Ariane

His huge talent will be dearly missed, but he leaves us with beautiful masterpieces such as Secret Love Affair, Something in the Rain, One Spring Night...
Thank you, sir. May you rest in peace 🙏🏻

This great list speaks directly to my heart 💕 And even more with that title (Secret Love Affair is my favorite Kdrama of all time) at the very top!

Thank you for sharing more of your perspective. Your long experience as both a long‑time teacher and student is really valuable.

It’s true that bullying can appear more visible or "imminent" in certain countries, especially when social structures, expectations, or pressures create environments where competition, hierarchy, or conformity are very strong. Social values, the way respect is taught, and the emphasis placed on success can definitely influence how young people interact and how conflicts develop.

At the same time, personal experiences with bullying vary enormously from one school, region or generation to another. Some people go through their entire education without ever witnessing it, while others encounter it early and often, even within the same country or school system.
For example, I personally experienced bullying several times during my school years in a European environment that was 95% caucasian (like me). So experiences can differ widely, even in places that might seem “safe” or familiar.

Because of this, it’s difficult to draw broad conclusions about entire cultures based only on individual cases, even though those cases are meaningful.

I agree that long‑term social values shape behaviour, and that unhealthy competition, rigid hierarchies or pressure to “get ahead” can contribute to harmful dynamics. But these mechanisms exist in many places, not just in a few countries. Different societies simply express them in different ways; some more publicly, some more quietly, some more dramatically amplified by media.

In the end, bullying isn’t a “national trait”. It’s a complex human issue influenced by social norms, family structures, education systems, media, and generational changes. The roots can be cultural, psychological, structural, societal… often a mix of all of these.
And like you said, it takes years of shaping values (good or bad) to create the environment young people grow up in.

So far I haven’t found any reliable or official source confirming this point.
But if it were true, it could quite possibly have influenced or helped things for veteran actor Lee Kyung‑young, indeed. 🙄

Actually, his ex‑agency was ordered to pay a very large compensation in the damages lawsuit related to River Where the Moon Rises. So there is a bit of “justice” (or karma) in this whole situation.
Too bad Ji Soo can’t really benefit from it.

I get where your concerns come from.
School violence cases in Korea get a lot of media attention, and the Ji Soo case brought the topic back into the spotlight.
But I don’t think it’s accurate to say that Korean schools are “full of antisocials and bullies.” The issue exists, yes, but it’s not representative of the entire system.
And it’s important to remember that these problems aren’t unique to one country or culture. Bullying and social pressure exist everywhere, though they take different forms.

Several factors help explain why bullying cases in Korea seem so visible or common, and why they can feel unfamiliar/surprising or hard to fully understand for many of us in Western countries:
• Strong academic pressure and competition
• Group dynamics and conformity norms
• Hierarchical social structure
• Media amplification (K-dramas, Korean & Int'l social media)
• Public shaming culture

These elements can make certain situations feel harsher or more dramatic from an outside perspective. But again, no country is exempt from these issues; they’re just expressed differently depending on social norms and media practices.

As for the entertainment industry, it’s true that Korea has a very hierarchical and reputation‑driven system. Power imbalances, agency control, and public opinion can play a huge role in an actor’s career. But this isn’t unique to Korea either. Industries built on visibility, branding, and public image often have similar dynamics worldwide.

What can make the Korean case feel more intense is the combination of:
• strong seniority culture,
• tight agency contracts,
• extremely fast public reactions on social networks,
• and a media environment that amplifies scandals very quickly.

So yes, the Ji Soo case was messy and very painful, but I wouldn’t say it “proves” anything about an entire culture or industry.
It’s more a reminder that no system is perfect, and that individuals can be harmed by rumors, power imbalances, or public opinion anywhere in the world.
Korea’s issues are not unique, sadly. They’re just more publicly exposed and culturally handled in a very different way.

Oh no, please don't worry, you didn’t ruin anything at all! 🥰
I genuinely enjoyed your review. Your enthusiasm and analysis are great. Your effort to stay spoiler‑free was clear, and I appreciated it.
All good, Kes! 💙

Oh no worries, I could really feel that you tried to keep your review spoiler‑free, and I appreciate that. It’s very thoughtful of you toward other viewers.
I just wanted to mention something very gently: for me, a few parts of the review still felt a bit spoiler‑ish. Not in a “plot reveal” way, of course, but more in terms of character development and how the narrative unfolds.

For example, you talk about Ji Hyun’s personal evolution, her long‑term relationship, and Si Woo’s backstory being stretched until the end of the show. These aren’t explicit spoilers, but they do reveal the direction the story takes and how certain mysteries or dynamics are handled. Some MDLers prefer discovering those elements on their own, so I thought I’d let you know.😊

What a great review! 👏🏻👏🏻 I haven't watched this yet. Maybe one day... ☺️
Friendly reminder: don't forget to use the Spoiler Tag 😉

Great review! This drama is now moved from my Undecided list to the Not Interested one 😅
PS: don't forget to use the Spoiler Tag! 😉

You’re right, any crime is a moral failing.
What I meant is that, in South Korean public perception, some offenses are seen as “private wrongdoing” (something terrible but viewed as an individual matter, often including sexual crimes), while school violence is treated as a public moral failure tied to youth and education.
So the social reaction ends up being very different, even if legally both are crimes.

“Personal crime” isn’t a legal term. I simply used it to describe how SK public opinion tends to separate scandals. I probably should have used “PRIVATE wrongdoing” (instead of “PERSONAL crime”) from the start. It would have been clearer.

Oh nice! Thank you so much 🙏🏻

We can forget about this one, guys.

Does anyone know the synopsis ?

And blocked.

Yes, the contrast is shocking.
Actor Lee Kyung‑young was actually convicted in 2002 for sexual offenses involving a minor, but he returned to acting after only 2 years.
His comeback was possible for several reasons:
- he was already an established veteran actor,
- he didn’t rely on a “pure”, romantic or youth‑oriented public image,
- he mostly played authority figures or villains (roles that don’t require moral innocence), and the industry has a strong demand for older male actors in those parts.
- his case was also perceived as a “personal crime” rather than a moral failing tied to youth or education; which makes a big difference in South Korea’s public perception.

This cultural dynamic is difficult to understand (and accept) from a Western perspective, where the hierarchy of moral gravity is very different. But in South Korea, it strongly shapes how scandals are handled and how careers recover.
That’s why Ji Soo’s situation is treated much more harshly socially, despite the lack of any legal conviction. Sadly.

Apparently:
- The accusations against Ji Soo were never officially recognized as true by any court.
- There was no criminal conviction, no civil ruling confirming the allegations, and no legal decision stating that the claims of school violence were proven.
- The only judicial outcome was that the people who posted the accusations were acquitted of defamation — which simply means the court didn’t consider their statements to be punishably false, not that Ji Soo’s guilt was legally established.
- Everything else (his apology, the controversy, the end of his contract, and the impact on his career) came from public and industry reaction, not from a legal confirmation of any wrongdoing.

In short:
👉 legally, he was never found guilty;
👉 socially and in the media, he was treated as if he were.

Because Korean society places a very strong emphasis on education, school violence is viewed almost as a moral offense. Even when accusations are unproven, resolved, or withdrawn, the label tends to stick and public perception can linger for a very long time.
That’s why a full comeback in the Korean entertainment industry is very unlikely for now; even though he has officially no legal dispute, conviction or ongoing conflict.

This also explains why Ji Soo hasn’t returned to Korean projects, left (had to leave) his previous agency, and is now rebuilding his career abroad.

Same. I miss him.

Just stating facts, dear.
Btw, I started watching The East Palace. Still on episode 1.
I noticed your 5/10 😯
Without spoiling anything, could you tell me what didn’t work for you? I'm curious.

I was just reacting (LMAO) to the very fitting military wordplay in LucyL’s joke.
‘Ask your commander’ was meant as a playful reference to military rules: since Kwak Dong Yeon is soon to be enlisted, the only (but unfortunately impossible) way to meet him would be to "ask someone higher‑ranked" in the army for permission.
The humor comes from the fact that's something nobody could actually ask in real life. It’s the absurdity of the idea that makes the joke particularly funny (in my personal opinion).

Just to clarify: we weren't talking about your wish to meet him. Your first -very sweet and innocent- comment simply gave LucyL an opportunity to make her little military joke, that's all.
And of course there’s nothing strange about wanting to meet Kwak Dong Yeon. You’ll just have to wait until he finishes his military service. Or hurry quite a bit before his enlistment. 😉