Welcome (TV series)

Welcome^[3] (Korean: 어서와; RR: Eoseowa) is a 2020 South Korean television series starring Kim Myung-soo, Shin Ye-eun, Seo Ji-hoon, Yoon Ye-joo, and Kang Hoon. Based on the 2009–2010 Naver webtoon of the same name by Go A-ra, it aired on KBS2's Wednesdays and Thursdays at 22:00 (KST) from March 25 to April 30, 2020.^[4]

Welcome
Promotional poster
Hangul	어서와
RR	Eoseowa
MR	Ŏsŏwa
Genre	Fantasy Romantic comedy
Based on	Welcome by Go A-ra
Developed by	KBS Drama Production
Written by	Joo Hwa-mi
Directed by	Ji Byung-hyun
Starring	Kim Myung-soo Shin Ye-eun Seo Ji-hoon Yoon Ye-joo Kang Hoon
Country of origin	South Korea
Original language	Korean
No. of episodes	24[a]
Production
Camera setup	Single-camera
Running time	35 minutes[a]
Production company	Gill Pictures[b]
Original release
Network	KBS2
Release	March 25 (2020-03-25) – April 30, 2020 (2020-04-30)

During its run, Welcome recorded a lowest single-episode rating of 0.8%, beating the previous record lows set by previous KBS2 dramas Lovely Horribly (2018) and Manhole (2017) to become the lowest rated drama airing in a primetime slot on a free-to-air network in history.^{[citation needed]} Welcome's average rating of 1.7% was also the worst, until MBC drama Oh My Ladylord broke the record with a slightly lower average figure of 1.6% a year later.

Synopsis

Kim Sol-ah, a young graphic designer, brings home a white cat named Hong-jo that can turn into a man. He becomes attracted to Sol-ah while hiding his human identity from her.^[5]

Cast

Main

• Kim Myung-soo as Hong-jo,^[6][7] a cat who dreams to be a human. Hong-jo realises that he can only be turned into a human by Sol-ah. He grew excessive fond of Sol-ah and can go to any measures to stay near her.
• Shin Ye-eun as Kim Sol-ah, a graphic designer who dreams to be a webtoon artist and has a love-hate relationship with cats. She used to be in relationship with Jae-seon, but tries hard to protect the secret identity of Hong-jo.^[8][9]
• Seo Ji-hoon as Lee Jae-sun, a man who was in relationship with Sol-ah until she realized his fear of cats. He went in a relationship with Lee Ru-bi. Jae-sun has somewhat a complicated relationship with his father. He is the first person to find out that Hong-jo is a cat who can turn into human from time to time.^[10][11]
• Yoon Ye-joo as Eun Ji-eun, a cat-like introvert in Sol-ah and Doo-sik's office.
• Kang Hoon as Go Doo-sik, Sol-ah and Jae-sun's friend with the personality of a dog.

Supporting

• Ahn Nae-sang as Kim Soo-pyeong, Sol-ah's father who works as a poet.
• Jo Ryun as Bang-sil, the woman whom Soo-pyeong likes and wishes to marry.
• Kim Yeo-jin as Sung Hyun-ja and Jeon Bae-soo as Go Min-joong, Doo-sik's parents.
• Jeon Ye-seo as Park Sin-ja
• Yang Dae-hyuk as Cha Sang-kwon
• Han Ye-seul as Lee Hye-yeon
• Lee Yu-jin as Choi Da-som
• Choi Min-geum [ko] as Grandmother
• Choi Bae-young as Ruby Lee, the actual owner of Hong-jo who was in relationship with Lee Jae-seon until she realized his fear of cats.
• Yeon Je-hyung as Bang Gook-bong, Bang-sil's son who loves traveling and writing.
• Song Min-jae as Da-sung
• Jo Hyuk-joon as Na Jin-won

Production

Originally titled Man Who Bakes Bread (식빵 굽는 남자; Sikppang gumneun namja), the series planned to air on tvN in the first half of 2019, with the lead roles being offered to Yook Sung-jae and Park Eun-bin,^[c] but both rejected.^[12]

The first script reading took place in October 2019 at KBS Annex Broadcasting Station in Yeouido, South Korea.^[13]

Original soundtrack

Welcome OST
Soundtrack album by Various Artists
Released	2020
Genre	Soundtrack
Language	Korean English
Label	Donuts Music N Dreamus Company

Part 1

Released on March 19, 2020 (2020-03-19)

No.	Title	Lyrics	Music	Artist	Length
1.	"Oh My, Oh My" (어마어마)	Han Jae-wook In Woo Dony	Han Jae-wook In Woo Dony	Dayoung & Exy (Cosmic Girls)	2:54
2.	"Oh My, Oh My" (Inst.)		Han Jae-wook In Woo Dony		2:54
Total length:					5:52

Part 2

Released on March 25, 2020 (2020-03-25)

No.	Title	Lyrics	Music	Artist	Length
1.	"Ddingdong" (띵동)	Park Kyung (Block B)	Park Kyung (Block B) vintermoon	Park Kyung (Block B)	3:44
2.	"Ddingdong" (Inst.)		Park Kyung (Block B) vintermoon		3:44
Total length:					7:28

Part 3

Released on March 26, 2020 (2020-03-26)

No.	Title	Lyrics	Music	Artist	Length
1.	"Welcome (어서와)"	Hickee Forever Noh	Forever Noh Hickee	Umji (GFriend)	3:38
2.	"Welcome (어서와)" (Inst.)		Forever Noh Hickee		3:38
Total length:					7:16

Part 4

Released on April 1, 2020 (2020-04-01)

No.	Title	Lyrics	Music	Artist	Length
1.	"Fall In Love" (사랑에 빠졌었나봐)	Hwang Yong-joo	Hwang Yong-joo	Juniel	3:30
2.	"Fall In Love" (Inst.)		Hwang Yong-joo		3:30
Total length:					7:00

Part 5

Released on April 2, 2020 (2020-04-02)

No.	Title	Lyrics	Music	Artist	Length
1.	"I Was Wrong"	Yang Seo-young Dong Kyung CLEF CREW	HR Dong Kyung CLEF CREW	Lee Jin-sol (April)	3:15
2.	"I Was Wrong" (Inst.)		HR Dong Kyung CLEF CREW		3:15
Total length:					6:30

Part 6

Released on April 8, 2020 (2020-04-08)

No.	Title	Lyrics	Music	Artist	Length
1.	"Slush"	Motte Han Kyung-soo Choi Han-sol	Han Kyung-soo Choi Han-sol	Motte	3:19
2.	"Slush" (Inst.)		Han Kyung-soo Choi Han-sol		3:19
Total length:					6:38

Part 7

Released on April 9, 2020 (2020-04-09)

No.	Title	Lyrics	Music	Artist	Length
1.	"Again, Spring" (다시, 봄)	Jung Eun-jin Kim Chang-rak Kim Soo-bin Clef Crew	Kim Chang-rak Kim Soo-bin Clef Crew	Kihyun (Monsta X)	3:24
2.	"Again, Spring" (Inst.)		Kim Chang-rak Kim Soo-bin Clef Crew		3:24
Total length:					6:48

Part 8

Released on April 15, 2020 (2020-04-15)

No.	Title	Lyrics	Music	Artist	Length
1.	"As Time Goes" (시간은 한 바퀴 돌아)	Jay Lee	Jay Lee	Jinsoul (Loona)	3:07
2.	"As Time Goes" (Inst.)		Jay Lee		3:07
Total length:					6:14

Part 9

Released on April 16, 2020 (2020-04-16)

No.	Title	Lyrics	Music	Artist	Length
1.	"Better To Be You"	Drew Ryan Scott Dave Hawks Ping	Drew Ryan Scott Dave Hawks Ping	Drew Ryan Scott	3:49
2.	"Better To Be You" (Inst.)		Drew Ryan Scott Dave Hawks Ping		3:49
Total length:					7:38

Part 10

Released on April 22, 2020 (2020-04-22)

No.	Title	Lyrics	Music	Artist	Length
1.	"Last Goodbye" (이젠 안녕)	BachelorNextDoor Jo Yoo-ma	Linnea Gawell	Floody	3:44
2.	"Last Goodbye" (Inst.)		Linnea Gawell		3:44
Total length:					7:28

Part 11

Released on April 23, 2020 (2020-04-23)

No.	Title	Lyrics	Music	Artist	Length
1.	"Show Your Heart" (너를 보여줘)	Jeon Geun-hwa (Weekly1)	Jeon Geun-hwa (Weekly1) Jo Se-hee Lee Ju-heon	Chan (A.C.E)	3:28
2.	"Show Your Heart" (Inst.)		Jeon Geun-hwa (Weekly1) Jo Se-hee Lee Ju-heon		3:28
Total length:					6:56

Part 12

Released on April 29, 2020 (2020-04-29)

No.	Title	Lyrics	Music	Artist	Length
1.	"Shooting Star" (별똥별)	Hwang Yong-joo	Hwang Yong-joo	Shin Ye-eun	2:58
2.	"Shooting Star" (Inst.)		Hwang Yong-joo		2:58
Total length:					5:56

Part 13

Released on April 30, 2020 (2020-04-30)

No.	Title	Lyrics	Music	Artist	Length
1.	"Blooming" (꽃이 피었네)	Nap!er	Nap!er	Choi Nakta	3:09
2.	"Blooming" (Inst.)		Nap!er		3:09
Total length:					6:18

Ratings

Average TV viewership ratings (nationwide)

Ep.	Original broadcast date	Average audience share (Nielsen Korea)[14]
1	March 25, 2020	3.6%
2		2.8%
3	March 26, 2020	1.6%
4		1.8%
5	April 1, 2020	2.7%
6		2.1%
7	April 2, 2020	1.5%
8		1.7%
9	April 8, 2020	2.0%
10		1.9%
11	April 9, 2020	1.5%
12		1.6%
13	April 15, 2020	1.8%
14		1.8%
15	April 16, 2020	0.9%
16		1.1%
17	April 22, 2020	1.8%
18		1.7%
19	April 23, 2020	1.0%
20		1.1%
21	April 29, 2020	1.4%
22		1.4%
23	April 30, 2020	0.8%
24		1.0%
Average		1.7%
In the table above, the blue numbers represent the lowest ratings and the red numbers represent the highest ratings.

Notes

1. In order to circumvent Korean laws that prevent commercial breaks in the middle of an episode, what would previously have been aired as single 70 minute episodes are now being repackaged as two 35 minute episodes, with two episodes being shown each night with a commercial break between the two.^[1]
2. Acquired by Studio Dragon in September 2022.^[2]
3. Park became the female lead in the 2019–2020 SBS TV Friday-Saturday drama Hot Stove League, which was produced by the same production company behind Welcome.