# Big (빅) (TV series)
**Big** (빅) is a 2012 South Korean television romantic comedy that aired on KBS2 as a Monday-Tuesday drama from June 4 to July 24, 2012, in 16 episodes. Written by the [Hong sisters](https://www.edgepedia.org/hong-sisters), Hong Jung-eun and Hong Mi-ran, and produced by Bon Factory, it stars [Gong Yoo](https://www.edgepedia.org/gong-yoo) as a successful doctor in his thirties whose body comes to carry the soul of an 18-year-old boy, and [Lee Min-jung](https://www.edgepedia.org/lee-min-jung) as the teacher engaged to him.[1](https://sports.khan.co.kr/article/201204130812423/amp) • [2](https://www.donga.com/news//article/all/20120423/45722968/5)
| Key fact | Detail |
|---|---|
| Network and slot | KBS2 Monday-Tuesday drama, first broadcast June 4, 2012[3](https://www.newswire.co.kr/newsRead.php?no=640201) |
| Writers | Hong Jung-eun and Hong Mi-ran, following their hit *The Greatest Love* (2011)[1](https://sports.khan.co.kr/article/201204130812423/amp) |
| Lead cast | Gong Yoo (Seo Yoon-jae), Lee Min-jung (Gil Da-ran), Bae Suzy, Jang Hee-jin, Shin Won-ho[2](https://www.donga.com/news//article/all/20120423/45722968/5) • [4](https://www.bntnews.co.kr/article/view/bnt201205250102) |
| Episodes | 16, ending July 24, 2012[3](https://www.newswire.co.kr/newsRead.php?no=640201) |
| Ratings (AGB Nielsen, nationwide households) | Premiere 7.9%, average 8.5%, finale 11.1%[3](https://www.newswire.co.kr/newsRead.php?no=640201) |
| Genre | Fantasy romance comedy built on a soul-swap premise[1](https://sports.khan.co.kr/article/201204130812423/amp) |
## Premise and cast
The story follows Seo Yoon-jae, a thirty-something specialist doctor who, through an unexplained accident, comes to harbor the soul of an 18-year-old boy, Kang Gyung-jun (played by Shin Won-ho). Gil Da-ran, an awkward temporary teacher who was engaged to Yoon-jae, finds her fiancé suddenly behaving like a teenager.[1](https://sports.khan.co.kr/article/201204130812423/amp) • [5](https://dryedmangoez.com/2012/08/10/review-despite-great-premise-and-charming-leads-kbs-big-falls-short/) The supporting cast included [Bae Suzy](https://www.edgepedia.org/bae-suzy) as Jang Ma-ri, a flashy idol-styled student devoted to Gyung-jun, Jang Hee-jin, Baek Sung-hyun as Gil Choong-shik, Choi Ran, Ahn Suk-hwan, and Yoon Hae-young.[2](https://www.donga.com/news//article/all/20120423/45722968/5) • [4](https://www.bntnews.co.kr/article/view/bnt201205250102) • [6](https://www.fnnews.com/news/201206270028315306)
**Casting anticipation.** The Hong sisters came to the project after *The Greatest Love* (2011), and their previous dramas, including *[You're Beautiful](https://www.edgepedia.org/youre-beautiful-tv-series)* and *My Girlfriend Is a Gumiho*, had all been hits. Gong Yoo's casting marked his return to television five years after *Coffee Prince No. 1* (2007), and Lee Min-jung was described in 2012 as one of the most in-demand actresses after films such as *Cyrano Agency* and *Wonderful Radio*. A script reading with the main cast was held at the KBS annex on April 14, 2012.[1](https://sports.khan.co.kr/article/201204130812423/amp) • [2](https://www.donga.com/news//article/all/20120423/45722968/5)
## Broadcast and ratings
The drama premiered on June 4, 2012, with a nationwide household rating of 7.9% according to AGB Nielsen Media Research. Over its 16 episodes it averaged 8.5%, and the finale on July 24, 2012 recorded the series' own best figure of 11.1%; women in their forties showed the highest share of viewing, and the Seoul metropolitan area posted the highest regional rating at 12.2%.[3](https://www.newswire.co.kr/newsRead.php?no=640201)
## Soundtrack
The original soundtrack drew on prominent K-pop acts. Noel released the ballad "If It's Love" (사랑이라면), composed and written by the Cho Young-soo and Ahn Young-min team, and Huh Gak released "One Person" (한사람). Reports at the time noted that OST releases from the drama by singers including [Davichi](https://www.edgepedia.org/davichi), Beast, and Noel topped digital charts with each weekly release.[7](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wYACJzB4yYs) • [8](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6sz4ZvK0WeY)
## Reception
Despite the strong pre-broadcast expectations, the series ended on a subdued note. Drama critic Seok Jeong-hee argued that the show lacked characters viewers could empathize with, pointing to the implausibility of a teacher falling in love with an underage student and of Yoon-jae's parents' behavior; a working viewer quoted in the same report said she watched for the pleasure of Gong Yoo's acting.[9](https://www.edaily.co.kr/News/Read?mediaCodeNo=258&newsId=01187366599598128) A retrospective Korean article grouped *Big* among 2012 KBS dramas whose commercial performance fell short of their stars' profiles, noting that Gong Yoo, Jang Geun-suk, and others had hoped for rediscovery at that year's KBS Drama Awards.[10](https://v.daum.net/v/20121203165213858) An English-language review credited the two leads with giving the show enough charm and heart to offset what it called wasted potential and unanswered questions.[5](https://dryedmangoez.com/2012/08/10/review-despite-great-premise-and-charming-leads-kbs-big-falls-short/)
## References
1. ["'최고의 사랑' 홍자매의 새 작품 '빅', 공유·이민정 캐스팅!", Sports Kyunghyang (2012)](https://sports.khan.co.kr/article/201204130812423/amp)
2. ["'빅' 이민정-공유 만났다…'빵빵'터지는 대본 리딩 현장", Dong-A Ilbo (2012)](https://www.donga.com/news//article/all/20120423/45722968/5)
3. ["2012년 07월 24일 KBS2 월화드라마(빅) 시청률", Newswire / AGB Nielsen Media Research (2012)](https://www.newswire.co.kr/newsRead.php?no=640201)
4. ["공유 이민정 배수지 장희진 신원호 '빅' 5人5色 단체 포스터 공개", bntnews (2012)](https://www.bntnews.co.kr/article/view/bnt201205250102)
5. ["Review: Despite Great Premise and Charming Cast, KBS' Big Falls Short", DryedMangoez.com (2012)](https://dryedmangoez.com/2012/08/10/review-despite-great-premise-and-charming-leads-kbs-big-falls-short/)
6. ["'빅' 백성현, 수지에게 야한 잡지 들키고 가출시도", Financial News (2012)](https://www.fnnews.com/news/201206270028315306)
7. ["노을 - 사랑이라면 (If it's love)", YouTube, Noel OST release notice (2012)](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wYACJzB4yYs)
8. ["허각 - 한사람 (One Person)", YouTube, Huh Gak OST release notice (2012)](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6sz4ZvK0WeY)
9. ["`빅` 자라다 만 `홍자매표` 판타지", Edaily (2012)](https://www.edaily.co.kr/News/Read?mediaCodeNo=258&newsId=01187366599598128)
10. ["'풍년' KBS드라마, 올해 '대상'은 누구에게?", Daum News (2012)](https://v.daum.net/v/20121203165213858)
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*Topic: Encyclopedia › Arts and culture › Screen and stage › Film and television › Series and fictional screen worlds › International serial drama and telenovelas › East Asian drama series › Korean contemporary drama › Romance and melodrama series › Romance melodrama miniseries › Romantic comedy series › Youth and campus romance series*
*Initially written Sep 17, 2026 · Reviewed: Sep 18, 2026; Sep 30, 2026; Oct 25, 2026 · Edited: Sep 18, 2026; Oct 25, 2026 · Last review: Oct 25, 2026*
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