[3] Han Jung-suh (Choi Ji-woo) and Cha Song-joo (Kwon Sang-woo) are childhood friends and have a special bond that blossoms into love.

Jung-suh's father (Ha Jae-young) marries an actress named Tae Mi-ra (Lee Hui-hyang), who brings her real daughter, Han Yoo-ri (Park Ji-Mi), and son, Han Tae-hwa (Lee Wan) into the household.

Three years later, Song-joo (Kwon Sang-woo) comes back from America, and Jung-suh (Choi Ji-woo) rushes to greet him.

Jung-suh, now named Kim Ji-soo, works at a small clothing shop while living with Tae-hwa (now Chul-soo).

Tae-hwa wants to grant her wish at all costs and commits suicide via car crash in order to donate his cornea to her.

She starts to feel sick again, and the doctor states that the tumor has spread to her brain and is inoperable; the same incurable illness that killed her mother.

Recreation complex Lotte World in Seoul was used as a filming location, namely the carousel, ice rink and as the seat of Cha Song-joo's family business.

[2] In 2004, the broadcast rights were sold to Japan for appropriately ₩1.2 billion, at the time a record price for a Korean drama export.

[5] It aired as part of Fuji TV's "Saturday Hallyu Wide Hour" programming block.

[9] According to a poll conducted by TV Asahi variety show SMAP Station in May 2007, Stairway to Heaven ranked as the third most popular Korean drama in Japan.

The series was rebroadcast on GMA News TV from November 23, 2020 to January 1, 2021 and was re-aired[clarification needed] on Heart of Asia, starting mid-week of September 2021.

In 2005, broadcasting rights to the drama were sold to eight countries across Latin America including Mexico, Peru and Costa Rica.