# Welcome to Samdal-ri (2023)

> A disgraced photographer returns to her seaside hometown and reconnects with the childhood friend she never got over.

Canonical page: https://ember.film/tv/139370

## Facts

- Seasons: 1
- Episodes: 16
- Episode runtime: 69 min
- Status: Ended
- Genres: romance, comedy, drama
- Created by: Kwon Hye-ju
- Network: JTBC
- Cast: Ji Chang-wook, Shin Hae-sun, Yu Oh-seong, Kim Mi-kyung, Lee Jae-won, Seo Hyun-chul, Shin Dong-mi, Kang Mi-na
- TMDB rating: 8.0/10
- IMDb: https://www.imdb.com/title/tt26653824/

## Ember's analysis

- Pacing: slow
- Intensity: mild
- Complexity: simple
- Violence: none
- Tone: warm, gentle, wistful, comforting, breezy

## What critics say

Viewers broadly find the series warm, relaxed and charming, with a gentle romance between childhood friends that rewards patient, slice-of-life storytelling.

## Synopsis

Welcome to Samdal-ri (2023-2024) is a South Korean slice of life romantic comedy created by Kwon Hye-ju for JTBC. After a fall from grace, photographer Jo Sam-dal (Shin Hae-sun) returns to her hometown and bumps into her childhood friend Jo Yong-pil (Ji Chang-wook), rekindling an unfinished romance that never fully ended. The series runs for sixteen episodes in a single season, and each episode unfolds at an easy pace, built from the everyday rhythms of a close knit coastal community: neighborly errands, family meals, small work jobs and the gossip that moves through town. Her relatives, including Jo Sang-tae (Yu Oh-seong) and Go Mi-ja (Kim Mi-kyung), give the story a warm multigenerational frame, while Wang Gyeong-tae (Lee Jae-won) adds a complication in the emotional tangle. The show's engine is quiet rather than dramatic: a woman trying to recover her footing and a man who has stayed behind, both testing whether old feelings can grow into something steady. Its tone is gentle, wistful and comforting, with a sisterly bond at its center and a relaxed, breezy rhythm. Set in a present day Korean seaside town, it is a sweet, unhurried take on second chances. Fans of Hometown Cha-Cha-Cha and Crash Landing on You will find resonance here.

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