Welcome to Samdal-ri

Welcome to Samdal-ri

Welcome to Samdal-ri (Korean: 웰컴투 삼달리) is a South Korean romantic comedy drama television series written by Kwon Hye-joo, directed by Cha Young-hoon, and starring Ji Chang-wook and Shin Hye-sun. It aired on JTBC on December 2, 2023 to January 21, 2024, every Saturday and Sunday at 22:30 (KST). It is also available for streaming on TVING in South Korea, and on Netflix in selected regions.

Synopsis

Welcome to Samdal-ri

Cho Yong-pil and Cho Sam-dal are childhood friends. After his mother, a member of the haenyeos, drowns because of a mistaken weather report, Yong-pil decides to become a weather forecaster to protect the elders of his Jeju Island hometown. However, his passion and refusal to let misinformation slide earns him a reputation as a stubborn troublemaker. On the other hand, Sam-dal moves to Seoul to pursue her dreams of becoming a successful fashion photographer, and goes by the name of Cho Eun-hye. But when her life suddenly falls apart, she returns to her hometown, where she reconnects with Yong-pil. Despite an incident that drove them apart, the two friends find their affection for each other still as strong as ever.

Cast

Main

• Ji Chang-wook as Cho Yong-pil

A weather forecaster at Jeju Island's Meteorological Administration.

• Shin Hye-sun as Cho Sam-dal / Cho Eun-hye

A photographer in the fashion industry under the stage name Cho Eun-hye.

Sam-dal's family

• Kim Mi-kyung as Go Mi-ja • Chung Ye-jin as young Mi-ja

Sam-dal's mother who is a leader of haenyeo.

• Seo Hyun-chul as Cho Pan-sik • Lee Suk-hyeong as young Pan-sik

Sam-dal's father who is a bus driver on Jeju Island.

• Shin Dong-mi as Cho Jin-dal

Sam-dal's older sister who is a former flight attendant.

Yong-pil's family

• Yu Oh-seong as Cho Sang-tae • Yoo Hee-je as young Sang-tae

Yong-pil's father who works as a contract worker in the civil affairs team.

• Jung Yoo-mi as Bu Mi-ja • Oh Woo-ri as young Mi-ja

Five Eagle Brothers

• Kang Young-seok as Boo Sang-do

Sam-dal and Yong-pil's best friend who is a symbol of wealth in the village. He has had a crush on Sam-dal for a long time.

Sam-dal and Yong-pil's best friend who is a security guard at Jeju Island's Meteorological Administration.

Sam-dal and Yong-pil's best friend who is an observer at Jeju Island's Meteorological Administration.

People around the three sisters

• Yang Kyung-won as Jeon Dae-young

• Kim Min-chul as Gong Ji-chan

CEO of Dolphin Center, a Jeju southern bottlenose dolphin protection group.

People in Samdal-ri

• Baek Hyun-joo as Oh Geum-sul

Sang-do's mother who is a haenyeo and owner of the best restaurant in Jeju.

Yong-pil's maternal grandmother who suffer dementia.

• Kim Hak-sun as Boo Dae-song

• Sazal Mahamud as Kim Man-soo

A foreign part-timer at Kyung-tae's Lucky Convenience Store.

Jeju Island's Meteorological Administration

Yong-pil's superior who is a division manager of the forecast department.

• Kim Hyun-mok as Kang Baek-ho

Yong-pil's colleague who is a forecaster of the forecast department.

People around Cho Eun-hye

3moon Studio's assistant and an amateur photographer who makes up a false claim against Sam-dal that ruins her career and causes her to move back to her hometown.

Sam-dal's ex-boyfriend who is an editor of Magazine X.

Special appearance

• Kim Tae-hee as Herself • Kim Dae-gon as Reporter An Kang-hyun

Production

Casting

On June 19, 2023, Ji Chang-wook and Shin Hye-sun were confirmed to appear in the series.

Original soundtrack

Soundtrack album

The series' soundtrack album was released on February 2, 2024.

Reception

Viewership

Ep.	Original broadcast date	Average audience share (Nielsen Korea)
Nationwide	Seoul
1	December 2, 2023	5.193% (1st)	5.283% (1st)
2	December 3, 2023	5.276% (1st)	5.552% (1st)
3	December 9, 2023	5.324% (1st)	6.329% (1st)
4	December 10, 2023	6.509% (1st)	7.255% (1st)
5	December 16, 2023	6.689% (1st)	6.528% (1st)
6	December 17, 2023	8.295% (1st)	9.2%
7	December 23, 2023	6.382% (1st)	6.6%
8	December 24, 2023	7.913% (1st)	7.9%
9	December 30, 2023	8.109% (1st)	8.8%
10	December 31, 2023	8.227% (1st)	8.7%
11	January 6, 2024	7.282% (2nd)	8.037% (1st)
12	January 7, 2024	9.788% (1st)	10.597% (1st)
13	January 13, 2024	9.324% (1st)	10.389% (1st)
14	January 14, 2024	10.068% (1st)	10.790% (1st)
15	January 20, 2024	10.365% (1st)	10.919% (1st)
16	January 21, 2024	12.399% (1st)	13.081% (1st)
Average	7.946%	8.498%

Awards and nominations

<table><thead><tr><th>Award ceremony</th><th>Year</th><th>Category</th><th>Nominee / Work</th><th>Result</th><th>Ref.</th></tr></thead><tbody><tr><td>Baeksang Arts Awards</td><td>2024</td><td>Best Supporting Actress</td><td>Shin Dong-mi</td><td>Nominated</td><td></td></tr><tr><td>Korean Drama Festival</td><td>2024</td><td>Best OST</td><td>"Dream" (Taeyeon)</td><td>Nominated</td><td></td></tr><tr><td>Korea Grand Music Awards</td><td>2024</td><td>Best OST</td><td>Nominated</td><td></td></tr><tr><td>MAMA Awards</td><td>2024</td><td>Best OST</td><td>Nominated</td><td></td></tr><tr><td>Song of the Year</td><td>Nominated</td></tr><tr><td>Melon Music Awards</td><td>2024</td><td>Best OST</td><td>Nominated</td><td></td></tr><tr><td>APAN Star Awards</td><td>2024</td><td>Best OST</td><td>Nominated</td><td></td></tr><tr><td>Top Excellence Award, Actor in a Miniseries</td><td>Ji Chang-wook</td><td>Won</td></tr><tr><td>Excellence Acting Award, Actor</td><td>Seo Hyun-chul</td><td>Nominated</td></tr><tr><td>Best New Actress</td><td>Kang Mi-na</td><td>Won</td></tr><tr><td>Best Child Actress</td><td>Kim Do-eun</td><td>Nominated</td></tr><tr><td>Popularity Star Award, Actress</td><td>Shin Hye-sun</td><td>Nominated</td></tr></tbody></table>

Listicles

Publisher	Year	Listicle	Placement	Ref.
South China Morning Post	2024	The 15 best K-dramas of 2024	5th place