connect with emotionally.
Chae Jong-hyeop as Seonwoo Chan
Chae Jong-hyeop plays Seonwoo Chan, a character designer at a world-renowned animation studio. Unlike Ha-ran, Chan now lives each day like an enjoyable summer vacation—always smiling, hugging everyone, and making friends wherever he goes.
But his bright personality hides deep scars. The same explosion that killed Ha-ran’s boyfriend left Chan with physical burns on his body and partial hearing loss. He also lost his memory of the year leading up to the accident. The only thing that remained was a confusing memory of someone saying “I love you” to him—someone he could not remember.
Chae Jong-hyeop shared his reason for joining the drama. “The logline caught my eye: ‘Which season of your life are you passing through now?’ It felt like a question to myself,” he said at the production presentation.
Interestingly, he does not view this purely as a romance. “I did not see this as a romance but a coming-of-age story. I viewed Seonwoo Chan as someone trapped in winter,” he explained. “He does not escape winter through love but through someone who shares his plight, experiencing spring.”
Lee Mi-sook and Kang Suk-woo: A Twilight Romance
Lee Mi-sook as Kim Nana
Veteran actress Lee Mi-sook plays Kim Nana, the grandmother of the three sisters and a legendary first-generation fashion designer who represents South Korea on the global stage. Nana runs Nana Atelier with cold judgment and sharp insight, commanding respect from everyone around her.
Behind her powerful exterior, she is a woman who raised her three granddaughters alone after losing her own child 13 years ago. She watches Ha-ran’s isolation with concern and tries to help by arranging blind dates, hoping to see her granddaughter find happiness again.
The drama’s writer Jo Seong-hee had high praise for Lee Mi-sook. “It feels like seeing ‘Queen Nana,’ the fashion queen of South Korea, who existed only in my mind, come to life through her eyes,” she said. “I am amazed by her details, as she never misses even the smallest stage direction and always shows ten times more.”
Kang Suk-woo as Park Man-jae
Kang Suk-woo plays Park Man-jae, a retired man who now runs a quiet neighborhood café called “Rest” where he works as a barista. He has been a comforting presence for Ha-ran, who regularly visits his café to sketch and escape from the world.
His peaceful life changes when he reunites with Kim Nana—his first love from decades ago. This unexpected meeting rekindles old emotions and opens the door to a second chance at love in the twilight of their lives.
Kang Suk-woo shared a touching personal story about joining the drama. “After ‘The Fool of the End’ underperformed two years ago, I thought my acting career was over,” he revealed. “I heard peers struggled with memorizing lines, so I considered quitting. But meeting the director, I was moved by his beautiful heart. The decisive factor was hearing Lee Mi-sook would star.”
The writer created Park Man-jae specifically with Kang Suk-woo in mind. “I thought of Kang Suk-woo from the moment I created the character,” Jo Seong-hee admitted. “There was no other actor who could embody ‘Park Man-jae, a twilight barista who loves music and coffee,’ except Kang Suk-woo.”
The Three Sisters: Han Ji-hyun and Oh Ye-ju
Han Ji-hyun as Song Ha-young
Han Ji-hyun plays Song Ha-young, the middle sister and a junior designer on Nana Atelier’s Design Team 1. Ha-young has a bold personality and infectious laugh, making her the mood-maker of the Nana household.
This is Han Ji-hyun’s first MBC drama, and she feels grateful for the opportunity. “Ha-young resembled me,” she said. “The director mentioned my high energy, which I had to tone down on set. She is a lovable character.”
She was especially impressed by Lee Mi-sook’s presence on set. “When Lee Mi-sook first appeared, I thought, ‘This is it—Kim Nana.’ Her aura and charisma as a company CEO were stunning. I knew it would be great.”
Oh Ye-ju as Song Ha-dam
Oh Ye-ju takes on the role of Song Ha-dam, the youngest of the three sisters. She is a bright and capable high school student who, despite being the youngest, is actually the most mature and resourceful of the three. Nana considers her the “perfect granddaughter.”
But Ha-dam’s perfect image gets turned upside down when she makes an unexpected declaration that shakes the entire Nana household.
Oh Ye-ju found deep meaning in her role. “The characters’ stories were poignant yet warm. If I could deliver that warmth, it would be precious,” she explained. “The chemistry among the three sisters was irreplaceable.”
Supporting Cast Members
Several other actors round out the ensemble, bringing depth to the Nana Atelier world.
Kwon Hyuk plays Yeon Tae-suk, the COO of Nana Atelier and Nana’s loyal right-hand man. He is the stoic professional who helps keep the fashion house running smoothly.
Kim Tae-young makes his acting debut as Cha Yu-gyeom, a high school baseball player and Ha-dam’s boyfriend. This young actor brings fresh energy to the drama.
Jang Yong-won portrays Je Rae-mi, a perfectionist designer at Nana Atelier who takes pride in her work.
Ki Hyun-woo joins as Baek Seung-gyu, a junior designer in Design Team 1. He brings visual appeal to the role of a rising talent in the fashion world.
Lee Seung-yeon and Yoon Chae-bin appear as Jeon Pu-reum and Kim Sol, assistant designer and intern respectively at Nana Atelier’s Design Team 1.
Kwon Do-hyeong has a crucial role as Kang Hyeok-chan, Ha-ran’s boyfriend from seven years ago and Chan’s roommate. Though his screen time is limited to flashbacks, his character drives the entire mystery of the drama.
Production Team Behind the Drama
The creative team brings considerable talent to In Your Radiant Season. Director Jeong Sang-hee leads the production alongside co-director Kim Young-jae, while writer Jo Seong-hee crafted the script.
Jeong Sang-hee described the drama as “a winter-overcoming romance where anyone who has experienced their own winter overcomes it with people like a spring breeze.” She focused heavily on visuals and locations to express the feeling of seasons, noting, “We wanted these beautiful people to appear radiant and special.”
Writer Jo Seong-hee created a story that connects characters across generations. The production team hopes “In Your Radiant Season will be like a spring breeze that suddenly approaches those enduring their own winters and offers warmth.”
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Where to Watch In Your Radiant Season
In Your Radiant Season airs every Friday and Saturday at 9:50 p.m. KST on MBC in South Korea.
For international viewers, the drama is available on various streaming platforms. Viki has licensed the series for global audiences, with subtitles in multiple languages. Viewers in the United States, Canada, United Kingdom, Australia, and India can watch the drama on Viki with English subtitles. The platform offers both free episodes with ads and premium subscription options for ad-free viewing.
The drama runs for a standard length, with episodes approximately 60-70 minutes each. New episodes become available on streaming platforms within hours of the Korean broadcast.
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