KAHUKU — Talk about a Korean drama.

It was must-see TV back in South Korea to the delight of the Seoul Broadcasting System, title sponsor of the LPGA Tour's season-opening SBS Open.

It couldn't have scripted a better ending as Joo Mi Kim won in a dramatic playoff over fellow South Korean Soo Young Moon yesterday.

Kim hit a sand wedge to a foot and then tapped in for the winning birdie after Moon missed a 20-foot attempt for her birdie on the second playoff hole at the par-5 18th.

The two South Koreans had finished in a tie for first with Lorena Ochoa at 10-under par 206.

Ochoa was eliminated on the first playoff hole, also at the par-5 18th, failing to match longer birdie putts by Moon and Kim, which set the stage for an all-Korean ending.

The day began at the Turtle Bay Resort's Palmer Course with SBS anticipating a showdown between Kim and Sung Ah Yim, close friends and teammates on South Korea's gold-medal winning team in the 2002 Asian Games.

Kim, who said through an interpreter that she felt nervous playing the regulation 18, was relieved after parring the hole to gain the playoff.

It was a different story after that.

"I wasn't nervous. I was very calm," Kim said.

Kim and Yim were tied for the second-round lead along with veteran Becky Iverson. Yim and Iverson both fell out of contention with final-round 75s.

Moon took Yim's place in the final scenario by birdieing 17 and 18 for a 69 to join Ochoa, who shot 67 in the group ahead.

And after she wrapped up her first LGPA victory, Kim planned on celebrating. Her plans were to drink "a lot of beer at a local Korean restaurant."

"Hite Beer," said Kim, referring to the South Korean beer company which is her sponsor.

Definitely not champagne after getting doused with two bottles of it by Christina Kim.

Kim and her caddy, Jay Jang also took a dunk in the lake fronting the green.

All good stuff for must-see TV back in Seoul.

SBS also had to be elated that 21 of the 25 Korean natives in the field made the 36-hole cut — five of them playing in the final three threesomes.

One of them was Moon, who had her best showing in her first LPGA event since the Sybase Classic last May because of an injured wrist.

"Second place is OK," Moon said, "but they don't think about second place. They know (only) first place. A little bit sad, but maybe next time."

Kim said her first LPGA victory came sooner than even she had expected.

"Seems like I'm dreaming," said Kim, despite getting a cold dose of champagne and reality.

With all the South Koreans again entered in this week's Fields Open in Hawai'i at the Ko Olina Resort, do you suppose there's a sequel in the making?