South Korea · Drama · 1998
Soonpoong Clinic
Binge Brief
- SBS's weekday sitcom ran 682 episodes, from 2 March 1998 to 1 December 2000.
- It is set around a family-run obstetrics and gynecology clinic whose owner is afraid of surgery.
- Song Hye Kyo plays the youngest daughter, Oh Hye Gyo, until October 2000, when she left during her first lead role.
- Kim So Yeon, Kim Rae Won and a young Park Eun Bin are also in the cast.
Synopsis
Oh Ji Myung runs an obstetrics and gynecology clinic and is afraid of performing surgery. His wife handles the housework and most of the family's problems, and there are four daughters who have very little in common. That is the whole setup of Soonpoong Clinic, and SBS got 682 episodes out of it, Monday to Friday at 9:25 p.m., from 2 March 1998 to 1 December 2000.
The cast list reads like a family register. Oh Ji Myung plays a character called Oh Ji Myung, Sunwoo Yong Nyeo plays Sunwoo Yong Nyeo, and Park Young Gyu plays Park Yeong Gyu. The daughters take the family name and keep their actors' given names: Park Mi Sun as Oh Mi Seon, Lee Tae Ran as Oh Tae Ran, Kim So Yeon as Oh So Yeon and Song Hye Kyo as Oh Hye Gyo. Kim Sung Eun plays the child Park Mi Dal.
Oh Hye Gyo is the youngest, a university student in costume design and not the most sensible person in the house. Much of her storyline is romance: Kim Rae Won plays her boyfriend, and Lee Chang Hoon the man she eventually plans to marry. Park Eun Bin, then a child actress, turns up as Su Ji.
Song Hye Kyo did not stay to the end. In 2000 KBS2 cast her as the lead of Autumn in My Heart, and she stepped out of the sitcom that October. The family went on without her until December, and on 18 December 2000 SBS filled the slot with a new sitcom, 웬만해선 그들을 막을 수 없다.
Soonpoong Clinic cast
Interesting facts
Hye Gyo's habit of making a mess of things earned her the nickname "big Mi Dal" (큰 미달이), Namuwiki notes.
Kim Rae Won's first appearance as her boyfriend comes in episode 140.
Her wedding to Lee Chang Hoon's character was never shown, because Song Hye Kyo had already left the cast by the time the story reached it.
Frequently asked questions
Who is in the cast of Soonpoong Clinic?
Oh Ji Myung and Sunwoo Yong Nyeo play the couple who run the clinic. Park Mi Sun, Lee Tae Ran, Kim So Yeon and Song Hye Kyo play their daughters, and Park Young Gyu and Kim Sung Eun (Mi Dal) are also in the main cast. Kim Rae Won and Lee Chang Hoon play Hye Gyo's boyfriends.
How many episodes does Soonpoong Clinic have?
682, according to Namuwiki and MyDramaList. TMDB lists 684. It aired on weekday nights for almost three years.
Who does Song Hye Kyo play in Soonpoong Clinic, and when did she leave?
She plays Oh Hye Gyo, the youngest daughter. Namuwiki gives episode 658, broadcast on 23 October 2000, as her last appearance; Korean Wikipedia places her exit at episode 659. A phone call in episode 663 tells the family she has taken a job in Sokcho.
Is Park Eun Bin in Soonpoong Clinic?
Yes. Namuwiki and MyDramaList both list Park Eun Bin as Su Ji, one of her child roles.
Where can I watch Soonpoong Clinic?
SBS posts short scenes from the sitcom on an official SBS YouTube channel, which is where the clip on this page comes from. This site does not host or stream episodes.
If you liked this drama
Matched on genre, country and era. Closest first.
