*Editor's note: "Behind the Scenes" is a series examining the production stories and industry dynamics behind hit Korean dramas. This fifth instalment focuses on* Extraordinary Attorney Woo.
When *Extraordinary Attorney Woo* premiered on ENA on 29th June 2022, it drew a nationwide ratings share of 0.95% among pay-TV households, according to Nielsen Korea. Seven weeks later, on 18th August, the finale closed at 17.53% — with a peak of 21.86% within a single minute of broadcast. For a Wednesday–Thursday drama on a nascent cable channel to set an all-time ENA ratings record, considerable deliberation had taken place well behind the cameras.
Rejected by platforms, rescued by Netflix and ENA
Lee Sang-baek, chief executive of production company A-Story, recalled in interviews that negotiations with multiple streaming and broadcasting platforms were far from straightforward. Several prospective partners demanded rights beyond simple broadcast licensing; in the end, A-Story struck a deal with Netflix covering only transmission rights, and paired that with a slot on ENA. People in the industry warned him against the ENA partnership.
The decision reflected a structural frustration endemic to Korean independent producers. Most production companies lack their own broadcast outlets and depend entirely on the major networks, leaving them with thin margins however well their shows perform. "No matter how hard or how well a production company works, it simply cannot generate significant profit," Mr Lee said. Having raised capital through A-Story's 2019 stock-market listing, he channelled those funds directly into production to retain greater control. The total production budget for *Extraordinary Attorney Woo* came to nearly ₩20bn (roughly $15m).
Not every whale was computer-generated
The drama's signature whale imagery was assembled from more than one source. Scenes in which a whale glides behind the protagonist Woo Young-woo were produced using high-quality computer-generated imagery created specifically for the show. The whale-jumping sequences that punctuate moments of legal breakthrough, however, were licensed stock footage — a cost-saving suggestion made by screenwriter Moon Ji-won, who proposed buying high-resolution existing clips rather than commissioning original CGI for every instance.
The whales also followed an internal visual grammar. A whale leaping cleanly signalled a clear and elegant solution; one tilting its head or moving sluggishly indicated a resolution that worked but felt forced. Smaller CGI touches appeared throughout — documents floating in mid-air when Young-woo deployed her photographic memory, for instance — and the interior of the fictional Hanbada law firm was a purpose-built set.
The whale motif emerged early in the writing process. Ms Moon had completed scripts for the first eight episodes before director Yoo In-sik joined the project. He requested a visual device to externalise Young-woo's inner world; the whale image arose from that conversation after other candidates proved too difficult to articulate in dialogue. The choice was further supported by an observation from Professor Choi Jae-cheon, a prominent biologist, that among non-human animals, whales are uniquely documented to assist members of their own species living with disabilities.
Why the screenwriter changed her mind
Ms Moon had initially intended to decline the commission. When A-Story first approached her, she was preparing to direct a feature film. What changed her mind was a single detail: the premise that Young-woo is a grown-up version of Ji-woo, a child with autism who appears in the 2019 Korean film *Witness*. "That sounds fun," she recalled thinking.
Early in development, Ms Moon asked a range of people — lawyers and non-lawyers alike — whether a person with autism could realistically become a practising attorney. Legal professionals generally said yes; those outside the law tended to say it would only be plausible if the condition were mild enough to be invisible to a casual observer. That divergence shaped her characterisation: she decided Young-woo should be visibly, unmistakably different at first glance. Rather than writing a handful of episodes before plotting the rest — the standard Korean drama practice of drafting roughly four scripts before shooting begins — Ms Moon prepared a one-page outline for each of the sixteen episodes before writing any of them in full. The production team found the approach unusual and illuminating.
Pink gloves and unscripted moments
Many of the drama's most memorable details were unplanned. The pink gloves worn by Young-woo in episode four — paired with a school uniform and an oversized tteokbokki-red coat — were a personal accessory belonging to lead actress Park Eun-bin, pressed into service as an impromptu prop on set. Sharp-eyed fans recognised them: Ms Park had worn the same gloves during filming of an earlier drama, *The King's Affection*.
Young-woo's wardrobe required more deliberate thought. Ms Park explained that she chose fabrics that were soft against the skin and cuts that did not constrict the body, reasoning from the character's perspective about what would feel comfortable. The result was loose-fitting silhouettes and skirts rather than trousers, repeated across what she described as "more than a hundred outfits in the Young-woo style." She also reflected that the role had been personally "the most daunting project" of her career.
Kang Ki-young, who plays the ebullient lawyer Jeong Myeong-seok, contributed his own spontaneous touches. His delighted response to Young-woo's first self-introduction — "That's genuinely fascinating" — was improvised, as was his cheerful telephone greeting "Hello, Attorney Woo Young-woo!" The character's signature "Huh?" reaction was written in the script simply as "Huh?" but the distinctive intonation was entirely his own.
Drawing a line around representation
At a press conference on 26th July, director Yoo raised concerns about a trend of viewers mimicking Young-woo's autistic mannerisms. He acknowledged the affection driving the impulse but said the practice made him uncomfortable as a creator. He cited the case of a YouTuber who had posted a video imitating Young-woo's autism-related behaviours, faced criticism for trivialising the condition, and subsequently apologised. "No single person can represent all autistic people," Mr Yoo said, "and our drama is just one story among countless."
The numbers
Ratings rose approximately eighteenfold from the first episode to the last. *Extraordinary Attorney Woo* held first place among Wednesday–Thursday dramas through its entire run and left ENA with its highest-ever ratings record. Internationally, the series reached number one in Netflix's non-English-language television rankings and was subtitled into 31 languages. Mr Lee noted that the drama's webtoon adaptation had been sold to China, Japan, Taiwan, Indonesia, and Thailand, and said he believed the franchise had the potential to become "a fully realised super-IP."
A final thought
The whales in the script gave viewers a window into Young-woo's mind. The whale the production company was chasing was altogether more commercial: a business model in which a Korean independent producer could, at last, keep a meaningful share of what it creates.