tvN 'Typhoon Family' perfectly revived the atmosphere and sentiment of 1997, leaving a strong first impression befitting a highly anticipated work. In particular, Lee Junho and Kim Min-ha perfectly portrayed polar opposite portraits of youth in 1997, drawing immersion that pulled viewers in like a typhoon.
The Nov. 11 broadcast of the tvN Saturday-Sunday drama Typhoon Family (directed by Na Jeong Lee and Dong-hwi Kim, written by Hyun Jang, planned by Studio Dragon, produced by Imaginus·Studio PIC·Tree Studio) had a first-episode nationwide household average rating of 5.9%, a high of 7.1%, a Seoul metropolitan area household average of 5.7%, and a high of 7.1%, ranking first in its time slot across all channels including terrestrial broadcasters and becoming the highest first-broadcast rating among tvN Saturday-Sunday dramas in 2025. The 20-49 target rating also ranked first across all channels in its time slot with a nationwide average of 1.8% and a high of 2.4%. (Based on paid platforms combining cable, IPTV and satellite / provided by Nielsen Korea)
The broadcast that day captivated viewers by perfectly evoking era nostalgia through a blend of landscapes, sensibility, music and fashion from that time. From an opening that recreated the subtitle font of TV programs of the era to pager number messages, tapes and city phones that only worked next to pay phones, the production team meticulously placed background elements throughout the screen that naturally drew viewers into that period.
The storm-like acting of the two young leads was the primary reason for the positive reviews. Lee Junho, as Gang Tae-poong, a 1990s youth enjoying freedom, captured the era's temperature perfectly with varied and detailed acting in his gaze, speech and even his singing and dancing. Above all, he heightened focus with a fluent range of emotions as he was swept into the massive whirlpool of the IMF. Kim Min-ha, who played K-first daughter Oh Mi-seon, who bravely juggled work and study while caring for two younger siblings and a grandmother with dementia, conveyed the sturdy survival instincts and warm presence of a 1990s working woman through expressions and eyes alone.
The opening, which began with the wildly popular song "I'm fine," shone a light on a day at Euljiro small business Typhoon Family and awakened the air of 1997. At the heart of "the Asian tiger, the miracle of the Han River" were about 10 employees who for 26 years had held each other's hands and endured: from company president Kang Jin-young (Sung Dong-il) to accountant Oh Mi-seon (Kim Min-ha), sales manager Go Ma-jin (Lee Chang-hoon), general affairs vice administrator Cha Sun-taek (Kim Jae-hwa), director of management Koo Myung-kwan (Kim Song-il), and logistics assistant delivery Jung (Lee Sang-jin). Working quietly in their respective places, they symbolically depicted pre-IMF office workers by saying, "The reward of work is not for me but for the company, neighbors and the country to prosper."
By contrast, president's son Gang Tae-poong (Lee Junho) was an irresponsible youth enjoying freedom amid the prosperity his parents' generation had achieved. As a member of the group that ruled Apgujeong, "Apstreet Boys," he stirred up typhoons at nightclubs with his handsome looks and exceptional dance skills. Pager messages such as "584486 (I love you to death, oppa)" and "17171771 (I love you)" that poured in for him were a measure of his popularity. In the end, he was taken to the police station after getting into a dispute that day with rival Pyo Hyun-jun (Moo Jin-seong), who was jealous of him.
Jin Young, who had grown cold toward a son who never got a job and only caused trouble, refused to settle, saying that if he had committed a crime he should be punished. Tae-poong met his father, who scolded him without even asking why he had fought, with greater rebellion. The day their first physical altercation occurred left only wounds and misunderstandings between them. Although their father-son relationship was strained, there was clearly affection between them that could not be fully expressed in words. Tae-poong, who dreamed of "flowers," tended the domestically bred rose No. 1 he grafted himself in the greenhouse every night, hoping one day to show it to and be recognized by his father. Above all, he carefully polished his father's shoes every day and placed them neatly at the door. Jin Young would gently wipe those shoes with a handkerchief if they got dirty. Although clumsy in expression, the warmth between the father and son continued quietly in that way.
But the world had already signaled unstable fractures. Yoon Sung (Yang Byung-yeol), a member of Apstreet Boys, ran away at night after his family went bankrupt, and news of a chain of bankruptcies among mid-sized and large companies began to be heard, making the atmosphere subtly warped. Typhoon Family could not escape it. A large order from Daebang Textiles gave the staff a brief respite, but as accountant Mi-seon logically analyzed, behind it lurked the danger of swapping financial interest for company margin. But the president's seat always demands the final choice. After much deliberation, Jin Young signed the contract, which led to a butterfly effect of funding difficulties. Burdened by responsibility and pressure, he ultimately clutched his heart and collapsed.
Tae-poong kept watch over his father's sickbed day and night. But he was not there at a crucial moment. While he stepped away after receiving an urgent call from a friend saying that fugitive Yoon Sung had been caught and brought to Hyun-joon, an irreversible farewell came to the hospital room. When Tae-poong returned to the hospital, what he faced was his father covered in a white cloth. Faced with an unbelievable reality, Tae-poong's frozen gaze left a resonance of mixed shock and regret. At that moment, a painful breaking news ran on the hospital TV: "The government has applied to the International Monetary Fund (IMF) for a bailout. It has effectively acknowledged national default." Thus the turbulent era of the IMF hit, and Tae-poong's life immediately entered a new phase. It was truly the start of the "season of storms."
Continuing the IP box-office momentum of CJ ENM, Typhoon Family episode 2 will air today (12th) Sunday at 9:10 p.m. on tvN.<
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