“I think dramas have recreational functions, but they also have the power to change the world. Just as the drama ‘Sandglass’ made Gwangju known to the world, I always wish my drama could help the world change a little bit.”

Writer Lee Kyung-hee (51), met the Herald at a cafe of Raemian Cellitus apartment building in Ichon-dong, Yongsan-gu, Seoul, on the afternoon of October 9th, and emphasized the power of the drama. She has continued her television dram writing career for 24 years, writing for such dramas as ‘Tough Guy’s Love,’ ‘Sang-doo! Let's Go to School,’ ‘I'm Sorry, I Love You,’ ‘Thank You,’ and ‘The Innocent Man.’ She has pursued warm and easy dramas. "There are times when I found myself writing instructively, and I'm always wary of it. I want people to relax and feel better the moment they watch the drama."

One thing in common with her dramas is that they contain people's stories. "After all, I think it's important not to let go of love for people because dramas are human stories." Her tendency to love people is reflected in her dramas.

The drama ‘Chocolate,’ which ended in January this year, is a human melodrama in which neurosurgeon Lee Kang and chef Moon Cha-young reunite in hospice to heal each other's wounds through cooking. Lee said she prepared the drama with the heart of setting the table.

"When I just wanted to disappear, I visited my middle school friend who lived in Namhae. She made meals without saying anything. She went out to the riverside to catch freshwater crabs and fish to prepare a warm meal with. After a meal, the coldness went away. I felt like my wounds had healed. I wanted to give someone the consolation I had from my friend's dishes.”

Many people and various foods with their stories appear on the table in her dramas. Among them, the episode of jajangmyeon grandfather is the most memorable to her. He was the grandfather Lee met in hospice. "The grandfather was a schoolteacher. He wanted to eat jajangmyeon, so he sneaked out the hospital and ate it himself. To eat jjajangmyeon, even though death was coming to him. In a way, the food was a hope for the day."

‘Chocolate’ is set in a hospice that eases the sufferings of the dying. Lee chose the hospice to think about life through cooking, and to capture even death, the end of life. "When people thought that there is the end, maybe they could be more considerate and share what they have," she said.

Lee has already told a story about death in her previous work. Her interest in death was largely due to her elderly parents. As an only child, she even picked "parents" as the driving force behind her writing.

"I don't think I should talk about things that my parents don’t understand when making a drama. There are many different cultural attractions that young people can enjoy, but there are fewer for the elderly. One of the things they can enjoy is TV. So I want to make a TV drama that they can understand."

A drama that is easy to understand does not mean that the subject is easy. The drama ‘Thank You’ tells the story of AIDS and prejudice. "In the case of AIDS, I read in the newspaper that 30 percent of AIDS patients die from suicide. I thought the prejudice was more serious than the disease itself. Also, a photo of the Chinese chief shaking hands with an AIDS patient was splashed in headlines across the newspaper at that time. In fact, it's not a big deal. So I thought about who could be the object of prejudice, and came to deal with the story of a single mother and a grandfather suffering from dementia in the drama."

The difference of her drama is that it describes heavy social problems warmly. "I think dramas should play a role in helping people get into the story easily without creating walls." The bias against AIDS, which was dealt with in the drama 'Thank you,' was a subject that could cause resistance. After much thought, she came to present the child as a speaker who would be most acceptable to others. Thanks to it, people listened to her story.

She stared at the Han River outside the window of the cafe, saying her life as a writer was just "flowing." "I've been a drama writer for about 24 years, and a lot has happened. I see a river over there, and I think it's gone like a river."

Lee naturally decided to work on writing, having written well and received many awards since she was young. Then, she happened to be an assistant writer and came all the way here. However, it wasn’t all smooth sailing. "I made my debut in a one-act play when I was 27 years old, and my father watched it with all the people in the neighborhood. I wrote a difficult story back then, and they who watched it with me at the time said it was not fun. It taught me to write stories in a way that are easy and fun."

She has already won the 2008 44th Baeksang Arts Awards, which was presented by the Korean Writers' Association and in 2007, the 20th Korean TV Writers' Awards of Drama category. But rather, she said, "It's a thing that goes by," and "my rival become the best work I've ever done since then."

As for the direction in which it flows, she said, "It's going right." "An actor named Yoo Tae-oh from 'Chocolate' got a text message from a fan living in Arizona, USA. When she was young, she had a lot of trouble and had spinal surgery, so she is lying down now. She got a lot of strength from watching this drama, Chocolate. He showed me that message, and I felt like I was going the right way as a writer."

Lee gave advice for Chung-Ang University students who dream of becoming a drama writer. "It would be safe to keep the ship tied to the harbor, but that would be against its purpose. Ships must sail through storms and surf a lot. The same goes for you. It's not an easy way to write a drama. But if you feel, see, empathize, and don't give up, I think you can achieve that dream. Don't miss out on people's affection, go into people and experience a lot."