Address:
| Jeollabuk-do Muju-gun Seolcheon-myeon Dugil-ri | |
Inquiries:
• 1330 tt call center: +82-63-1330 (English,Korean,Japanese,Chinese)
• For more info: +82-63-322-3174, +82-63-322-3175, +82-63-322-3473, +82-63-322-4174 (Korean)
Homepage:
english.knps.or.kr/Knp/Deogyusan/ (English, Korean, Japanese, Chinese)
| Introduction |
| Deogyusan National Park covers Geochang-gun of Gyeongsangnam-do and Muju-gun of Jeollabuk-do. Starting from Mt. Deogyusan’s main peak, Hyangjeokbong, the ridges are about 1300m above sea level, and as it stretches southwestward for about 18 km, it branches out in many directions to create a long series of mountains. For every branch of the mountain ridgeline, there are matching valleys at Mt. Deogyusan.Among these valleys, Mujugucheondong Valley, stretching 25 km from the Deogyu peak to Seolcheon River on the north, is the most famous. There are 33 wonderful scenes in the valley that are praised for their beauty, called Gucheondong 33 Kyeong. Susimdae is a valley 400m deep. Because water as clear as jade flows through here, it is also referred to as Suhwa.
Deogyusan also has three valleys that are grouped together: the Chilyeon, Jeoksang, and Munan. Among them the Chilyeon Valley is the most beautiful. It is famous for its Chilyeon Waterfall, where clear water passes by thick pine forest and winds through a series of rock formations. This water current has created seven ponds, and the way they are all lined up makes up for a very interesting view. Clear water circulates into each of these ponds, and then flows into another pond to create a series of seven segmented waterfalls. The Chilyeon Waterfall complements the surrounding old pine trees and maple trees. In the summer, many vacationers, and in the fall, people looking for autumn colored leaves visit this area. Mt. Deogyusan has many beautiful valleys, waterfalls, pine forests, and intresting rock formations. Mujugucheon-dong local officials, in conjunction with the National Park Administration Office, provide visitors with many convenient facilities in order to make for a pleasurable stay. |
| Telephone |
| +82-63-322-3174 |
| Closed |
| Open year-round (Visitors advised to stay off the mountain during inclement weather) |
| Natural Preservation Areas (closed to public) |
| * Chilyeon Ravine 1: until 2026 * Chilyeon Ravine 2: until 2028 * Bottom of Hyangjeokbong Peak: until 2026 |
| Mountain Not Access Period |
| 2011 Seasonal Forest Fire Watches by Park 02.16.2011 ~ 04.30.2011 ※TBD by park directors based on fire weather advisories, snow/precipitation levels, and other local conditions. |
| Areas Open to the Public |
| * Samgongni 삼공리 ~ Baeknyeonsa Temple 백련사 ~ Hyangjeokbong Peak 향적봉: 8.1km * Seolcheonbong Peak 설천봉 ~ Hyangjeokbong Peak 향적봉: 0.6km * Seochang Park Protection Area 서창공원지킴터 ~ Anguksa Temple 안국사: 3.8km * Hwangjeom 황점 ~ Satgatgoljae 삿갓골재: 3.4km |
| Restricted Mountain Areas |
| * Chimok 치목 ~ Anguksa Temple 안국사: 3.7km * Inwoldam 인월담 ~ Seolcheonbong Peak 설천봉: 5.10km * Hyangjeokbong Peak 향적봉 ~ Yeonggak Park Protection Area 영각공원지킴터: 17.9km * Baengnyeonsa Temple 백련사 ~ Jungbong Peak 중봉: 4km * Hoenggyeongjae 횡경재 ~ Sinpungnyeong 신풍령: 7.8km * Songgyesa Temple 송계사 ~ Baegambong Peak 백암봉: 6.5km * Anseong Information Center 안성탐방지원센터 ~ Dongyeomnyeong 동엽령: 4.4km * Hwangjeom 황점 ~ Wolseongjae 월성재: 2.6km * Yuksimnyeong 육십령 ~ Namdeogyusan Mountain 남덕유산: 3.6km * Byeonggok 병곡 ~ Dongyeomnyeong 동엽령: 3.5km * Yangak 양악 ~ Wolseongjae 월성재: 4.0km |
| Hiking Course |
| * Chimok Course: 2 Hours, 3.7km * Wolseongjae Course : 2 Hours, 3.7km * Hoenggyeongjae Course: 3 Hours, 6.4km * Sinpungnyeong Course: 4 Hours, 7.8km * Osujagul Course: 2 Hours, 4.2km |
| Operating Hours |
| Entrance to the park is permitted from two hours before sunrise until two hours after sunset. |
| Admission Fees |
| Free* Parking fee Parking fee vary depending on the size of the car. For more information, please refer to the website. |
![↑Endless Love [Summer Scent Location-2]](https://furiita.files.wordpress.com/2011/08/226346_image2_1.jpg?w=90&h=70&crop=1 "↑Endless Love [Summer Scent Location-2]")
Address:
| Gangwon-do Pyeongchang-gun Doam-myeon Byeongnae-ri 405-2 |
Inquiries:
– Korea Travel Phone +82-33-1330 (Korean, English, Japanese, Chinese)
– For more info +82-33-332-7069 (Korean)
| Homepage | |
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| Introduction |
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| Operating Hours |
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| Admission Fees |
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| Local Transportation |
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Aug 19
This gallery contains 15 photos.
Jeollanam-do » Boseong-gun » Daehan Daeop Tourist Tea Plantation (Boseong Green Tea Plantation) Address: Jeollanam-do Bongseong-gun Bonseong-eup Bongsan-ri 1288-1 Inquiries: – Korea Travel Phone +82-61-1330 (English, Korean, Japanese, Chinese) – For more info +82-61-852-4540 (Korean) Homepage http://www.daehantea.co.kr (Korean only) http://www.dhdawon.com (Korean only) Introduction Daehan Daeop Tourist Plantation is an area located in Boseong, and its […]
Coffee Prince Number 1 (2007, MBC miniseries)
Coffee Prince Number 1 is probably the most enjoyable Korean TV drama I’ve watched so far. I loved Ruler of Your Own World, but it was darker, more serious, more dramatic. Coffee Prince is pure fun, and its popularity shows that many Koreans agree with me.
The premise is that Go Eun Chan (Yoon Eun-hye, Palace), by default the head of her family after her father died when she was 16, is often mistaken for a boy. She wears her hair fairly short, dresses ambiguously, knows Tae Kwon Do, does delivery work, and eats like a horse. Choi Han Gyeol (Gong Yoo, One Fine Day), handsome scion of a wealthy family, is being pressured to marry by his imperious grandmother (Kim Young-ok). He hires Eun Chan, whom he takes for male, to pretend to be his gay lover. Behaving outrageously in various hotel lobbies, the two scare off all the women his grandmother sends him.
Grandmother then raises the stakes. If Han Gyeol won’t marry or go to work for the family company, he’ll have to support himself; she takes away his care and gives him notice of eviction for his expensive rooftop apartment before he agrees to manage Coffee Prince, a rundown coffee shop in a student district, and increase its profits. Eun Chan wheedles him into hiring “him,” and before long they find themselves powerfully drawn to each other. His interest in a cute boy understandably disturbs Han Gyeol, who reacts as if he were a closeted gay man: he alternately tries to keep Eun Chan close, and to drive “him” away.
Why is Han Gyeol so reluctant to marry? Several online articles I’ve seen describe him as a “playboy,” but he’s never shown dating women. He’s in love with Han Yoo Joo (Chae Jeong-an, Emperor From the Sea), a beautiful and brilliant artist who has an on-again, off-again love with Han Gyeol’s cousin Han Seong (Lee Seon-gyoon, White Tower), a musician and producer. As the series begins, Yoo Joo has just returned from a long stay in New York, where she was involved professionally and romantically with a man called DK. Now she’s back and wants to start over with Han Seong, who (reasonably enough) doesn’t quite trust her. But she’s not in love with Han Gyeol either. By chance, Go Eun Chan delivers milk to Han Seong’s house. She and Han Seong bond over Han Seong’s sheepdog Ssulja, and become good friends.
As usual in a series, Coffee Prince includes a constellation of secondary characters, ranging from Eun Chan’s feckless mother (Park Won-sook, Tomato) and the wacky butcher, Mr. Goo (Lee Han-wee, Love and Hate), who wants to marry her; and Eun Chan’s more glamorous younger sister Eun Sae (Han Ye-in), who wants to be a star. Then there’s the Coffee Prince team, assembled like disciples by Han Gyeol and Eun Chan: Han Gyeol’s old friend Chin Ha Rim (Kim Dong-wook), who fancies himself a ladies’ man but also seems interested in Eun Chan; the hunky but slow Hwang Min Yeop (Lee Eon, who tragically died in a motorcycle accident in 2008), who’s in love with Eun Chan’s sister and pursues her doggedly despite her best efforts to drive him away; the mysterious Master of Waffles No Jeon Ki (Kim Jae-wook), who keeps muttering in Japanese; and Manager Hong, the slovenly manager of the shop, whom Grandmother keeps on as co-manager to keep Han Gyeol on his toes.
Writers Lee Jeong-ah and Jang Hyeon-joo keep things steaming along entertainingly, and for the most part they keep the comedy in character, without much of the pointless slapstick or asides that disrupt some comedy-dramas. I’m also forever grateful that they never resort to a car or other accident to engender a crisis and permit tearful reconciliations and confessions, as in so many dramas. Some early plot points, like Eun Chan’s supersensitive nose for smells, are introduced early on and then forgotten; on first meeting Eun Chan, Ha Rim calls “him” My Chan and exclaims over “his” cuteness, but after a few episodes he’s chasing after young women and trying to give Eun Chan advice on handling the babes.
The story doesn’t really come together until Han Gyeol and Eun Chan begin to fall in love. Most writers would, I think, have let Han Gyeol know that Eun Chan was a girl after no more than one episode of homosexual panic, but Lee and Jang stretch it over several episodes, and make Han Gyeol’s anxiety wholly convincing. He sees a clueless old doctor, who gives him medicine to cure him of his tendencies. “You’re gay, right?” he asks Eun Chan. “But I’m not. So stop seducing me.”
“Who called me over in the middle of the night?” she points out.
“Let’s be sworn brothers,” he tells her. She refuses his evasion at first, then gives in. In voice over, each then tells us that even if it only means being a brother, he won’t have to leave the other’s side. But still Han Gyeol runs hot and cold, firing Eun Chan and then running to get “him” back. (One beautiful bit: Han Gyeol tells Eun Chan a major family secret. Sitting behind him, where he can’t see her, she stretches out her hands and mimes embracing him, comforting him, because she doesn’t dare to touch him. Yoon puts immense longing into that gesture.)
As more and more of the other characters are let in on the secret of Eun Chan’s real sex, the tension builds. It’s helped a lot by the wonderful chemistry between the leads, who are wholly convincing as new lovers delighted with each other. Gong Yoo resembles a younger Ju Jin-mo (Musa, Happy Ending), and he actually seems to grow up during the series, from a pretty but shallow young man to a strong but gentle adult. There’s one lovely scene where Han Gyeol visits his grandmother, who’s seriously ill and looks it. They bicker pleasurably, and I realized that Eun Chan is a younger version of Granny. Then Han Gyeol climbs into her bed and pillows her head on his arm, saying that no man had done that since Grandfather.
Yoon Eun-hye has a hard job. Typically in cross-dressing roles, the deception is not allowed to be too convincing: the audience is not allowed to succumb to the illusion that the actor or actress could pass for the other sex. Nor will be a performer be hired who looks the part too well. Yoon Eun-hye says she studied men’s movements and body language, but maybe the director toned her down. She never quite persuaded me that women would chase her out of a women’s sauna when she tried to make a good delivery, but she does have an androgynous charm and earnestness that makes her lovable. And after her femme makeover in episode 5, Go Eun Chan looks like a drag queen. She actually looks more like a boy when she’s wearing a dress and full makeup than she does in trousers and t-shirt.
It doesn’t really matter, though, because Coffee Prince Number One is a romantic fantasy, not a realistic story. It works very well on that level. Best of all, from my point of view, is that the story has no villain, and even the most foolish characters aren’t clowns but believable people with reasons for their folly. The characters vary somewhat in their likability, but all are good at heart, even the unreliable Yoo Joo. As the literary critic Marvin Mudrick once said, nothing in life or literature is more interesting and exciting than goodness. (Review by Duncan Mitchel)
Coffee Prince Number 1 (“Keopi Peurinseu 1-hojeom”). Alternate title: “Coffee Prince’s Flagship Store.” 18 episodes. Written by Lee Jung Ah & Jang Hyun Joo. Produced by Lee Yoon Jung. Starring Yoon Eun-hye, Gong Yoo, Lee Sun-kyoon, Chae jung-an, Kim Chang-wan, Kim Dong-wook, Kim Jae-wook, Lee Eon. First aired on MBC in Korea from July 2 – August 28, 2007 on Monday and Tuesday nights at 9:55pm. Official website (in Korean): click here. Episodes can be downloaded for a fee here.
Stairway to Heaven (2003-2004, SBS drama special)
2003 could be said to be a pretty fulfilling year for Korean dramas. From All In to Mermaid Lady, Yellow Handkerchief to Damo, these dramas have garnered a pretty faithful following when played on TV. To top off the moving year of titillating Korean dramas, SBS broadcast Stairway to Heaven, starring current heartthrob Kwon Sang-woo and entrancing actress Choi Ji-woo.
This show was a big hit, considering that it could absorb a viewership of anything from 25%- 45%. Of course, one of its main reasons could be the star-studded cast. Starring Kwon Sang-woo, who returns to the screen after his major movie hit My Tutor Friend, fans can’t seem to get enough of him. Also, Choi Ji-woo, the awe-aspiring actress from Winter Sonata, has not been in any productions since Winter Sonata, except a Hong Kong-Korea production, 101 Proposals. Another of its lead actors, Shin Hyun-joon has also been missing from drama productions since 1999. With a cast like that, it’s no wonder that it was one of the most anticipated dramas of the year, even in its pre-production stage.
Alas, this drama is not exactly captivating or exciting. The storyline is too cliche. Most of the plot seems to have been copied from other dramas such as Autumn Fairy Tale and Winter Sonata. Certain parts of it also parallel the storyline of Beautiful Days, which might be due to the fact that the PD of this drama Lee Jang Soo was the PD of Beautiful Days.
Like any other melodrama, this story opens with two childhood friends: Cha Song Joo (Kwon Sang-woo) and Han Jung Suh (Choi Ji-woo). However, as Jung Suh’s father remarries, her new stepmother Tae Mira, brings her two children along, Han Tae Hwa and Han Yuri (Kim Tae-hee). An introvert, Han Tae Hwa (Shin Hyun-joon) is touched by Jung Suh’s kindness towards him and gradually falls in love with her. On the other hand, Jung Suh and Song Joo have an inseparable relationship. At the same time, Yuri also likes Song Joo. So you can see that there’s pretty complicated relationship triangle, or rather, rectangle here.
The show than fast-forwards years later, when the children have all grown up. However, due to a freak accident, Jung Suh is run over by Yuri’s car, which leaves her suffering from memory loss and living with Tae Hwa under a pseudonym. Song Joo is devastated, but never forgets about Jung Suh even though the irritating Yuri tries at all times to get his attention. When the lovers finally reunite, another cruel misfortune occurs…
Like Autumn Fairy Tale, this story also depicts two children who grew up together and become lovers. Kwon Sang-woo is captivating as Song Joo. In fact, the media reported that Kwon shed so much tears in one of the scenes of the show that even the production crew became teary. In fact, this seems to be his best production to date, having acted in pretty minor roles before. Choi Ji-woo is also charismatic in her role as Han Jung Suh. However, it seems like she has become so fixated in playing pathetic, damsel in distress roles (recall: Beautiful Days, Truth, Winter Sonata) that it is becoming numbing for the audience to see her in such pitiful renditions.
However, it was refreshing to see Shin Hyun-joon in dramas again. Taking a five year hiatus in drama productions to concentrate on his movie career, there have been significant changes in his acting style, becoming more mature and in-depth in his character portrayal. Another actress Kim Tae-hee, who plays the evil Yuri, failed to impress with her bad-girl impersonation. Going by the same few expressions, Kim clearly shows her weakness in portraying the inner feelings of Han Yuri, especially since the four main characters in the drama focus a lot on inner feelings. Lee Wan could be said to have brought in a breath of fresh air. Acting as the younger Tae Hwa, Lee Wan is considered one of the most prominent up-and-coming actors to look out for. In fact, he is Kim Tae-hee’s brother in real life.
To conclude, Stairs to Heaven is typical Korean melodrama. Unless you are a big fan of Kwon Sang-woo or Choi Ji-woo, you would most probably find this story boring, since the storyline has been used in so many other high profile drama productions before. Watching the last episode, one feels not forlorn, but rather, melancholic. (Review by Kit Lim)
Stairway to Heaven (“Cheon-guk-ui gyedan”). 20 episodes. Written by Park Hye-kyung. Produced by Lee Jang-soo. Starring Kwon Sang-woo, Choi Ji-woo, Shin Hyun-joon, Kim Tae-hee, Ha Jae-young, Kim Ji-sook, Jung Han-yong. Aired on SBS in Korea from December 3, 2003 – February 5, 2004 on Wednesday and Thursday nights at 9:55pm. Official website (in Korean): click here. Available on DVD from SBS in Korea (no subtitles).
| Summer Scent | |
|---|---|
 Promotional Poster |
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| Also known as | 여름향기 |
| Genre | Romance |
| Format | Drama |
| Directed by | Yoon Seok-Ho |
| Starring | Song Seung-heon Son Ye-jin |
| Country of origin | South Korea |
| Language(s) | Korean |
| No. of episodes | 20 |
| Production | |
| Producer(s) | Yoon Seok-Ho |
| Camera setup | Multi-camera |
| Running time | Mondays and Tuesdays at 9:55 p.m. |
| Broadcast | |
| Original channel | KBS 2TV |
| Original run | July 7, 2003 – September 9, 2003 |
| External links | |
| Website | |
| Summer Scent | |
|---|---|
| Hangul | 여름향기 |
| Hanja | 여름香氣 |
| Revised Romanization | Yeoreum hyanggi |
| McCune–Reischauer | Yǒrǔm hyanggi |
Summer Scent is a 20-episode TV drama series made in 2003. It is the third installment of the four part Endless Love drama series directed by Yoon Seok-Ho, produced by South Korean TV Network KBS.
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Yoo Min-Woo’s (Song Seung-heon) first love was Seo Eun-Hye (Shin-ae). However, Eun-Hye gets into a car accident and dies. Without Yoo Min-Woo’s knowledge, her parents decide to donate her organs. Another character, Shim Hye-Weon (Son Ye-jin) had suffered from a terrible heart disease ever since childhood. Miraculously, she finds that she will be obtaining a heart from a donor, the lately deceased Seo Eun-Hye.
Suffering from the pain of a heartache, Min-Woo goes to Italy to study, with the memories of Eun-Hye still resting in his heart. When he returns to Korea, fate takes a turn and brings Hye-Weon and Min-Woo together. When the two first meet in the airport, Hye-Weon’s heart (Eun-Hye’s heart), oddly beats faster when she is around Min-Woo.
Park Jeong-Jae (Ryu Jin) is Hye-Weon’s fiancee. Jeong-Jae’s sister, Park Jeong-Ah (Han Ji Hye) meets Min-Woo in Italy and falls for him.
Hye-Weon doesn’t know why or what she feels when she’s with Min-Woo. Min-Woo feels guilt towards Eun-Hye, because the feeling of love rises once again as he continues to see Hye-Weon.
Through coincidence, Min-Woo ends up being hired as the Art Director for Jeong-Jae’s project “Summer Scent” and Hye-Weon as their florist. Hiding their prior encounter at the forest, they awkwardly said “Hello” as if they first met. During the project, their fondness grew, within Min-Woo’s eyes, he saw resemblances between Eun-Hye and Hye-Weon. Hye-Weon, on the other hand, believed that it was fate, her ever pacing heart whenever near Min-Woo. Their fondness for each other soon came under suspicion in the eyes of Jeong-Ah and later, Jeong-Jae. Jeong-Jae decides to turn a blind eye due to his love for Hye-Weon. Now Hye-Weon, confused as to whether her feelings are true, decides to leave Min-Woo and trying to comfort her guilt towards Jeong-Jae and Jeong-Ah, she returns to Jeong-Jae’s side.
To forget Hye-Weon, Min-Woo decides to leave for Italy indefinitely but only after seeing her one last time. At her wedding, Min-Woo caught one last glance at her and then left. With Min-Woo near, Hye-Weon’s heart gave signs of his presence and soon alerted her gaze towards Min-Woo departing. Desperately chasing after him Hye-Weon collapses.
Min-Woo rushes Hye-Weon to the hospital with Jeong-Jae arriving a little later.Jeong-Jae who is angry at Min-Woo, tells him to leave for Italy. Min-Woo agrees to leave only after Hye-Weon had regained consciousness. Soon, Hye-Weon wakes up and deeply angered Jeong-Jae forbids Min-Woo to meet, ordering him to leave immediately. As a promise to Hye-Weon, Min-Woo agreed to leave if Hye-Weon decides to have her operation. Without it, she would definitely die.
Soon after his arrival in Italy, Min-Woo receives a letter notifying him that Hye-Weon had died during the operation.
3 years later, with memories of Hye-Weon in his heart, Min-Woo returns to Korea as a manager of an Art Centre. During his absence, Hye-Weon had an artificial heart implanted after the initial surgery, and then traveled to the United States for another transplant. On his way up the steps at the Art Centre and on her way down after her delivery, they meet again. This time with her new heart, its abnormal beating notified her of Min-Woo’s presence and thus proving their true love.
- Song Seung-hun as Yoo Min-Woo
- Son Ye-jin as Shim Hye-Weon
- Ryu Jin as Park Jeong-Jae
- Han Ji-hye as Park Jeong-Ah
- Shin Ae as Eun-Hye
- Jo Eun-Suk
- Kim Yong-Gun
- Main Title
- 비밀 – 정인호
- Missing U – 서진영
- 어쩌면 – 서진영
- 여름향기 – 정인호
- Serenade Inst. (Guitar)
- Second Romance – 서진영
- 여름향기 2 Inst.
- 두 번째 사랑 – 서진영
- 어쩌면 Inst. (Piano)
- Serenade – 유미숙 (Soprano)
- 비밀 Inst. (Piano)
- 두 번째 사랑 Inst. (Piano&Guitar)
- Love – 서진영
- 비밀 Inst. (Guitar)
- 사랑한다면 – 정인호&서진영
- 여우비 Inst.
- Love Inst. (Piano&Guitar)
- Main Title
- Bi Mil – Jeong In-Ho
- Missing U – Seo Jin-Yeong
- Uh Jjuh Myun – Seo Jin-Yeong
- Yuh Reum Hyang Gi – Jeong In-Ho
- Serenade Inst. (Guitar)
- Second Romance – Seo Jin-Yeong
- Yuh Reum Hyang Gi 2 Inst.
- Doo Bun Jjae Sarang – Seo Jin-Yeong
- Uh Jjuh Myun Inst. (Piano)
- Serenade – Yoo Mi-Sook
- Bi Mil Inst. (Piano)
- Doo Bun Jjae Sarang (Inst.)(Piano&Guitar)
- Love – Seo Jin-Yeong
- Bi Mil Inst. (Guitar)
- Sarang Han Da Myun – Jeong In-Ho & Seo Jin-Yeong
- Yuh Woo Bi Inst.
- Love Inst. (Piano&Guitar)
Summer Scent (2003, KBS miniseries)
I finally finished watching Summer Scent. Don’t misunderstand me. I am not implying that Summer Scent is such an unbearable show to watch that I have to force myself to watch it. It’s just the feeling of relief you get when the drama finally comes to an end.
Summer Scent threads along the same vine as its predecessors: Autumn Fairy Tale and Winter Sonata. Narrating the story of two lovers and their tribulations, it certainly follows the directing style of Yoon Suk-ho, who also directed the previous two dramas.
In this drama, PD Yoon is reunited with actor Song Seung-hun (Calla, Ice Rain), who also acted in Autumn Fairy Tale. Perhaps it was the previous chemistry which they had build-up together in the previous drama, Song Seung-hun could grasp the PD’s requirements and expectations, and thus played the role of Yoo Min Woo well. Song Ye-jin (The Classic, Crazy First Love), in her fifth role in dramas and movies, also showed that she has grown up to become a more mature actress since her debut in 2001 in Delicious Proposal.
Song Seung-hun plays the role of Yoo Min Woo, an architect who lost his first love, Eun Hye (played by actress Shin Ae) in a traffic accident on the day of their wedding. Ever since that freak accident, he believed that he would never be able to fall in love again, until he met Shim Hye Won, whose personality bears a striking resemblance to his first love. However, like how most Korean dramas go, their meeting was not immediate, but rather coincidental in the mountains three years later. What made this story complicated was the fact that Hye Won, who used to be a sickly child with a heart problem, had a heart transplant with, gasp! Eun Hye’s heart!
The complications do not end here. The story also threads on a sideline, where the lovers find it tough to maintain their love since Hye Won was already attached to Park Jung Jae (played by actor Ryu Jin), a charismatic eligible bachelor. Making things worse, Jung Jae’s younger sister Jung Ah (played by actress Han Ji-hye) who is also best friends with Hye Won, is in love with Min Woo…
Just looking at the relationships alone, one can pretty much tell that it’s a messed-up entanglement. What stands out in this show also is the beautiful scenery and lovely soundtrack. Using Calla Resort and the tea fields as a backdrop, one can’t help but to admire the beautiful scenery too. An avid classical music lover myself, it was exhilarating to hear Schbert’s famous Serenade been played in the background. Besides Serenade, the soundtrack also boasts a couple of great songs that went well along with the scenes in the show.
As for the performance of the supporting cast, Ryu Jin put up a good performance. Portraying a composed, sensitive new age guy, he has clearly done a good rendition of what is required of his role. Han Ji-hye was impressive in her debut performance too. She is natural in her acting. Perhaps this could be the reason as to the success of her latest comedy-drama, Narang 18 Seh.
Summer Scent is a good drama to watch. But compared to Autumn Fairy Tale and Winter Sonata, I personally felt that this was the least exciting of all. Perhaps this could be attributed to the slow start-up pace of the drama. However, the audience can expect a more tense atmosphere with each episode. The plot has its pretty ridiculous moments as well, especially the heart-thumping moments, which I felt were pretty preposterous. (Review by Kit Lim)
Summer Scent (“Yeoreum hyanggi”). 20 episodes. Written by Choi Ho-yeon. Produced by Yoon Suk-ho. Starring Song Seung-heon, Son Ye-jin, Ryu Jin, Han Ji-hye, Shin Ae, Jo Eun-sook, Ahn Jung-hoon, Kim Hae-sook, Kim Yong-gun. Aired on KBS in Korea from July 7 – September 9, 2003 on Monday & Tuesday nights at 9:55pm. Official website (in Korean): click here. Available on DVD from KBS in Korea with English subtitles.
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| Yeoreum Hyanggi (Summer Scent) | |||||||||||
| ‘Summer Scent,’ which aired in 2003, is producer Yun Seok-Ho’s third work, based on the four seasons. Following the tremendous popularity of his previous TV series ‘Autumn in My Heart’ in 2000 and ‘Winter Sonata’ in 2001, ‘Summer Scent’ has the summer season as its backdrop. Just as in ‘Autumn in My Heart’ and ‘Winter Sonata,’ this TV drama employs the magnificent scenery of Korea as an important motif. Also, top stars including Song Seung-Heon and Sohn Ye-Jin played the leading roles, which elicited considerable public interest even before the drama aired. | |||||||||||
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• Synopsis From the first moment they meet, Min-Woo and Hye-Won are attracted to one other and the attraction continues to deepen. But Min-Woo is also loved by Park Jeong-A (played by Han Ji-Hye), while Hye-Won is the object of Park Jeong-Jae’s affection (played by Ryu Jin). Adding to the tragic twist of fate, Jeong-A and Jeong-Jae are brother and sister. The destinies of these four are sadly and ironically intertwined. Min-woo and Hye-Won do not act on their feelings however, out of consideration for Jeong-A and Jeong-Jae. Meanwhile, Hye-Won learns that she had received the heart of Min-Woo’s late fiancée and tries to convince herself that Min-Woo is still emotionally attached to the dead woman. Even though they are in love, they cannot commit to a relationship because of Min-Woo’s feelings for the dead fiancée as well as for others members of their group who are concerned for them. When problems arise with Hye-Won’s new heart, she is hospitalized. Min-Woo blames himself. Wishing Hye-Won and Jeong-Jae a happy future together, he leaves Korea. As Hye-Won’s condition worsens and she feels there is no hope of survival, she lets Min-Woo know that she is dead. While he is abroad, Min-Woo learns that Hye-Won died, which causes him great heartache. He is not aware that Hye-Won has received another heart transplant, this time an artificial one, and miraculously recovers. A few years later, Min-Woo returns to Korea. Outside a concert hall, concert-goers hold umbrellas in the pouring rain. As people climb up and down the stairs, Min-Woo and Hye-Won accidentally meet. The two feel their hearts beating again and realize that their feelings of love were true. And this time, Hye-Won’s heart is her own – not the heart of Min-Woo’s late girlfriend. |
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| Min-Woo and Hye-Won meet by chance in the pouring rain outside a concert hall. Standing under an umbrella, they think to themselves Hye-Won : When I see you, I feel my heart pounding. Min-Woo : This is love. |
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| Just as its name implies, Summer Scent was filmed in verdant locations such as Boseong Tea Garden, Korea Botanical Garden, and Deogyusan National Park. Most beautiful between spring and summer, these filming locations are visited by many more tourists since the drama aired. | |
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| Boseong Tea Garden | |
| After their first meeting on the mountain, Min-Woo and Hye-Won meet again by chance. In a memorable scene, the two stroll through a green tea field. Boseong Tea Garden is most popular for its expansive green tea fields and for the walking path lined with cedar trees reaching 20 meters high. Don’t forget to taste Ujeoncha at the cost of only 1,000 won at the tea shop. Ujeoncha is the best quality tea in Korea, made of baby leaves picked before April 20. | |
| >>Click here to learn more! | |
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| Korea Botanical Garden | |
| Korea Botanical Garden, which, in the drama, served as the house of Min-Woo’s mother, grows about 1,300 species of wild Korean plants. In a lovely scene, Hye-Won, who loves flowers, walks through the fields of blossoms. Korea Botanical Garden gives out flower seeds to all visitors who buy an admission ticket. Various wild plants can also be purchased at the shop. | |
| >>Click here to learn more! | |
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| Deogyusan National Park | |
| In Deogyusan National Park, Min-Woo and Hye-Won meet for the first time. In an impressive scene, Min-Woo rests on a huge, tree-shaded boulder with Deogyusan Mountain in the background. Deogyusan is well-known for its beautiful waterfalls and rivers that flow into the valleys. | |
| >>Click here to learn more! | |
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| Muju Resort | |
| At Muju Resort, Min-Woo, Hye-Won, and Jeong-Jae remodel the existing buildings into a nature-friendly rest area. In the drama, the resort serves as the team’s work area. In real life as well, the resort is unique, with beautiful buildings and a splendid natural environment that could very well be an illustration from a children’s storybook. Since the drama aired, even greater numbers of tourists visit the site. | |
| >>Click here to learn more! | |
| * The pictures above are provided by KBS.http://visitkorea.or.kr/ena/CU/CU_EN_8_5_1_4.jsp
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Winter Sonata (2002, KBS miniseries)
Another masterpiece by Korea’s revered director, Yoon Suk-ho, Winter Sonata is the second installment of his famous four season series, the previous being Autumn Fairy Tale and the latest, Scent of Summer. Like its predecessor, Autumn Fairy Tale, Winter Sonata has a huge following in many parts of Asia, including Hong Kong, Taiwan, China, Japan and Southeast Asia. Its two leading stars, Bae Yong-jun (Untold Scandal) and Choi Ji-woo also gained international fame because of the series.
Bae Yong-jun takes up the role of Kang Joon-sang, an illegitimate child whose mother is an accomplished pianist. Due to his parental background, he is an introvert who does not like to interact with people, and often does not take the initiative to express himself. Even though his mother has told him his father is dead, as a child, Joon-sang believes that he is still alive. Hence, when he becomes older, he decides to return to his mother’s hometown, where his parents were lovers, in a bid to look for his biological father.
Joon-sang then transfers to the high school where Yoo-jin (Choi Ji-woo) studies. A couple of entertaining anecdotes then happen between the two protagonists and through these incidents, they grow to like each other. However, as Joon-sang investigates, he realizes that his biological father might be Yoo-jin’s late father. Flustered by his new findings, he decides to leave. However, as he decides to rush to see Yoo-jin for one last time, he is knocked down by a car…
Meanwhile, as the rest of his schoolmates including Yoo-jin think that he is dead after the accident, he is in fact alive, but he has lost his memory. In a bid to let him lead a happier life, his mother decides to erase his previous memories and give him new memories with a new identity, Lee Min-hyung.
The show than fast forwards 10 years later, as Joon-sang and Yoo-jin have both grown up. Joon-sang returns as Min-hyung and as Chae-rin’s boyfriend (Chae-rin was Yoo-jin and Joon-sang’s classmate in high school, but later went to France for further studies). During this time, Yoo-jin was about to get engaged to her childhood playmate Sang-hyuk, played by up-and-coming actor Park Yong-ha. However, due to a twist of fate, Joon-sang and Yoo-jin meet again and become attracted to each other once more. As the fate of the four intertwines, the show goes on to tell of the enthralling love story between Joon-sang and Yoo-jin.
Winter Sonata is a captivating story. The chemistry between Bae Yong-jun and Choi Ji-woo is terrific. In fact, many people were so impressed by them that rumours surfaced that they were a real-life couple. Bae Yong-jun certainly impressed many with his gripping performance of Joon-sang and Min-hyung. This could be said to be his breakthrough drama, as it was through this show that he shot to great fame. Choi Ji-woo also proves herself as an A-list actress with her overwhelming performance as Yoo-jin. One of her scenes which enthralled me was when she was confronting Joon-sang, urging him not to fire an old worker. The feeling of urgency then topped 100%.
As for the supporting leads, Park Sol-mi did a good impersonation of Chae-rin. Park Yong-ha did fairly well, but acting alongside veteran actors Bae Yong-jun and Choi Ji-woo, he clearly showed his inexperience in this field. Finally, it would be almost unjust to leave Kim Hae-sook out of the picture. Acting as Yoo-jin’s mother, her performance as the Korean “ajumma” added flavour and colour throughout the whole show.
Again, Yoon Suk-ho has proven himself as one of Korea’s best drama tellers. With an impressive portfolio, many audience members certainly do look forward to his subsequent dramas. Winter Sonata is an original love story. It’s definitely not-to-be-missed! (Review by Kit Lim)
Winter Sonata (“Gyeoul yeonga”). Alternative titles: “Winter Love Song” or “Winter Ballad.” 20 episodes. Written by Kim Eun-hee and Yoon Eun-kyung. Produced by Yoon Suk-ho. Starring Bae Yong-jun, Choi Ji-woo, Park Yong-ha, Park Sol-mi, Lee Hye-eun, Ryu Seung-soo, and Kim Hye-sook. First aired on KBS2 in Korea from January 14 – March 19, 2002 on Monday and Tuesday nights at 9:50pm. Official website (in Korean): click here. Available on DVD from KBS Media in Korea in both English-subtitled and unsubtitled versions.
What is it about Winter Sonata that touches so many women of all ages throughout Asia? Upon a closer scrutiny, this Korean TV drama series offers more than a complex love story, intriguing plot twists, good acting, memorable scenes and lines, not to mention, breathtaking winter scenery backed up by melancholic music tunes. Under the crafty direction of Yun Seok Ho, the series presented a mastery of cinematic techniques tugging at one’s heartstrings, like the sound and visual effects of a big screen effectively capturing one’s imagination. Moreover, it addressed the perennial theme of love in all its complexity in our ever-changing society.
Unlike most tragedies with a sad ending, Winter Sonata reached a bittersweet conclusion even though everyone who had intimate connection with the two main characters paid the heavy price of emotional and mental agony. The story opened with Joon Sang portrayed by Bae Yong Jun in his finest performance and Yu Jin, played by the talented Choi Ji Woo, as two high school students who fell in love for the first time. Unfortunately, their ill-fated love suffered a cruel blow as our hero soon died in a car accident, leaving our heroine heart-broken and dispirited. Ten years later, Yu Jin found herself working on a ski resort project with Min Yeong who looked exactly like Joon Sang. Oddly enough, he was courting Yu Jin’s high school rival, Chae Lin, deftly played by Park Sol Mi. Consequently, Yu Jin’s uncontrollable attraction to Min Yeong jeopardized her engagement to her childhood admirer, Sang Hyuk, played by Park Yong Ha, who in conspiracy with Chae Lin, tried everything to separate the two destined lovers. When the truth came out that Min Yeong and Joon Sang were the same person and worse still, the suspicion that Joon Sang and Yu Jin were half-brother and sister, everyone involved was thrown into utter confusion, resulting in grief and detrimental pain.
Following the success of directing the TV drama series, Autumn Tales, Yun Seok Ho demonstrated his supremacy in making melodramas using symbolism, parallelism, repetition, and timing, as provocative ways to stir emotions and draw tears from the audience. The main symbols in Winter Sonata — the star Polaris (representing Joon Sang), the missing puzzle piece (representing Yu Jin in Joon Sang’s life), and the first snowfall of winter (representing the meeting of the two lovers) — appeared repetitively throughout the melodrama to hammer the point of their significance they contributed to the story. Furthermore, the excellent use of parallelism and repetition compounded the dramatic effects in scenes — whenever Yu Jin and Sang Hyuk were fighting, Min Yeong and Chae Lin were also arguing; when Yu Jin and Min Yeong strolled through their high school, each taking a different path, unaware of one another’s presence; and when Yu Jin tried to tail whom she thought was Joon Sang in the crowd and later Sang Hyuk attempted to follow whom he thought was Yu Jin in the streets.
Although the drama is basically a love story, it tackled many contemporary themes: 1) character duality — Joon Sang personified the dark side and Ming Yeong, the bright side; 2) identity problems — Joon Sang searched for the identity of his father and later Min Yeong questioned his own identity; 3) different reactions to the loss of love — Yu Jin’s sad disposition, Joon Sang’s escapes to America, San Hyuk’s suicide attempt, and Chae Lin’s drinking binge; 4) incestuous love remained a taboo in modern age; and 5) fate prevailed no matter what others did to prevent the destined lovers from getting together.
The main reason for Winter Sonata‘s popularity could be attributed to its bold exposition of the various aspects of love: 1) puppy love; 2) first love; 3) possessive love; 4) lost love; 5) parental love; and 6) true love. Everyone in the audience has experienced at least one or more of these different shades of love, where he or she could empathize with any of the characters at one time or another in this melodrama.
In high school, Choi Ji Woo and Bae Yong Jun in their roles convincingly demonstrated the beauty of innocence and sweetness of puppy love as they helped and defended each other. Then the puppy love blossomed into first love when their most impressionable memories consisted of things they did together for the first time. It was through this love that the gloom and anger in Joon Sang faded away when he was in the presence of Yu Jin.
The series also showed the negative impact of possessive love — Sang Hyuk for Yu Jin and Chae Lin for Min Yeong — in which Sang Hyuk and Chae Lin would do anything to keep their loved ones to themselves, including lying, scheming, and hurting others. When they finally lost their beloveds to the destined pair, they marched down a familiar path of self-destruction — Sang Hyuk tried to commit suicide and Chae Lin slumped into a drinking stupor. However, mature love requires making sacrifices — putting the beloved’s happiness above everything else — as seen in Sang Hyuk’s release of Yu Jin to the revived Joon Sang, in Chae Lin’s suggestion to Joon Sang to elope with Yu Jin despite everyone’s disapproval of their marriage, in Joon Sang’s decisions to place Yu Jin’s well-being above all his needs, and in Yu Jin’s respect for Joon Sang’s resolution to bid their last farewell.
Even in modern times, family plays a dominant role in Asian culture. At the beginning, Joon Sang desperately sought parental love from a father he never knew, and later he could forgive his mother for all the wrongs she had done him. Suppressing her feelings, Yu Jin chose Sang Hyuk over Min Yeong to abide the wishes of Sang Hyuk’s family and her own mother. As the drama unfolded, the meddling of three families — Sang Hyuk’s parents, Joon Sang’s mother and Yu Jin’s mother — caused more harm than good with endless sorrow and tragic consequences to their offsprings.
Like all great love stories, true love as written in the stars exists in the one and only couple made for one another. Obviously, Joon Sang and Yu Jin were destined to be together, for they both fell in love with each other, not once but twice and could love no one else.
In conclusion, Winter Sonata delivered a tearjerker with a moving tale and unforgettable characters. It brought a paragon mate for a modern woman to life, exemplified by Joon Sang — handsome, sensitive, intelligent, and successful in life. More importantly, he was able to love a woman with complete gentleness and understanding, even at the risk of his own welfare and happiness. In addition, the drama series successfully revealed the manifestations of love in real life, to which everyone in the audience could relate. As Winter Sonata makes its appearance around Asia, its popularity will certainly grow, for it possesses all the elements of a classic drama.
Diana Lee (www.uniorb.com) has traveled extensively and worked abroad in Cameroon, China and Japan. Her work has appeared in several magazines, ezines and anthologies. Interested in various forms of writing, she has written essays, poems, and short stories.
Koreanfilm.org, posted September 10, 2003.
Autumn in My Heart (가을동화, Ga-eul-dong-hwa) also known as Autumn Fairy Tale and Autumn Tale, is the first installment of the four part Endless Love drama series directed by Yoon Seok-Ho, produced by South Korean TV Network KBS. It was produced in South Korea in 2000.
Contents |
 Promotional Poster |
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| Also known as | Autumn Tale 가을동화 |
|---|---|
| Genre | Romance |
| Format | Drama |
| Written by | Oh Soo-Yeon |
| Directed by | Yoon Seok-Ho |
| Starring | Song Seung Heon Song Hye Kyo Won Bin Choi Woo Hyuk Moon Geun Young |
| Country of origin | South Korea |
| Language(s) | Korean |
| No. of episodes | 16 |
| Broadcast | |
| Original channel | KBS |
| Original run | 18 September 2000 – 7 November 2000 |
| Chronology | |
| Followed by | Winter Sonata 2002 |
The story begins with toddler, Yoon Joon-Seo accidentally causing the switch of his sister and another baby when he drops the name cards on the two babies cribs in the hospital baby room. A nurse who came in put them back incorrectly. The story then continues with the teenage years of the two main characters: Yoon Joon-Seo (Choi Woo Hyuk) and Yoon Eun-Seo (Moon Geun Young). They are the children of a rich professor and believe they are biologically brother and sister until Eun-Seo gets hit by a truck and needs a blood transfusion. At the beginning, Eun-Seo is very popular in school whereas her rival Choi Shin-Ae (Lee Ae Jung), is smart but does not get the attention she craves from the teacher and their classmates. Later, their situations are reversed when the switch is discovered.
After blood tests were carried out by the doctor on Mr. and Mrs. Yoon for Eun-Seo’s transfusion, the Yoons find out that Eun-Seo belongs to Mrs. Choi, and Shin-Ae is the Yoon’s biological daughter. At first, only the parents and brother knew about this, but eventually, Shin-Ae discovered the truth after she got into a fierce argument with her non-biological mother over a teddy bear she received from her biological father. Eun-Seo only discovered the truth after Shin-Ae wants her biological parents to take her in. In the end, the two daughters were returned to their rightful parents. Shin-Ae moves in with the Yoon family, and Eun-Seo goes to live with Mrs. Choi (her biological father is dead) who operates a small restaurant living in abject poverty.
Years went by, and in the duration, the Yoon family went to the United States, where Joon-Seo (Song Seung Heon) returns to South Korea as a successful artist. He went back to the town he lived in, where he encountered his old friend, Han Tae-Seok (Won Bin), who stays at the hotel where Eun-Seo (Song Hye Kyo) works as a telephone receptionist. Tae-Seok (who doesn’t know about the entire brother and sister mixup that happened earlier) fell in love with Eun-Seo and played games with her until she was fired from her job. One day Eun-Seo saw Joon-Seo and followed him to the beach where he was with Yoo-Mi (his fiancée) and Tae-Seok and the two “siblings” finally meet after ten years.
Eun-Seo and Joon-Seo pretend to have a sibling relationship in front of the others, but they meet each other secretly and become deeply in love, though she always refers to him as “brother.” Shin-Ae (Han Chae Young) finds out about their relationship and exposes the two after she found a love letter Eun-Seo had written to Joon-Seo. The two decide to stay together, but are soon forced apart again because their parents are against the union, and Yoo-Mi hurts herself and threatens suicide to hang onto Joon-Seo.
As a fight between Joon-Seo and Tae-Seok grows over their professed love for Eun-Seo, she discovers she has leukemia (the same illness that took her biological father’s life). She didn’t tell anyone except Tae-Seok, who offers to pay for her treatment. When she takes a turn for the worse, the others start finding out. When it was clear that there was no hope, Joon-Seo finds out and takes her home so she can spend her last days with him. At this point, Yoo-Mi finally leaves him. Eun-Seo dies as Joon-Seo was carrying her around the beach where they spent her birthday as teenagers.
Before Eun-Seo died, she told Joon-Seo not to follow her in death, and to continue living. However, Joon-Seo, dazed and grief-stricken by the death of his lover and “sister”, is struck by a truck in the same place as Eun-Seo’s accident and presumably dies.
- Song Seung Hun as Yoon Joon-Seo
- Song Hye Kyo as Yoon/Choi Eun-Seo
- Won Bin as Han Tae-Seok
- Han Chae Young as Choi/Yoon Shin-Ae
- Han Na Na as Shin Yoo-Mi
- Jung Dong Hwan as Yoon Kyo-Soo (Joon-Seo’s father)
- Sun Woo Eun Sook as Lee Kyung-Ha (Joon-Seo’s mother)
- Kim Hae Sook as Kim Soon-Im (Eun-Seo’s mother)
- Kim Na Woon as Housekeeping Supervisor Kim
- Kim Hyung Jong as Ji-Han
- Seo Yoon Jae as Kang-Hee
- Choi Woo Hyuk as young Joon-Seo
- Moon Geun Young as young Eun-Seo
- Lee Ae Jung as young Shin-Ae
The 13-track soundtrack for Autumn in My Heart includes Jung Il-Young’s heartfelt ballads “Reason”, “Prayer”, and “In My Dream”, as well as the main flute theme and the guitar and piano versions of some of the songs. “Romance”, also known as “Forbidden Love” is the classic piece used for this soundtrack. It comes from a famous work of unknown authorship “Spanish Romance“.
- Main Title (Flute ver.)
- Reason – Jung Il-Young
- Romance – Choi Tae-Won
- Gi do (Prayer) – Jung Il-Young
- Remember – Park Jung-Won
- Uhl Ma Na Nae Ga (Sincerely) – Yoon Chang-Gun
- Reason (Instrumental ver.)
- Romance (Piano ver.) – Lee Hong-Rae
- Noon Mool (Tears) – Lee Hong-Rae
- Uhl Ma Na Nae Ga (Sincerely)(Guitar ver.) – Guitar by Ham Choon-Ho
- Ggoom suhk ae suh (In My Dream) – Jung Il-Young
- Uhl Ma Na Nae Ga (Sincerely)(Piano ver.) – Piano by Yoo Jung-young
- Gi Do (Prayer)(Piano ver.)
In the Philippines, the GMA Network acquired the rights to broadcast the series outside Korea, where it gained high ratings and popularity. The theme song that was used was a cover of “Ikaw” sung by Faith Cuneta.
The GMA Network also acquired the adaptation rights to air its own rendition of Autumn in My Heart. It was released in June, 2010 and is titled simply Endless Love.
Episode 1:
In this first episode, we are introduced to the wealthy Yun family, composed of father, mother, 17ish year old brother (Joon-Suh) and 14 year old sister (Eun-suh). Joon-Suh and Eun-Suh have a teasing, but very loving relationship, with big brother always taking care of younger sister. At school, Eun-Suh has a volatile relationship with Shin-ae, the smart but vile girl from the other side of the tracks.
The parents learn that Eun-Suh is not their biological daughter and meet Mrs. Choi, the Mother of their daughter. Mrs. Choi is a widowed, BattleAxe who runs an awful dump of a diner that only serves a grim stew and who struggles everyday to try to make ends meet; it’s no wonder Shin-ae is as she is.
Mr and Mrs Yan struggle with what they should do next, trying to come to terms with the situation. Should they switch daughters? Should they tell their Eun-Suh? Should they meet Shin-ae?
At school, Joon-Suh makes a painting to accompany Shin-ae’s poem, in exchange for Shin-ae leaving Eun-Juh alone. Poem and painting are displayed at a big gathering at the school. Here, the Yan family and the Choi family meet and the stark truth sits before us: Shin-ae is the Yan’s true daughter and Eun-Juh is Mrs. Choi’s biological daughter.
Episode 2:
Mr and Mrs Yan have now seen their daughter for the first time and are brought ever-more into Mrs. Choi’s life. They discover that her husband is dead and that her son is a thug. Is that the environment for their biological daughter? While Mr. Yan reaches out to Shin-ae, going as far as buying her a stuffed animal, Mrs. Yan willfully refuses to open up. For Mrs Choi, life is not easy and realizing that her daughter is not her own, brings her own pitiful state more starkly into view.
The tension between the girls escalates when the girls learn the truth. And by the end, the girls switch positions as Shin-ae desperately wants to leave her hard life and Eun-Suh knows that she must go to her real mother.
Episode 3:
Eun-suh is now CHOI Eun-Suh and Shin-ae is now firmly entrenched as YOON Shin-ae as the girls begin life in their new homes. For Shin-ae, life is difficult being in the shadow of beloved Eun-suh and thus she lashes out; for Eun-suh, she faces her life with a Cinderella-ish optimism and warmth.
For Mr and Mrs Yoon, the emotional struggles continue. Mr Yoon has agreed to take a position in the United States and the familiy will be moving there, taking Joon-Suh and Shin-ae, but they cannot bear the thought of “abandoning Eun-suh in that awful place.” Mrs. Yoon meets with Mrs. Choi and asks to take and raise Eun-suh. Mrs. Choi agrees, but Eun-suh won’t go. She knows she must stay with her mother and must let the Yoons go.
***
It’s now 9 years later and an adult Joon-suh returns. He’s about to have his engagement party where he formally introduces Yumi, a fellow artist he met in the United States, as his fiancee. First, he wants to find his long-lost “sister”, Eun-suh, but she’s moved several times since and there’s no finding her. Instead, he meets up with his old friend, Tae-suhk.
Tae-suhk is the wealthy, good-for-nothing, lazy son of the Hotel Owner; he’s also engaging, vivacious, charismatic, and fun. He’s the William Holden character in SABRINA and he’s been banished to run the hotel (the duties which he suitably ignores).
Episode 4:
Adult Joon-suh continues to search for Eun-suh, but also must prepare for the Engagement Party.
CHOI Eun-suh works at the Hotel as a phone operator and is having continual monetary troubles. She still lives with her mother, who now runs a little corner shop. Together, they eke out a bare living.
Tae-Suhk (who runs the Hotel) meets Eun-suh and falls for her immediately, although his bet efforts to woo her prove more repellant than anything else. But he’s not going to give up and has her transfered to HouseCleaning as a maid… as HIS maid.
Joon-suh continues to seek her out, but is on the verge of giving up.
Episode 5:
The Beach was an old favorite place for Joon-suh and Eun-suh. Joon-suh and Yumi go there and surprisingly find Tah-suhk there. Eun-suh spies them and runs to greet Joon-suh in an emotional reunion.
It’s awkward for Joon-suh and Eun-suh, getting to know each other again after all these years. More strangers than siblings, they struggle with how to act with each other and how to feel about each other. In addition, it’s difficult for them to quite explain their relationship, especially to Yumi, so they introduce each other as cousins.
As Eun-suh’s homelife gets worse and worse, she goes to her Brother for comfort and Joon-Suh takes her in.
Episode 6:
YOON Shin-ae, the former Choi daughter, returns after completing her MBA in America. She’s successful, beautiful and has everything. It’s an awkward reunion between Eun-suh and her. They are civil and polite, but Shin-ae’s animosity is obvious.
Joon-suh and Eun-suh grow more and more comfortable with each other and the bonds they had as youths is returning.
Yumi can feel Joon-suh slipping away and she won’t let that happen.
Tae-Suhk continues to try to win over Eun-suh, going so far as to affect change in his life: he’s trying to be a better person. Shin-ae’s affections for Tae-Suhk are not easily hidden and her machinations to get rid of Eun-suh begin.
I’ve finished watching AUTUMN IN MY HEART (aka ENDLESS LOVE, aka AN AUTUMN LOVE STORY) and have absolutely fallen in love with this Korean TV melodrama-series(and I’m not alone in that. It’s been so incredibly popular that there are now THEME TOURS in Korea that visit the areas protrayed in AUTUMN IN MY HEART as well as WINTER SONATA (a followup series). It’s a really cool idea, especially given how popular the series have been. If I were planning to go to Korea…
Here’s the story from ThingsAsian.com [link]
Movie Theme Tours in Korea: Winter Sonata and Autumn in My Heart
Theme travel has taken a different turn for many travelers with tourism associations collaborating with film makers to portray the finest sceneries and traditions of their countries through movies. For many years, travelers from Malaysia and Singapore have flocked to China to admire the striking countryside scenery of Dali, to the National Palace Museum and Taroko Gorge in Taiwan.
The latest country to have captured the hearts of theme travelers is South Korea. In the past two years, two Korean soap operas, Winter Sonata and Autumn in My Heart commanded a strong following of over four million viewers among Malaysians and Singaporeans. Winter Sonata was so popular among the Malay population that a translated version, “Sonata Musim Salju” was sung by Malaysian singer Hazami.
According to a television channel producer who purchased the rights to show both movies to the Malaysian audience, “These programs have successfully attracted a high number of viewers who are interested in their storyline, beautiful scenery, gorgeous actors and actresses, and, most of all, their universal themes.”
According to Wai Lan, a fan of the series, the initial attraction was the breathtaking scenery and gorgeous actors, but the love story and conflicts between the characters got her totally hooked to the serials.
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WINTER SONATA: Main Locations
The set of a sad yet so beautiful love story, Winter Sonata presented a collection of well-known attractions in Korea. Among the main attractions are Namiseom Island, which was where the lovers in Winter Sonata grew up and first knew each other, the snow covered Yongpyeong Resort where the skiing scenes was shot and Oedo Island Botanical Garden, all which have become some of Korea’s main tourism spots.
Yu Jin and Sang Hyuk are best friends who go to the same school. A new student, Joon Sang who was from Seoul came to Namiseom Island in search of his father and ended up enrolling in the same school. Joon Sang thinks that Sang Hyuk’s father is his biological father. In order to spite Sang Hyuk, he starts to get close to Yu Jin. He falls in love with the lovely Yu Jin but later found out his mother was once in love with Yu Jin’s father. Wrongly suspecting they might be related, Joon Sang hastily decided to leave for the United States with his mother. However, he could not resist meeting Yu Jin for the last time. Unfortunately, he was involved in an accident while traveling to meet Yu Jin and everyone thought he died.
Yu Jin gradually got over her love for Joon Sang and ten years later, she became engaged to Sang Hyuk. She came across a person called Lee Min Hyung, who looks like Joon Sang but is more outgoing and happy than Joon Sang ever was. A curious Yu Jin started a friendship with Min Hyung, whose romantic and loving personality made him an instant heart robe among Winter Sonata’s fans. Min Hyung convinced Yu Jin to migrate to Paris with Sang Hyuk.
Three years later, Yu Jin and Sang Hyuk realized they are incompatible. Yu Jin returned to Oedo Island and found a house there built exactly the same way as she described to Joon Sang years ago. Here, she found a blind man wondering around, and she discovered that he is Joon Sang/Ming Hyung. Ming Hyung did not inform her that he is Joon Sang as he was going to the United States to undergo an eye operation to avoid getting blind, but the operation was unsuccessful.
Namiseom Island: Where it All Began…
Namiseom Island is located about an hour’s drive from Seoul, and was created when Cheongpyeong Dam was constructed at the downstream of the Bukhangang River. Winter Sonata fans will recognize the crescent-shaped Cheongpyeongho Lake, which is entirely surrounded by chestnut and poplar trees. Many of the earlier episodes of Winter Sonata are set here, from scenes of the two lovers riding on a bicycle to their first kiss near the lake. The cycling scenes from the movie are so popular that special Winter Sonata bicycle rentals are available to tourists who wish to ride along the same paths. Visitors can also partake in recreation activities such as water skiing and snow sleighing.
Yongpyong Ski Resort: Lost Love Found
Another Winter Sonata location is the Yongpyong Ski Resort, which is where the two lovers met again. It is in the midst of the Yongpyong Ski Resort at Dragon’s Peak that the lovers rekindled their love. Here, movie fans can take a short walk around the snow covered mountain while marveling the striking scenery of Mount Balwangsan in the background. A luxurious ski resort, Yongpyong has constantly been likened to the Swiss Alps. The fact that its architecture is entirely Swiss-styled reminds travelers even more of the Alps. Besides being Korea’s first and most prolific ski resort, it is considered a world class ski destination and hence was chosen as the venue for the 1998 and 2000 World Cup ski championships and the 1999 Winter Asian Games.
Oedo Island: A Happy Ending?
Winter Sonata theme tours will not be complete without a visit to the Oedo Island Botanical Garden, which is where the last scene of the movie is shot. It is here that the two lovers are reunited but the story ended a bit abruptly with a slightly sad twist?possibly setting stage for a second episode of Winter Sonata. The Botanical Garden of Oedo Island is a part of Hanrye National Park. The little white huts built along the deep blue ocean, Oedo Island oozes of true romance. When visitors get off the ferry at the boarding dock, they will come to an arch-shaped gate, which is the entrance to the Botanical Gardens. After passing this gate you will see the tropical gardens and surrounding palm trees. The romantic Venus Garden is decorated with 12 Venus statues and the flower gardens will fascinate your eyes. In the summer, cypress trees shade over these stairs creating an amazing sight. Besides the Botanical Garden, Oedo Island boosts of a sculpture park and a Korean art gallery.
For war and historical buffs, the nearby Geoje-do would be an interesting stop. Here is where the remnants of the Geoje Prisoner of War (P.O.W.) camp during the Korean War can be seen. The P.O.W. models of some main figures during the war, military equipment, a magic diorama, a mock-up of a string of marching refugees, an exhibit depicting prisoner life as well as a POW experience tank where visitors see how life was like for a prisoner of war makes this an interesting, albeit eerie place. The park sets itself ahead of the traditional museum by providing a new and refreshing style of display, offering education and entertainment through models and interactive exhibits.
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AUTUMN IN MY HEART: Main Locations
Fans of this Korean drama describe Autumn in My Heart as a story of family, relationship, love and obligations all at once, in a touching and unforgettable way, set in the midst of the beautiful autumn scenery. Autumn in My Heart is a tragic love story about a pair of baby girls switched by accident at birth. The poor girl, the kindly and intelligent Yoon Eunsuh was raised by the rich family whereas the bad tempered Choi Shinae was raised by the poor family in the slums. She has always been envious of Yoon Eunsuh and her wealthy lifestyle.
One day, when Eunsuh was fourteen, she was involved in an accident lost a lot of blood. When the doctors tested her blood to transfuse her with the correct type of blood, they discovered she is not related to the rich family. The rich man who raised Eunsuh then went looking for his real daughter. When he found Choi Shinae, he brought to his home and sent the girl he had raised as his daughter to live with the poor family. Soon after, he migrated to the United States with his real daughter and his son. At first, Shinae was very happy living in the midst of wealth and luxury but after a while, she began to miss the poor family she grew up with.
In the meantime, the Yoon Joonsuh, the rich man’s son met up and fell in love with Yoon Eunsuh, formerly his “sister”. However, both of them repressed their feelings knowing their parents would oppose and because the son is engaged to You Mei whom he met at university and Yoon Eunsuh was dating Tai Xi. Eventually, both of Eunsuh and the Joonsuh eloped, but came back because they did not want to hurt their parents’ feelings. The rich man’s son was reunited with his fiancée You Mei and both of them decided to return to the States for their wedding. However, Eunsuh was diagnosed with terminal stage leukemia and Joonsuh found out just before he left for the States. He rushed to the hospital and declared his undying love for Eunsuh. They got married and spent her last months together. When Eunsuh died, a heartbroken Joonsuh was run over by a car, thus reuniting the lovers in death.
Joonsuh’s Art Studio: An Elementary School
An abandoned elementary school in Yang-Yang, Gangwon-do is where Joonsuh kept a small art studio. The two lovers met here in the series. Part of the school has been converted into a studio by Korean potter; Jeong Jae-Nam whose husband is popular Korean novelist, Kim Ha-In. Today, the small school remains a popular tourist attraction, where the atmosphere is fueled with romance.
Samyang Mokjang Ranch: Eunsuh and Joonsuh’s Honeymoon Destination
The Samyang Mokjang Ranch, which is the largest green pasture in Asia located on a plateau, was where Eunsuh and Joonsuh spent their honeymoon. Besides the relaxing atmosphere of dairy cows lazing around the ranch, the view from the plateau is remarkable. Spectacular scenery of the sun rising from beyond Mount Odasen can be seen from the Daegwanryeong Observatory early in the morning. In order to travel around the huge ranch, visitors need a car or bicycle. By car, it will take about 2 hours while bicycles will take about five or six hours to explore the ranch.
Abai Village: The Poor Girl’s Home
Abai Village, a quaint village resembling the old Korean homes of the 60s, is where the poor family lived. Here is where Eunsuh arrived on a sailing boat after being sent to live with her blood parents. Abai Village in Sokcho is actually where many North Koreans settled after the Korean War. Travelers can get to Abai Village by car or by boat. The boat from Sokcho to Cheongho-dong can carry 35 people and after getting off the boat, visitors to Abai Village should walk south until arriving at the Cheongho-dong Dock. Besides the peaceful scenery, Abai Village is also well known for its Abai Sun-dae (Korean style sausage) which is made of squid and other seafood.
Phoenix Park: Where Eunsuh worked
The Phoenix Park Resort located about 700 meters above sea level is where Eunsuh worked. It is located in Pyeongchang, Gangwon-do, and it has Taegisan Mountain in the background. The resort consists of a hotel with about 140 rooms and the condominium has approximately 750 rooms. Besides golf, visitors can enjoy recreation activities like roller-skating, tennis, paragliding and skiing in the winter.
Hwajinpo Beach: The Finale
The romantic Hwajinpo Beach is the place where the lovers spent their last moments together. The young and handsome Joonsuh carried the beautiful Eunsuh on his back down the beach with the deep blue winter ocean slowly comes in and out of the shore makes this a must-visit for Autumn in My Heart fans. Hwajinpo Beach is already famous before Autumn in My Heart used it as a background for its most poignant and touching scene. Its beautiful 1.7-kilometer long shoreline preserved with shallow yet clean water and fine sand as well as spectacular view of sunset has made it a favored spot among travelers for many years.
Moving slightly inland, visitors will come to the Hwajinpoho Lagoon. With its graceful scenery, surrounded by a forest of pine trees and a field of sweet briers, this lagoon is the most striking lagoon in Korea. The awe-inspiring atmosphere of Hwajinpo encouraged many public figures to purchase villas along its shoreline. Villas located here were once owned by North Korean dictator Kim Il-Seong and Korea’s first president Yi Seung-Man.
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See also Why is Winter Sonata a Big Hit in Asia? by Diana Lee
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Published on 8/12/03
Episode 7:
Eun-suh and Tae-suhk are now a couple. Tae-suhk has turned over a new leaf, taking on the responsibilities of running the hotel, and dotes on Eun-suh.
Joon-suh and Yumi’s relationship takes a turn. Yumi knows Joon-suh doesn’t love her, but yet refuses to give him up.
The Yoon parents arrive to visit Joon-suh and have a tearful reunion with Eun-suh. Shin-ae, feeling rejected yet again, runs off and ends up in a less-pleasant reunion with her own former-mother.
Eun-suh decides to move into the Hotel’s dormitory, but Shin-ae has secretly excluded her from the candidate list. Eun-suh’s mother refuses to let her back home, for her own good. With nowhere else to go, she ends up …
Episode 8:
Joon-suh and Eun-suh take a trip to a cabin together, lying to their fiancees about where they’re going. But it rains and they are stranded there overnight. Joon-suh and Eun-suh have a heart-to-heart. Meanwhile, aware of the deceit, Yumi and Tae-suhk try to come to terms with Joon-suh and Eun-suh’s relationship, each in his/her own way. On the return, everyone lives with the lie, but the secret is out.
Tae-suhk goes to Eun-suh’s mother (Mrs. Choi) to ask for permission to marry her daughter. Mrs. Choi, afraid that the Han family would disapprove of her, asks the Yoons to take Eun-suh back. The Yoons decide to adopt Eun-suh, which causes Shin-ae grief. She responds by exposing Joon-suh’s and Eun-suh’s relationship.
note: On the YesAsia dvd, there’s a short unsubtitled scene b/w Tae-suhk and Shin-ae.
Episode 9:
Joon-suh and Eun-suh run away together, ending up at a ranch where Eun-suh and her mother (choi) lived for a time. As Yumi and Tae-suhk go frantic looking for them, Joon-suh and Eun-suh’s relationship grows stronger until finally Joon-suh proposes to Eun-suh.
On her birthday, after a phone call to tell her Mother that she’s ok, Eun-suh suddenly develops a nosebleed. Tae-suhk finds them and brings them home. When they return, Joon-suh and Eun-suh announce to everyone their intention to get married.
Running time: 54min
Episode 10:
Now that the relationship is out in the open, Eun-suh officially and unquestionably breaks up with Tae-suhk, which sends him spiraling out of control. Meanwhile, Eun-suh’s natural mother encourages her to give up on Joon-suh and allow herself to be adopted by the Yoon family.
The conflict between Joon-suh and his father increases.
Yumi attempts suicide, slicing her right (drawing) wrist. Though she survived, her use of her hand may never be 100% again. The guilt overwhelms both Joon-suh and Eun-suh.
Guilt-ridden, Joon-suh returns to Yumi’s side, helping her recover; Eun-suh gives her blessing and leaves Joon-suh.
Unbeknownst to Joon-suh, Eun-suh gets mysteriously ill.
Running time : 57min
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What is it about Winter Sonata that touches so many women of all ages throughout Asia? Upon a closer scrutiny, this Korean TV drama series offers more than a complex love story, intriguing plot twists, good acting, memorable scenes and lines, not to mention, breathtaking winter scenery backed up by melancholic music tunes. Under the crafty direction of Yun Seok Ho, the series presented a mastery of cinematic techniques tugging at one’s heartstrings, like the sound and visual effects of a big screen effectively capturing one’s imagination. Moreover, it addressed the perennial theme of love in all its complexity in our ever-changing society.
Unlike most tragedies with a sad ending, Winter Sonata reached a bittersweet conclusion even though everyone who had intimate connection with the two main characters paid the heavy price of emotional and mental agony. The story opened with Joon Sang portrayed by Bae Yong Jun in his finest performance and Yu Jin, played by the talented Choi Ji Woo, as two high school students who fell in love for the first time. Unfortunately, their ill-fated love suffered a cruel blow as our hero soon died in a car accident, leaving our heroine heart-broken and dispirited. Ten years later, Yu Jin found herself working on a ski resort project with Min Yeong who looked exactly like Joon Sang. Oddly enough, he was courting Yu Jin’s high school rival, Chae Lin, deftly played by Park Sol Mi. Consequently, Yu Jin’s uncontrollable attraction to Min Yeong jeopardized her engagement to her childhood admirer, Sang Hyuk, played by Park Yong Ha, who in conspiracy with Chae Lin, tried everything to separate the two destined lovers. When the truth came out that Min Yeong and Joon Sang were the same person and worse still, the suspicion that Joon Sang and Yu Jin were half-brother and sister, everyone involved was thrown into utter confusion, resulting in grief and detrimental pain.
Following the success of directing the TV drama series, Autumn Tales, Yun Seok Ho demonstrated his supremacy in making melodramas using symbolism, parallelism, repetition, and timing, as provocative ways to stir emotions and draw tears from the audience. The main symbols in Winter Sonata — the star Polaris (representing Joon Sang), the missing puzzle piece (representing Yu Jin in Joon Sang’s life), and the first snowfall of winter (representing the meeting of the two lovers) — appeared repetitively throughout the melodrama to hammer the point of their significance they contributed to the story. Furthermore, the excellent use of parallelism and repetition compounded the dramatic effects in scenes — whenever Yu Jin and Sang Hyuk were fighting, Min Yeong and Chae Lin were also arguing; when Yu Jin and Min Yeong strolled through their high school, each taking a different path, unaware of one another’s presence; and when Yu Jin tried to tail whom she thought was Joon Sang in the crowd and later Sang Hyuk attempted to follow whom he thought was Yu Jin in the streets.
Although the drama is basically a love story, it tackled many contemporary themes: 1) character duality — Joon Sang personified the dark side and Ming Yeong, the bright side; 2) identity problems — Joon Sang searched for the identity of his father and later Min Yeong questioned his own identity; 3) different reactions to the loss of love — Yu Jin’s sad disposition, Joon Sang’s escapes to America, San Hyuk’s suicide attempt, and Chae Lin’s drinking binge; 4) incestuous love remained a taboo in modern age; and 5) fate prevailed no matter what others did to prevent the destined lovers from getting together.
The main reason for Winter Sonata‘s popularity could be attributed to its bold exposition of the various aspects of love: 1) puppy love; 2) first love; 3) possessive love; 4) lost love; 5) parental love; and 6) true love. Everyone in the audience has experienced at least one or more of these different shades of love, where he or she could empathize with any of the characters at one time or another in this melodrama.
In high school, Choi Ji Woo and Bae Yong Jun in their roles convincingly demonstrated the beauty of innocence and sweetness of puppy love as they helped and defended each other. Then the puppy love blossomed into first love when their most impressionable memories consisted of things they did together for the first time. It was through this love that the gloom and anger in Joon Sang faded away when he was in the presence of Yu Jin.
The series also showed the negative impact of possessive love — Sang Hyuk for Yu Jin and Chae Lin for Min Yeong — in which Sang Hyuk and Chae Lin would do anything to keep their loved ones to themselves, including lying, scheming, and hurting others. When they finally lost their beloveds to the destined pair, they marched down a familiar path of self-destruction — Sang Hyuk tried to commit suicide and Chae Lin slumped into a drinking stupor. However, mature love requires making sacrifices — putting the beloved’s happiness above everything else — as seen in Sang Hyuk’s release of Yu Jin to the revived Joon Sang, in Chae Lin’s suggestion to Joon Sang to elope with Yu Jin despite everyone’s disapproval of their marriage, in Joon Sang’s decisions to place Yu Jin’s well-being above all his needs, and in Yu Jin’s respect for Joon Sang’s resolution to bid their last farewell.
Even in modern times, family plays a dominant role in Asian culture. At the beginning, Joon Sang desperately sought parental love from a father he never knew, and later he could forgive his mother for all the wrongs she had done him. Suppressing her feelings, Yu Jin chose Sang Hyuk over Min Yeong to abide the wishes of Sang Hyuk’s family and her own mother. As the drama unfolded, the meddling of three families — Sang Hyuk’s parents, Joon Sang’s mother and Yu Jin’s mother — caused more harm than good with endless sorrow and tragic consequences to their offsprings.
Like all great love stories, true love as written in the stars exists in the one and only couple made for one another. Obviously, Joon Sang and Yu Jin were destined to be together, for they both fell in love with each other, not once but twice and could love no one else.
In conclusion, Winter Sonata delivered a tearjerker with a moving tale and unforgettable characters. It brought a paragon mate for a modern woman to life, exemplified by Joon Sang — handsome, sensitive, intelligent, and successful in life. More importantly, he was able to love a woman with complete gentleness and understanding, even at the risk of his own welfare and happiness. In addition, the drama series successfully revealed the manifestations of love in real life, to which everyone in the audience could relate. As Winter Sonata makes its appearance around Asia, its popularity will certainly grow, for it possesses all the elements of a classic drama.
Diana Lee (www.uniorb.com) has traveled extensively and worked abroad in Cameroon, China and Japan. Her work has appeared in several magazines, ezines and anthologies. Interested in various forms of writing, she has written essays, poems, and short stories.
Autumn Fairy Tale (2000, KBS miniseries)Autumn Fairy Talewas a major hit in 2000, directed by critically-acclaimed director Yoon Suk-ho. This series was so popular that it not only propelled the three leads — Song Seung-hun, Song Hye-gyo and Won Bin — to stardom, it also helped Korea to become a popular tourist destination for many Asians. In fact, this was also the first series to really showcase Korean dramas internationally.
Some might find the storyline to be pretty sentimental, as it tells the story of an undying love between two siblings, although they are not related by blood. Song Seung-un is Jun-suh, and Song Hye-gyo is Eun-suh, who grew up together as siblings for fourteen years. Due to a traffic accident, Eun-suh is hospitalized and requires a blood transfusion. It is then that the parents of the two children realize that Eun-suh is not their biological daughter. As Eun-suh’s father probes into the matter, he found out that two female infants were born in the same hospital the day Eun-suh was born. After much investigation, Eun-suh’s parents find that their biological daughter is Eun-suh’s classmate and rival, Shin-ae, who had suffered through a much tougher life. Shin-ae hates Eun-suh for possessing a much better material life. Also, while Eun-suh grew up with her parents’ and Jun-suh’s love, Shin-ae grew up with a rather uncouth mother and a very abusive brother.
When the truth is revealed, emotions overwhelm Eun-suh, and being the kind-hearted girl, she choses to return to her biological mother. Shin-ae, played by child actress Lee Ae-jung, leaves with Jun-suh and her biological family for America and stays there for nine years. The show than fast forwards nine years later, as Jun Suh returns to Korea with his fiancee. Jun-suh is reunited with Eun-suh, but alas, Jun-suh’s best friend, played by up-coming actor Won Bin also falls in love with her. As the story moves on, Eun-suh and Jun-suh face many obstacles which pull at viewers’ hearts…
When this show was broadcast on TV, the love story between Jun-suh and Eun-suh was deemed by many as incest, although they were not biological siblings. Song Seung-hun is charistmatic as Jun-suh — I personally felt that he portrayed the role of Jun-suh quite well. Song Hye-gyo’s portrayal of Eun-suh was also compelling. It was impressive to see her tearing up so naturally in the drama’s many heart wrenching moments. The supporting leads, Won Bin (Taegukgi) and Han Chae-young (Bet On My Disco), who played the grown-up Shin-ae, also complemented the two leads well. However, I thought Han Chae-young was a little underused in the show. Despite the general thumbs up performance of the leads, the most impressive performance comes from the child actors. The teenage Jun-suh was played by child actor Choi Woo-hyuk and the teenage Eun-suh, played by Moon Geun-young (A Tale of Two Sisters). Despite the fact that Moon Geun-young was only 12 or 13 when she played the role of Eun-suh, she shows her caliber as one of the best actresses around. Choi Woo-hyuk also impresses the audience with his good acting skills.
With a good plot and great performance by the cast, Autumn Fairy Tale proves to you why it has such a huge following. Overall, this series is worth your every minute spent watching it. (Review by Kit Lim)
Autumn Fairy Tale (“Gaeul donghwa”). Alternative titles: “Endless Love” or “Autumn Tale”. 16 episodes. Written by Oh Su-yeon. Produced by Yoon Suk-ho. Starring Song Seung-hun, Song Hae-gyo, Won Bin, Han Na-na, Han Chae-young, Choi Woo-hyuk, Moon Geun-young, Lee Ae-jung. First aired on KBS in Korea in Autumn 2000. Official website (in Korean): click here. Available on DVD from KBS Media in Korea (no subtitles) and from MPEG Video in Malaysia (English, Chinese, and Malay subtitles).
Taiwanese, Hong Kong, and Chinese, featuring English subtitles, all available for free streaming and
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