Abyss (TV series)

Lore & Background

The first script reading took place in February 2019 in Sangam-dong, Seoul, South Korea. Actors Seo In-guk and Jung So-min, who acted in The Smile Has Left Your Eyes (2018), made special appearances as male and female alien supernatural beings in the first episode only.

Reader's Guide

Abyss is a 2019 South Korean television series that explores themes of death, reincarnation, and identity through a supernatural lens. Its significance lies in its unique premise: a celestial object called the 'Abyss' revives the dead into bodies that reflect their soul's appearance, leading to dramatic physical transformations. The series aired on tvN, a major South Korean cable network, and featured a cast including Park Bo-young, Ahn Hyo-seop, and Lee Sung-jae. The production began with a script reading in February 2019 in Sangam-dong, Seoul. Special appearances by Seo In-guk and Jung So-min, known from The Smile Has Left Your Eyes, added cross-series interest. The show's legacy is tied to its exploration of how physical appearance relates to inner worth, as the protagonists navigate their new identities while investigating a murder. It remains a notable entry in the fantasy-romance genre of Korean drama.

Did You Know?

• The series aired on tvN's Mondays and Tuesdays at 21:30 (KST).
• The 'Abyss' is a celestial object that revives the dead into bodies reflecting the soul's appearance.
• Actors Seo In-guk and Jung So-min made special appearances as alien supernatural beings in the first episode only.

The Celestial Reincarnation Premise

Abyss, a 2019 South Korean drama that aired on tvN's Monday-and-Tuesday 21:30 KST slot, builds its narrative around a striking supernatural conceit. Two characters who die in separate incidents are brought back to life by mysterious beings wielding a celestial object called the Abyss, described as possessing the power to revive anything that has perished. The catch is that their new bodies reflect the true nature of their souls rather than their former physical forms. Go Se-yeon, once a strikingly beautiful prosecution lawyer at the peak of her career, is reborn with a plainer appearance. Cha Min, the unattractive but wealthy heir to a cosmetics dynasty, emerges as a strikingly handsome young man. The reversal is deliberate and dramatic. Together, the two childhood friends set out to uncover why they were resurrected and to identify the person responsible for Go Se-yeon's murder at the hands of the Eomsan-dong serial killer. The premise fuses legal thriller elements with fantasy, giving the series a distinctive tone within the Korean drama landscape.

The Lead Ensemble and Character Layers

The series anchors its story on three principal performers, each given multiple layers of characterization. Park Bo-young portrays Go Se-yeon in her post-reincarnation form as well as the pre-surgery identity of Lee Mi-do, while Kim Sa-rang embodies the original Go Se-yeon before her death and Lee Soo-min plays her younger self. Ahn Hyo-seop takes on Cha Min in his new body, with Ahn Se-ha depicting the character before his death and Yang Han-yeol covering his youth. Lee Sung-jae rounds out the lead trio as Oh Yeong-cheol, also known as Oh Seong-cheol, a surgeon regarded as a legend within the medical community whose enigmatic personality and concealed past drive much of the drama's tension. The multi-actor approach to each lead allows the show to depict past and present simultaneously, deepening the mystery surrounding both the reincarnation and the murder investigation. The dynamic between the two childhood friends, now inhabiting swapped physical realities, forms the emotional core of the narrative.

A Web of Subplots and Supporting Characters

Beyond the central trio, Abyss weaves several interconnected storylines through a rich supporting cast. At Lan Cosmetics, Cha Min's domineering mother Eom Ae-ran heads the family empire, while his fiancée Jang Hee-jin, also identified as Oh Su-jin, vanishes mysteriously just before their wedding. The Central District Prosecutors' Office and Dongbu Police Station provide institutional context: colleague Seo Ji-wook, dual-named Oh Tae-jin, and detective Park Dong-cheol, who leads the investigation into Go Se-yeon's killing, anchor the procedural elements. Lee Mi-do, a former colleague and Dong-cheol's ex-girlfriend, has relocated to the United States. The Eomsan-dong serial killer subplot introduces Park Gi-man, the vengeful father of victim Park Mi-jin, adding a layer of personal grief to the criminal case. Seo Ji-wook's father, chief judge Seo Cheon-shik, further entangles the legal world with the investigation. In Episode 1, alien grim-reaper figures appear, played by Seo In-guk and Jung So-min, who had previously worked together on The Smile Has Left Your Eyes.

Production and Broadcast Context

Abyss was produced as a 2019 South Korean television series and broadcast on tvN during the Monday-and-Tuesday 21:30 KST timeslot, a prime evening window that signals a premium drama positioning. The Korean title 어비스, romanized as Eobiseu, was developed with its first script reading held in February 2019 in Sangam-dong, Seoul. The production featured a notable special appearance in the opening episode by actors Seo In-guk and Jung So-min, who portrayed alien grim-reaper characters; the two had previously shared screen time in the 2018 series The Smile Has Left Your Eyes, making their cameo a deliberate nod to their earlier collaboration. The show also released an original soundtrack spanning at least three parts, underscoring the production's investment in a full audiovisual experience. The series was made available for international viewers through platforms including HanCinema and IMDb, extending its reach beyond the Korean broadcast audience. The combination of supernatural mythology, legal procedural structure, and a high-profile cast positioned Abyss as a genre-blending entry in the late-2019 Korean drama landscape.