At Eighteen (Korean: 열여덟의 순간) is a 2019 South Korean television series directed by Shim Na-yeon starring Ong Seong-wu, Kim Hyang-gi, Shin Seung-ho, and Kang Ki-young. The series marks Ong's first official lead role. It aired on JTBC from July 22 to September 10, 2019.
Contents
Synopsis
At Eighteen follows the story of eighteen-year-old Choi Joon-woo (Ong Seong-wu), whose teenage life has been molded by his meager family life and the conflicts he faced in school. Forced to transfer schools for a violation he did not commit, he arrives at Cheonbong High School where he has decided to be a nobody: a loner just quietly riding out 11th grade. Little does he know the twists and turns and the surprises in store for his eighteen-year-old life.
Soon, the loner inside Joon-woo has to come out of his comfort zone. Not only Joon-woo, but his fellow immature and inexperienced eighteen-year-olds, too, will have conflicts and whirlwinds of emotions and face the prejudices of a world shaped by the adults around them. Together, they have to live their lives to the max and make life-changing decisions. And most of all, they must not forget to cherish every moment of their lives. For all they know, the memories of their nineteenth year of life might be the sweetest, the most precious, and the most unforgettable.
Cast
Main
Ong Seong-wu as Choi Joon-woo
Jung Hyun-joon as child Choi Joon-woo
A student of Class 2-3 who has gotten used to being lonely and is not practiced in expressing his emotions. He is forced to transfer to Cheonbong High School for a violation he did not commit and is used to being solitary at school. Being a transferee, he is an object of ridicule and prejudice from his new classmates. But as he adapts to the new environment, he becomes closer with his classmates and earns the friendship of his crush, top student Soo-bin.
Kim Hyang-gi as Yoo Soo-bin
A top student of Class 2-3 who has no clear goals and ambition as her life is controlled by her mother, who wants her to enroll in prestigious colleges in Seoul. Despite her opposition, she is forced to meet tutors and attend private classes and to strictly check her performance at school. She is among the few people in school who know of Joon-woo's real personality. She gradually starts to have feelings for Joon-woo.
Shin Seung-ho as Ma Hwi-young
A top student of Class 2-3 from an affluent family who seems to be courageous and strong but is suffering from a complex. He is the president of their class and is known for acing every subject in school. Unknown to everyone, he is forced by his perfectionist and physically abusive father to be the best in everything. He also has the habit of scratching his wrist when in distress. Due to this negative family life, he tends to see his peers as subordinate to him, a personality discovered by Joon-woo and their homeroom teacher Mr. Oh.
Kang Ki-young as Oh Han-kyeol
The homeroom teacher of Class 2-3. He is formerly an assistant homeroom teacher temporarily in charge of Class 2-3, whose official HT is hospitalized. After an incident at school, he asks the vice-principal for him to be promoted as the official HT of Class 2-3. He is a shopaholic and, as a teacher, is frequently nervous when dealing with challenges in the class.
Special appearances
Song Geon-hee as Shin Jung-hoo (Ep. 3–4)
Joon-woo's childhood friend and former schoolmate
Kang Hoon as Ma Hwi-young's older brother (Ep. 16)