“I was going through some tough times”: Jirisan writer Kim Eun Hee reveals how the drama was conceptualized

One of the highly-anticipated K-dramas of 2021 is the thriller Jirisan, written by acclaimed screenwriter Kim Eun Hee. In a recent Korea Times report, she opened up about tvN’s show and offered an in-depth glimpse into it.

Kim’s joined hands with director Lee Eung Bok, who helmed classics such as Goblin, Descendants of the Sun, Dream High, and Sweet Home.

Eun Hee revealed that she started developing the story almost two years ago as a sense of healing for herself. Famous for her violent dramas like Netflix’s Kingdom and Signal, the playwright shared that she was tired of writing about killing people. Jirisan was then created as a healing project.

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Famous writer Kim Eun Hee gives details and sneak-peek into Jun Ji Hyun-starrer Jirisan

Mystery-thriller Jirisan, all set to be released this month, is Kim Eun Hee’s way of stepping off the gas after constantly writing about crimes and violence, which had taken a toll on the writer.

She had the Jirisan concept for a couple of years but only started developing it two years ago.

“I’ve had the concept for the series in my mind for a few years. And about two years ago, when I was developing the story, I was going through some tough times. Because I always write about people killing other people, I was looking for a sense of healing for myself. So I wanted to set the story on a mountain with greenery and nature and talk about the rangers who save people’s lives.”

Kim Eun Hee also revealed a strong enough reason for her to be influenced by rangers around Mount Jiri to create Jirisan and film it in the same location.

While learning more about the rangers and the time it takes to hike up the mountain, she realized it takes a different amount of patience.

“I heard that climbing up and down Mount Jiri takes more than a day. The hikers there would carry around heavy bags and climb for two or three days. When I heard that, I felt that hiking Mount Jiri was more than just an activity. It is about practicing patience. It is a place for people to go when trying to find answers to their problems.”

Rangers around a mountain are the ones who rescue people lost in the peaks because they’re the ones who know the region inside-out. As the trailer states, they are the “thread and needle” of a mountain.

Like working on Jirisan helped Kim Eun Hee focus on better things and provide healing, she hopes the show’s “vast scenery of Mount Jiri” makes the audience feel refreshed and takes their “minds away from any frustrations of reality”.

Mystery-thriller Jirisan revolves around rangers who try to rescue lost trekkers and survivors in the unexplored regions of the Jirisan National Park. It focuses on experienced mountain ranger Seo Yi Gang, played by Jun Ji Hyun, and her rookie partner Kang Hyun Jo, played by Ju Ji Hoon, who hides a dark secret.

As the rangers try to do their job, a cloud of dangerous mystery surrounds Mount Jiri.

Jirisan will premiere on October 23 on Saturdays and Sundays at 9 pm KST and on the streaming website/app iQIYI.