Lee Young Ae is best remembered for her seminal role in Jewel in the Palace, the 2003 blockbuster that catapulted her to stardom not only in Korea but also before a global audience then discovering Korean content through cable channels that aired dramas with subtitles.
JITP had all the elements of a blockbuster: 18th century courtroom intrigue, lavish sets and costumes, sumptuous meals intricately laid out in fine dishes prepared in the royal Joseon kitchens. Into this territory, the orphaned kitchen cook Jang Geum (Lee Young Ae) learns the secrets of traditional Korean cooking and medicine, eventually becoming the first female royal physician of the Joseon Dynasty.
Then 32, Lee Young Ae was the toast of the K-drama world. At year end, she brought home the Grand Baeksang for her portrayal of Jang Geum and a host of other awards at a time when lead roles in K-dramas were mostly played by actors at least a decade younger than her.
Fast forward to 2025. LYA, now 54, is headlining Walking on Thin Ice with Kim Young Kwang, 38. This is a very intense contemporary thriller with a dark theme that, like most dramas of this genre, is now hugely popular with netizens shuttling between streaming sites.
First, Lee Young Ae is not a middle-aged actor simply playing disparate roles. She is housewife Kang Eun Soo, with a quiet and stable life until her husband lost his money in a business deal gone wrong; their house is about to be foreclosed. On top of this, he is diagnosed with terminal illness.
With bills piling up, Eun Soo takes on the job of cleaning lady in the ultra chic nightclub where Lee Kyung (Kim Young Kwang) as “James” caters to hyper rich youngsters, underworld thugs disguised as art collectors, and scions of political power brokers.
Second, The partnership between Eun Soo and Lee Kyung is not only fraught with danger from all angles, but also the unlikely team-up with Kim Young Kwang, the 38-year-old veteran of dark crime thrillers (Trigger, 2025; Somebody, 2022) and nuanced rom-coms (Call it Love, 2023), added to the anticipation for Walking On Thin Ice.
WOTI delivers the expected confrontations in a crime thriller, but director Song Hyun Wook (The King’s Affection, 2021; Would You Marry Me, 2025) upped the ante by spiking the drama with shots of the dark corners of the club, then in a beat panning to the crowded dance floor with flashing strobe lights and bodies gyrating in wild abandon. The soundtrack also adds immensely to the tone and feel of the entire drama.
How Eun Soo finds the money she desperately needs is what drives the story written by Jeon Young Shin (The Lies Within, 2019). In a bizarre turn of events, one day a gang member trying to flee from the police accidentally leaves behind a bag of drugs in her home. Initially, she thinks of turning it over to authorities, but when she learns that it commands a high price, she thinks it is a chance to escape from her family’s desperate needs.
The ice referred to in the title is the party drug Ecstasy. After weighing matters, Eun Soo decides to dive into the business of trafficking the drug which she calls Vaka, because it looks like the popular mint candy.
She finds herself in partnership with a most unexpected person: Gyeong (Kim Young Kwang), her daughter’s solicitous art teacher, who by night is a suave but elusive drug seller in the night club. She cautiously approaches James, makes a deal with him to sell the stuff.
The story of WOTI may appear simple but its writer weaves a messy but fast-paced series with the pair making deals, side-stepping the police, and being pursued by the gang that owns the drugs. These scenes leave viewers walking on eggshells or on thin ice that may crack with one misstep.
Take this scene: Eun Soo, barely breathing and unblinking, is crouched behind a counter in the club’s kitchen. Tension is lurking in the dark corners and like voyeurs anticipating a bust, viewers are riveted to that instant (one of many) of gang members trying to smoke out who has taken the drugs and a zealous police officer also on its trail. In the club Gyeong (James) is quietly and coldly watching.
Then just as you are gripping the edge of your seat or biting your nails, there is a pause—the transactions between Eun Soo and James are complicated by what goes on with the police and gang members. But the chaotic turns are alternately hilarious and scary. Into this mixed bag is an assortment of characters: among them a competent police officer, the brother of Gyeong, a character from Gyeong’s past that was responsible for Gyeong’s imprisonment on false charges, and the trusted right hand of Gyeong. These motley characters keep the plot moving and prevent it from escalating into a very violent series considering its subject matter.
Ultimately, the primary factor behind its success lies in the unlikely pairing of its lead actors, a partnership that actually works
Ultimately, the primary factor behind the success of Walking on Thin Ice lies in the unlikely pairing of its lead actors, a partnership that actually works. Through many twists and turns and the changing dynamic in their relationship as partners in crime, they make a lot of money. The chemistry between them develops so naturally as they get more enmeshed in their dangerous transactions.
Eun Soo’s anxiety, fear, and frustration were so palpably depicted in Lee Young Ae’s body language, the tremor in her voice, her expressions that changed from one scene to the next. It helped tremendously that Kim Young Kwang delivered exactly the reactions expected of his character. He effortlessly switched between Gyeong, the art teacher and “James,” the drug seller without missing a beat.
The partnership and bond between Eun Soo and Gyeong, cemented after not a few false starts and initial suspicion, is one of the best elements in the drama. While walking Eun Soo through the intricacies of their deals, Gyeong had to reveal more of himself. In the process, they got on each other’s throats, bickered a lot, and eventually warmed up to each other. This synergy served them well eventually especially when their lives were in danger.
As is expected of crime thrillers, the duo don’t entirely get to sell all the drugs, make a lot of money and keep it for themselves. The police, hot on their trail and the gang that owns the drugs, hone in on Eun Soo because of a mole in the police department that initially wants to stop them from selling the drugs so he can profit from the cache himself. Eun Soo and Gyeong desperately try to stop this mole from ruining their lives.
Walking on Thin Ice is everything that a suspense thriller is expected to be, and more. It escapes the predicament of crime thrillers that escalate into violent and bloody episodes to hold onto viewers. It accomplishes this by telling a story that explores the human side of people who go into illegal and dangerous ventures. And, while it does this, and shows what motivates them, it offers no excuses and lets them face the consequences.
Decent ratings for a series
Though not carried by the biggest global streamers of K-drama — Walking on Thin Ice was streamed on VIKI and Kocowa — it had decent ratings throughout its run. Episode 12, its finale aired on October 26, had a rating of 5.0 percent, proving the staying power of the suspense thriller told from a human perspective. One particular scene, in which Eun Soo, having done time for her sins, flushed the remaining drugs down the toilet, had a peak rating of 6.2 percent, drawing strong viewer response to bring the drama’s six-week journey to a fitting close.
Avid K-drama watchers and critics closely followed the “nail-biting thriller” and had socmed platforms buzzing about Lee Young Ae and Kim Young Kwang. Here are a few:
>>> “Seeing Lee Young Ae back on screen after so many years is such a treat! Her acting is so natural and full of emotions, you can really feel her strength and pain as a mother… Kim Young Kwang totally stole my heart. His character is mysterious yet charming, and the way he connects with LYA’s role gives the story so much depth. Their chemistry is on point.” — Maasooma, October 15, 2025, IMDb.com
>>> The seasoned performances of Lee Young Ae, Kim Young Kwang shone… and Song Hyun Wook’s stylish direction and Jeon Young Shin’s meticulous writing combined to overwhelm viewers with breath-taking twists and a weighty message until the end.” — OSEN, ChosunBiz.en, October 27, 2025.
>>> “Overall, this drama is a mix of classy acting, beautiful cinematography, and a gripping storyline. Definitely worth watching, highly recommended for anyone who loves mystery, thriller, and powerful performances.” — CML-213, September 20, 2025, IMDb.com
