KevinToronto

Respectfully, the term and concept of "Baby Boomer" is a U.S.-based one that has little connection to many other countries and cultures. If I had been born in the U.S., I would have been part of the boomer cohort, but towards the end of it. However, I was born in the U.K., where the post-war boom did not occur until much later; food rationing did not end until 1954 and coal rationing continued until 1958. [In the U.S., rationing ended in August 1945, except for sugar which ended in 1947.] In Korea, the difference is even more stark. The GDP per capita in 1960 was US$158 and US$32,423 in 2022; for comparison, it was US$3,007 in 1960 and US$76,330 in 2022.

I do not disagree that Yun Ja is a nasty odious person but that is purely her, and not a result of her birth cohort.

Hi Nexe,

We are good; there are no hard feelings at all. This world would be extremely boring if everyone agreed on everything all the time.

Apologies for the confusion over the inverted commas. I used them to emphasise the concept rather than quoting you. I do not disagree that Seon Young should have been the "bigger" person due to her age and experience. However, my point was that the issue of telling A-Ra that she was abandoned by her mother is a very sore issue for Seon Young, as much as for Su Ji for the opposite reason. Likewise, seeing their son being punched by a stranger is going to get any parent angry.

Yes, ignoring someone is rude, but sometimes is better to say nothing rather than say something that you know you will regret later on.

I think that the both of us, and others, realise that this is drama land tension building to make the discovery of their relationship and re-connection all the more dramatic, with Pacific Ocean quantities of tears.

I am going to be a bit contrarian here. Why does Seon Young being being older require her "to not be upset and angry" at Su Ji for what has happened?

First, Su Ji tells Ah Ra something (true though it might be) that the family had been keeping unspoken, for obvious reasons. Many here commented that it was wrong for her to say that.

Second, she has seen her son physically attacked by the ex-boyfriend of someone her son clearly likes. Everyone here knows that Hyun Sung has gone well past the point of being merely a disappointed ex-boyfriend, but it still must be worrying.

I am not sure why Su Ji did not realise that "hurting" two people who call Seon Young "mother" will upset and anger Seon Young.

Yes, talking about things before they fester for too long is important, but, sometimes, people are not able to put their feelings into words at the time. Some people need time to get their thoughts in order so that they can talk calmly.

But, yes, as this is drama land, this is merely to build up the tension around the relationship reveal.

Absolutely, she has done nothing wrong. Even if he was merely a very loyal, regular customer, it is perfectly acceptable to treat him with respect and courtesy when he visits the restaurant, whether he comes late and/or stays beyond closing time. It is not as if they are going for a day-long trip to the coast or a dinner for two at a different restaurant.

Plus, as @TereStarr correctly points out, there is a connection beyond just the restaurant. He saved her life; if it were me, that would guarantee an open table for him whenever he wants, no questions asked. Presumably, he started going to the restaurant because of the medical situation.

Thank you for sharing your story, which provides a very different and important perspective to the one that most of us have.

I will not presume to speak for others, but the reason I have referred to the biological vs adopted status of characters is because the tangled web of relationships will be a problem at some stage in the story. Plus, resolving the "abandonment" issue for Su Ji will, I believe, be part of her final healing process.

With regard to the overall issue of adoption, from what I have read, it is a very sensitive issue within Korea. And I have seen several dramas where it has been an aspect (e.g., You are My Spring; Law School; Let me be your Knight, to name three). Here are two links to media reports about it.
https://www.nbcnews.com/news/asian-america/south-korean-court-orders-agency-compensate-asian-american-adoptee-rcna84690
https://www.abc.net.au/news/2024-05-02/south-koreas-sham-adoptions/103798500

The issue of adopted vs (long-lost) biological children is fraught with ethical and moral issues. The story from China would be okay provided that the son is not biologically related to the mother. If he is biologically related, then brother married sister, regardless of whether they were raised by two different people.

Like you, I do think that the mother - daughter relationship is the key in this story because it will help unwind and heal the angst and psychological damage done over the years, as well as dramatically impact the relationship between Su Ji and Woo Ri.

Thanks.

Who knew that a programme about "traffic cops" could so interesting and so much fun? Full marks for the creative mind(s) that came up with the idea, and for the people behind Flex X Cop.

I heard the comments that the husband had died in the U.S., but that sort of "drama dead end" is way too easy. I suspect that the husband is still alive and possible hiding in plain sight.

Obviously, a second season will depend on a lot of factors, but it definitely has the vibe that suggests that at least a second season could be on the cards. I am definitely hoping for one.

I am in the same camp as EMaGr. I cannot feel very sorry for Hyun Sung. He does not have to play the mediator role. He could just say "You are my parents and I love both of you."

When I saw the preview, I did wonder if the movement towards the kiss would be halted/interrupted.

Can I respectfully ask that you make your comment a "Spoiler", as it provides quite a bit of detail about an episode that many have not seen yet?

Add to that, Yun Ja had kept a very expensive ($30,000) fur coat, despite the family desperately needing money. I wonder which one of Su Ji and Jang Su paid for it?

While I do not necessarily subscribe to the tough love method of parenting, I did love how Seon Young talked to Su Ji and gave her the right type of support and encouragement. Full points on how to boost someone's confidence.

What can you say about Hyun Sung, except his obsession clearly has no limits. His father tells him "It is about time you accepted it and moved on" and "You need to know when to give up". His next move, go to U Ri's office to say "Can't you send her back to me?" U Ri's response was perfect: "Do you not care at all about what she wants to do? Do you think she's an object or something."

For me, the key part of the preview was Su Ji's doubting whether she can start over. Her overcoming this doubt will be a big part of the rest of the series.

You are probably correct. I only threw out the "they are actual brother and sister" scenario as something I have considered.

I am not certain how it would actually fit within the story or time lines, but I did consider that U Ri and Doo Ri were the original adoption choices for the Hans. However, because of Jin Tae's mess up, this did not happen and Hyun Sung was adopted instead. Imagine how Hyun Sung will feel if he was the booby prize!

I agree that Su Ji and U Ri are not related in any biological sense, which means there is not legal, ethical, or societal reason for them to be prevented from being together and eventually marrying.

My point about the incest issue was if Soo Ji discovers that she is the daughter of Seon Young before she finds out that U Ri is actually adopted. The emotional shock and trauma of that could set her back a lot. As far I recall, Su Ji has only seen a loving family of mother, son and two daughters, without the background of them not being biologically related at all (although I would not be surprised to find out that U Ri and Doo Ri are actual brother and sister).

I think that the next block of episodes will contain angst, questioning, and crying as a result of Su Ji discovering who her biological mother is. If she does not know that U Ri is adopted, then the spectre of incest will raise its ugly head. If Na Young (or Hyun Sung) finds out, will this be something that is maliciously spread?

What we know and what we believe regarding the "children", from my perspective.
- Su Ji is the biological daughter of Seon Young and Jang Su. Raised by Yun Ja and Jang Su to believe that she had been abandoned by her mother who had run away.
- Woo Ri is the adopted son of Seon Young. Presumed biological son of Ma Ri. Grew up in a loving home.
- Hyun Sung is presumed to be the adopted son of Ma Ri and Jin Tae. If so, his parentage might be important to the story. Grew up in a cold, loveless home
- Na Young is the biological daughter of Seon Young, but not of Jang Su. Grew up in the shadow of Su Ji and is resentful.
- Doo Ri is the adopted daughter of Seon Young. Parentage does not appear to be important to the story. Grew up in a loving home.

If Woo Ri is Ma Ri's son who got lost, did she have to give him up at birth because she was marrying Jin Tae? Is "You lost the thing most important to me" code for "I had to give my son up for you"? If he was so important, why no attempts to find him?

Seon Young believed that Su Ji had gone overseas, which explains why she did not look for her when she recovered.

I think the orphanage will have an important role in resolving the puzzle.

He is all three, but he is a narcissist who is incapable of accepting that his property/woman is in love with someone else, who he considers to be his inferior.

From the interaction with the Sister at the orphanage, it seems that Woo Ri and Doo Ri were both adopted from there by Seon Young. The fact that Ma Ri was there intrigued me. Is there a part of her story that we do not know about?