Cloud Staircase (2006 South Korean TV Series)

Cloud Staircase (Korean: 구름계단; RR: Kureumkyedan) is a South Korean television drama series that aired on KBS2 from September 18 to November 7, 2006. The series consists of 16 episodes and was broadcast in the Monday and Tuesday 21:55 time slot.

Cloud Staircase promotional poster — Promotional material for the 2006 drama Cloud Staircase.

Background and Plot

The series is a melodrama based on a novel by the Japanese writer Junichi Watanabe. The narrative follows the life of Jong-su, a man from an impoverished background who was unable to pursue a university education. While volunteering for a doctor on a remote island, he is forced to perform an emergency appendectomy on a visitor named Jeong-won when the resident doctor is unavailable. Following the successful procedure, Jeong-won and her family mistakenly believe Jong-su is a qualified physician, leading to a job offer at her father's hospital. The series explores the consequences of the choices he makes following this incident.

Production and Broadcast

Cloud Staircase was directed by Yong-ku Kim and Do-jun Seong, with a screenplay written by Si-hyeon Kim and Hyeon-joo Yu. The series occupied the KBS2 Monday and Tuesday 21:55 time slot, succeeding The Man of the Vineyard. It was subsequently replaced by The Snow Queen on November 13, 2006.

Cast

Shin Dong-Wook as Jong-su Choi
Han Ji-Hye as Jeong-won Yun
Lim Jung-Eun as Yun-hee Oh
Kim Jung-Hyun as Do-heon Kim
Choi Jong-Won as So-jang Byeon
Kim Yong-Geon as Park-sa Yun
Yang Geum-Seok as Won-mo Jeong
Lee Mi-Young as Hee-mo Yun
Yeon Kyu-Jin as Sa-jang Kim