A Happy Woman

Plot

As the titular "happy woman," Lee Ji-yeon (Yoon Jung-hee) is an accessory designer with a cheerful, go-getting personality despite often being looked down upon because of her humble educational and family background. She ends up in a love triangle with her wealthy husband (Jung Gyu-woon) and a lonely detective (Kim Suk-hoon), as the drama explores what happiness means for a woman in terms of family, work, and love.

Cast

Yoon Jung-hee as Lee Ji-yeon

Ji-yeon is an accessory designer. She graduated from a vocational college and is therefore looked down on by her peers at work. At her home, she is the youngest daughter of three and was raised by a divorced single mother. She is not her mother's biological child - she is her divorced father's love child. She married into a wealthy family and her mother-in-law does not approve of her. Despite these hardships in both her personal and work life, Ji-yeon is bright, kind, and optimistic.

Jung Gyu-woon as Choi Joon-ho

Ji-yeon's husband. The second son of a wealthy family, he has a modern attitude and a sophisticated manner. He married Ji-yeon without regard to her wealth and background.

Kim Suk-hoon as Kim Tae-seop

A detective. He became estranged from his widowed mother during his teenage years when she remarried. He worked hard to graduate high school on his own and attended police academy. He then re-established his relationship with his mother, and even accepted his stepfather, but still remains somewhat distant.

Lee family

Go Doo-shim as Park Won-hee (mother)

Kang Boo-ja as Son Young-soon (grandmother)

Moon Jung-hee as Lee Ji-sook (older sister)

Kim Yoon-jung as Lee Ji-seon (youngest sister)

Kim Jae-man as Hwang Dae-gil (Ji-seon's husband)

Kim So-hyun as young Ji-yeon

Choi family

Joo Hyun as Choi Hyun-doo (father)

Sa Mi-ja as Byun Young-ja (mother)

Park Sung-woong as Choi Joon-sik (older brother)

Choi Ji-na as Moon Sun-young (Joon-sik's wife)

Kim family

Jang Yong as Lee Jong-min (stepfather)

Park Soon-chun as Tae-seop's mother

Kim Dae-sung as Lee Ji-hoon (stepbrother)

Extended cast

Jang Mi-inae as Jo Ha-young (Joon-ho's college girlfriend)

Kim Yoon-kyung as Yoo Mi-ra (Tae-seop's ex-girlfriend)

Kang Ji-sub as Jang Byung-gyu

Lee Mi-young as Byung-gyu's mother

Park Sa-rang as (Ji-yeon and Joon-ho's daughter)

Kang Yi-seok as (Tae-seop's adopted son)

Shin Dong-mi as Huh Jong-mi (Ji-yeon's friend)

Choi Suk-goo as a jewelry distributor

Kim Myung-kook as a Detective (Tae-seop's boss)

Choi Jae-won as Ko Pil-doo (Sun-young's dermatologist)

Jo Sung-kyu

Awards

2007 KBS Drama Awards: Excellence Award, Actress in a Serial Drama - Yoon Jung-hee