Brain (TV series)

Plot

Lee Kang-hoon (Shin Ha-kyun) is a neurosurgeon in his early 30s. He graduated from Korea’s most prestigious medical school with the best grades and completed his residency. Ashamed of his poor, uneducated parents, he has sworn since he was young that he will change his own fate. He chose neurosurgery, the least popular department, because there he can easily gain privileges by making connections with senior doctors. Seo Joon-suk (Jo Dong-hyuk), who was born with everything, is the person Kang-hoon despises the most and views him as his rival. Kim Sang-chul (Jung Jin-young) is a caring, empathetic neurosurgeon professor in his mid-50s who acts as a mentor to Yoon Ji-hye (Choi Jung-won). Joon-suk likes Ji-hye, but she has feelings for Kang-hoon. The series takes a shocking turn when Kang-hoon learns that Sang-chul caused his father's death.

Main characters

Shin Ha-kyun as Lee Kang-hoon

Main protagonist of the series. An arrogant neurosurgeon who lives with his mother and sister, he is haunted by the death of his father when he was a child. At first he doesn't like Ji-hye, but grows to have feelings for her.

Choi Jung-won as Yoon Ji-hye

A doctor who comes from a middle-class family. She is very fond of Kim Sang-chul, whom she considers her mentor. She starts to fall for Kang-hoon.

Jung Jin-young as Kim Sang-chul

Head of the hospital who cares for his patients. He has a dark past involving the accidental death of Kang-hoon's father on the surgery table, with young Kang-hoon as a witness.

Jo Dong-hyuk as Seo Joon-suk

A doctor who comes from rich family whose maid happened to be Kang-hoon's mother. He has a crush on Ji-hye.

Kim Soo-hyun as Jang Yoo-jin

The daughter of a rich man whom Kang-hoon saved. Now she is trying to seduce Kang-hoon. Yoo-jin has a 5 year old daughter.

Supporting characters

Lee Sung-min - Go Jae-hak

Ban Hyo-jung - Hwang Young-sun

Park Chul-ho - Park In-bum

Im Ji-eun - Hong Eun-sook

Jo Soo-min - Im Hyun-jung

Kwak Seung-nam - Yang Bum-joon

Shim Hyung-tak - Jo Dae-shik

Kwon Yul - Yeo Bong-goo

Song Ok-sook - Kim Soon-im, Kang-hoon's mother

Kim Ga-eun - Lee Ha-young, Kang-hoon's sister

Kang Ye-seo - Choi Ryu-bi

Lee Seung-joo - Dong Seung-man

Choi Il-hwa - Ahn Dong-suk

Heo Jung-gyu - Kong Duk-ki

Hong Il-kwon - Hwang Tae-sung

Ko In-beom - Jang Yoo-jin's father

Lee Hyun-woo - Park Dong-hwa (guest appearance)

Yoo Chae-yeong - Swimming instructor (guest appearance)

Marco - Man at swimming pool (guest appearance)

Lee Chan-ho - Na Jae-woong (guest appearance)

Jeon Moo-song - Kim Shin-woo (guest appearance)

Kim Young-ok - Sa Bong-ja (guest appearance)

Hwang Bum-sik - Cha Hoon-kyung (guest appearance)

Production

Lee Sang-yoon, Yoon Seung-ah, and Lee Hyun-jin were originally cast as the main characters (Lee Kang-hoon, Yoon Ji-hye and Seo Joon-suk, respectively), but after the read-through, the producers deemed them "too young" for their roles and the actors were subsequently fired. Song Seung-heon and Kim Joo-hyuk were rumored to be offered the leading role, which eventually went to Shin Ha-kyun.