This is the story of two women, Seo Jung Eun and Han Yoo Kyung, who walk very different paths to achieve their desires. Seo Jung Eun is a strong and courageous woman who has suffered a difficult life, having grown up in an orphanage, but continues to embrace people around her despite longing for affection herself. Jung Eun harbours the hope that she will meet her mother if she becomes a star, striving to reach her goal and overcome her suffering with her pure and innocent nature. In contrast, Han Yoo Kyung has a birth secret for which she is willing to throw away everything in order to get revenge. The "thorn birds" of the title refers to Jung Eun's character, who only brings out her best at the cost of great pain. A thorn bird is a mythical bird who searches for a thorn tree from the day it is born. When it finds it, the bird impales itself upon the sharpest thorn, and rises above the agony to sing the most beautiful song ever heard.


Cast
Han Hye Jin as Seo Jung Eun
Kim So Hyun as young Jung Eun
Joo Sang Wook as Lee Young Jo
Lee Min Ho as young Young Jo
Kim Min Jung as Han Yoo Kyung
Yoon Jung Eun as young Yoo Kyung
Seo Do Young as Choi Kang Woo

Extended Cast
Cha Hwa Yun as Yoon Myung Ja / Lee Ae Rin
Kim Ha Eun as Yang Mi Ryun
Song Ok Sook as Kim Kye Soon
Choi Jae Won as Park Han Soo
Kim Dong Young as young Han Soo
Jung Ui Kap as Lee Young Gook
Park Ji Il as Choi Jong Dal
Ahn Seung Hoon (안승훈) as Yoon Myung Goo
Lee Mi Young as Soon Geum
Jung Eun Byul as Park Seo Jin
Oh Hyun Kyung as Young Jo's grandfather
Kim Soo Hyun (김수현) as Seo Han Byul
Lee Won Jae (이원재) as Yoon Hak Goo
Choi Sang Hoon as Seo Jin's father
Jung Kyung Soon as Yoo Kyung's adoptive mother
Jang Min Ho (장민호) as Lee Soo Young
Jang Yong (cameo)
Kim Ji Young