The new KBS2 weekend drama Sparkling Days premieres tonight, marking the much-anticipated return of “the nation’s father” Cheon Ho-jin. This project stands out not simply for being a new drama, but for reuniting director Kim Hyung-seok and writer So Hyun-kyung, the duo behind the record-setting My Golden Life (which achieved a peak viewership rating of 45.1%), alongside Cheon Ho-jin. During a recent production press conference, director Kim expressed, "I hope this work becomes the final installment in So Hyun-kyung’s 'Father Trilogy'." As he suggests, Sparkling Days may be the missing piece that completes a grand trilogy chronicling the faces of Korean fathers through both a single writer and a singular actor.

Part One: My Daughter Seo-young—A Father Confronting the Wall of Communication

The first chapter of So Hyun-kyung and Cheon Ho-jin’s fatherly saga was My Daughter Seo-young in 2012, featuring Cheon Ho-jin as Lee Sam-jae. A father so worried that his own inadequacies would burden his daughter that he negated himself for her happiness, Lee’s story is a searing tragedy born from a lack of communication. Yet, it also captures the unbreakable love fathers harbor for their children. Cheon Ho-jin’s portrayal of a flawed, awkward, but heartbreakingly loving father resonated deeply with audiences, moving many to tears.

Part Two: My Golden Life—A Father Bearing Every Burden

Five years later, the pair reunited in My Golden Life, with Cheon Ho-jin as Seo Tae-soo. Here, the father takes a further step, embodying the ultimate sacrifice by risking everything for his child’s happiness. His misguided decision to change his daughter’s destiny pushes the family into tragedy, yet the sight of him bearing all the pain alone engulfed viewers in overwhelming sorrow. The series earned Cheon Ho-jin his first Grand Prize at the 2017 KBS Drama Awards, establishing the Cheon Ho-jin and So Hyun-kyung partnership as a hallmark of “national drama.”

And Finally, Part Three: Sparkling Days—A Father Facing His Son

Now, in 2025, Sparkling Days introduces Lee Sang-chul, the final puzzle piece of the trilogy. This time, the focus shifts from fathers and daughters to fathers and sons. As Cheon Ho-jin himself noted, “The eldest son fights with the father because they resemble each other so much,” the new drama confronts the clash of values between generations head-on. Lee Sang-chul, representing the last generation that supported their parents and the first not to expect support from their own children, faces off with his son, a thirtysomething who has vowed not to marry. Through their conflict and efforts at mutual understanding, So Hyun-kyung and Cheon Ho-jin spotlight the evolving role of fathers in contemporary Korea.

If My Daughter Seo-young depicted a father’s pain and My Golden Life portrayed a father’s sacrifice, Sparkling Days is set to explore fathers’ growth and understanding as they stand face to face with their sons in a changing world. With Cheon Ho-jin once again channeling the essence of Korean fatherhood, all eyes are on him and his collaborators to deliver a moving, memorable finale to the acclaimed “Father Trilogy.”

Note “This article was translated from the original Korean version using AI assistance, and subsequently edited by a native-speaking journalist.”

Photo=MHN DB, KBS