Nine (TV series)
A man uses nine incense sticks to travel 20 years back in time.
Nine (Korean: 나인: 아홉 번의 시간여행; RR: Nain: ahop beonui siganyeohaeng; lit. 'Nine: Nine Time Travels') is a 2013 South Korean television series starring Lee Jin-wook and Jo Yoon-hee. It aired on tvN from March 11 to May 14, 2013, on Mondays and Tuesdays at 23:00 (KST) for 20 episodes. The science fiction/romance series is noted for its unique approach to time travel, with an ending open to interpretation.
The story follows a man who discovers nine magical incense sticks that let him travel 20 years into the past. He uses them to protect his family and change his present-day world, but his actions ripple forward, affecting many lives—including his own. The show’s handling of time travel is distinctive, and its conclusion leaves room for multiple readings.
The cast includes Lee Jin-wook as Park Sun-woo, a news anchor whose family tragedy prompts him to use the incense to seek revenge and reclaim his love, though he has only a limited number of trips. Jo Yoon-hee plays Joo Min-young, a junior reporter and Sun-woo’s colleague. Jeon No-min portrays Park Jung-woo, Sun-woo’s older brother, who holds the key to a crime Sun-woo tries to solve across time. Kim Hee-ryung and Jin Ye-sol play Sun-woo and Jung-woo’s mother at different ages; Jung Dong-hwan and Seo Dong-won play the chairman of a stem cell research company; Lee Eung-kyung, Um Hyo-sup, Lee Seung-joon, Yeon Je-wook, Oh Min-suk, Greena Park, Yoo Se-rye, Lee Jun-hyeok, Lee Si-woo, Kim Won-hae, Lee Han-wi, and Park Won-sang (cameo) round out the 2012/2013 timeline. In the 1992/1993 timeline, younger versions of characters are played by Park Hyung-sik (Sun-woo), Jo Min-ah (Min-young), Seo Woo-jin (Jung-woo), Park Moon-ah (Eun-joo), Kim Hee-ryung (Myung-hee), Jeon Guk-hwan (Chun-soo), Jung Dong-hwan (Choi Jin-chul), Um Hyo-sup (Oh Chul-min), Lee Yi-kyung (Han Young-hoon), Na Hae-ryung (Han So-ra), Ga Deuk-hee (Kim Yoo-jin), and Kim Won-hae (Park Chang-min).
According to a Deadline Hollywood article from October 25, 2013, ABC put an American remake into development, but it was never produced.
- type
- Television series
- country
- South Korea
- network
- tvN
- air_dates
- March 11 to May 14, 2013
- episodes
- 20
- genre
- Science fiction / romance
- starring
- Lee Jin-wook, Jo Yoon-hee
Lore & Background
The series follows Park Sun-woo, a news anchor who finds nine magical incense sticks that allow him to travel 20 years back in time. He attempts to keep his family safe and change his present world, but his actions in the past affect many lives, including his own. The show presents a unique take on time travel, with consequences for altering history.
Reader's Guide
Nine is significant as a South Korean television series that explores time travel through a limited resource—nine incense sticks—each granting a single 20-year journey into the past. Its narrative focuses on the protagonist's attempts to avert family tragedy, with ripple effects that complicate his mission. The series was put into development for an American remake by ABC in October 2013, though it was never produced. Its open-ended conclusion invites viewer interpretation, contributing to its lasting discussion among fans of the genre.
Did You Know?
- The series aired on tvN from March 11 to May 14, 2013, for 20 episodes.
- An American remake was put into development by ABC in October 2013 but was never produced.
- The show's ending is open to interpretation due to its unique handling of time travel.
- The cast includes Park Hyung-sik as a younger version of the lead character Park Sun-woo.
More in South Korean science fiction television series 1-24
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