The drama starts off in 2005 in Seoul with Yun-Je sitting at his office with a list that reads “Top A Level list.” We find out that Ms. Jung has set that list on his table asking him to reconsider. With his resume and his achievements, he would be able to date and possibly marry a girl from a good background. However, Yun-Je dumps the papers in the trash and tell his secretary to tell Ms.Jung that if Ms. Jung does this again he will lock her away for interference with execution of his duties. Yun-Je also gets a call from Tae-Woong telling him to meet the daughter of a doctor Tae-Woong respects a lot. Tae-Woong tells Yun-Je that the daughter just wants help passing the second bar exam (attorney) and to meet her because it might turn out to be a good relationship. Yun-Je objects but Tae-woong says he will text Yun-Je the time and place for their first meeting.
In the next scene, Tae-Woong heads out of his hospital room to the staircase to hide the fact that he is eating canned peaches. This scene was already seen in ep. 14 but now we see it from Tae-Woong’s point. Jun-Hui gets a call from Si-Won as he sits down on a flight of stairs below Tae-woong. While Jun-Hui is talking to Si-Won on the phone, Tae-Woong realizes that his brother had feelings for Si-Won all along.
Yun-je decides to confront Tae-Woong about Si-Won. As they sit in the café, Yoon-je begins to tell his brother that he likes Si-Won. But before Yun-Je can finish, Tae-woong cuts him off and asks if he likes Si-Won. He tells Yun-je that he recently found out that Yun-Je had feelings for Si-Won and that although he loves his brother very much, he can’t give up Si-Won. It is up to Si-Won to make the ultimate choice. If Si-Won chooses Yun-Je then, Tae-Woong promises to give up on Si-Won. As Tae-Woong stands up, he reminds Yun-je about the dinner date Yun-Je has with the aspiring attorney. He asks Yun-Je to just show up for his brother’s sake because it would be rude to cancel.
In a later scene, we see that Tae-woong leaves his office and heads to the restaurant; Yun-Je arrives at a restaurant; Si-Won wait in side a room; and the aspiring attorney waits for Yun-Je. Outside of a room in a restaurant Yun-Je calls his brother to say that he is not going to give up on Si-Won either. He explains to him that on the day of the National College Entrance exam, he was going to confess to Si-Won but he didn’t because he found out Tae-Woong was going to confess as well. Yun-Je tells his brother that liking is not something that can be turned on and off like a switch. He ends the calls by telling Tae-Woong that he can give up anything for his brother anything in the world but not Si-Won. We later see that Yun-Je goes to meet Si-Won at the restaurant and that Tae-woong meets up with the aspiring attorney. While Yun-Je sits in front of Si-Won, he gets a message from his brother saying that he is sorry. Receiving this text, Yun-Je starts bawling.
In the last scene we see Si-Won giving birth and a healthcare professional comes out and asks where the husband is. We see Yun-Je and Tae-Woong both running towards the healthcare professional… we are left without knowing who Si-Won’s husband is…
Discussion questions
Do you think Tae-Woong expected Si-Won to choose Yun-Je over him?
Why do you think Tae-Woong told Yun-Je that even though he loves his brother, he cannot give up Si-Won? Do you think he really meant it or he said it because he expected Yun-Je to do the same? In other words, do you think he was insinuating to Yun-Je that even though you love your brother, don’t give up Si-Won like himself?
In previous episodes, we see that Si-Won lets Tae-woong into her house. However, she doesn’t let Yun-Je into her house. Why do you think this is the case? Does it say something about Si-Won’s feelings for Yun-Je vs. Tae-Woong? Does this foreshadow something about who the baby’s dad might be?
In this episode we also see Si-Won’s parents having “jesa” ceremony (memorial ceremony). I know that in Korea there is a bit of debate around this because some families are Christian and believe that doing memorial ceremonies (ex bowing down to ancestors) goes against the bible. What do you think about traditional ceremonies going against religious beliefs? Also, in your family, does your family participate in “jesa” or a similar ceremony?
The “love triangle” between Tae-woong, Yun-je, and Shi-won is atypical, but it is a vehicle for the romantic arc of TV dramas. As a viewer, this drama does set up Shi-won’s romantic interest to be Yun-je, so I would not be surprised that the baby daddy is Yun-je.
Yun-je and Shi-won are childhood friends, who know each other’s personalities and histories far too well. As best-friends and classmates, they understand the different problems that arise as a high school students and teenager — puberty, romance, friendships, college entrances/exams, career-hunting, etc. They endure similar ups and downs in life because of their age and proximity, therefore making them more sympathetic of one another. So far it is revealed that only Yun-je has romantic interest in Shi-won, but the opposite still remains a question. Although these two characters had disputes and arguments, it makes their relationship incredibly unique and charming. Plus, they make up very quickly because they always know what makes the other happy. The notion of the “Proximity Principle” is relevant between the romantic arc between Yun-je and Shi-won. Theodore Newcomb first demonstrated the idea that people who interact and live close by are more likely to develop a relationship, romantic, sexual, or platonic (1). A later study by Leon Festinger illustrates that people who encounter/interact frequently will develop stronger relationships (2). Of course other factors such as physical attractiveness, reciprocity, etc. interplay with proximity to form romantic attraction, but Yun-je and Shi-won’s physical closeness with one another that underpins their extensive friendship act as a fundamental answer to their potential romantic relationship.
So, does Tae-woong expect Si-won to choose Yun-je over him? Totally. Tae-woong is not oblivious of the friendship and comradery between Si-won and Yun-je that has developed since childhood. In general, Tae-woong is an incredibly smart, giving, and generous character, and I highly doubt he would want his relationship with his brother to be strained because of a girl, especially considering the only family they have left is each other. Although Shi-won is a charming and quirky girl, I personally think Tae-woong may be romantically interested in Shi-won because he is reminded of Shi-won’s late sister, Song-ju. As seen in flashbacks in episode 4, Song-ju and Shi-won have very similar personalities and behaviours. The interactions with Shi-won triggered his memories with Song-ju, and from those moments, we as viewers begin to see the Tae-woong-Shi-won romantic arc blossom. Yes, Tae-woong does have good intentions and cares about Shi-won (i.e. helping Shi-won polish her fanfics for a college scholarship) he ultimately puts his brother’s feelings first, and for viewers he becomes more of a sympathetic “good guy” with a kindhearted and considerate personality.
(1) Newcomb, T.M. “Varieties of Interpersonal Attraction.” In Group Dynamics: Research and Theory, edited by Dorwin Cartwright and Alvin Frederick Zander, 104-19. 2nd ed. New York: Harper & Row, 1968.
(2) Festinger, Leon, Kurt W. Back, and Stanley Schachter. Social Pressures in Informal Groups: A Study of Human Factors in Housing. New York: Stanford University Press, 1950.
Thanks for the post, Ashley!
I feel that while Reply 1997 covers a multitude of areas of discipline such a the socio-economic states of Korea and the interpersonal relationships that friends and lovers have with one another, the show eventually comes back down to the ‘love triangle’ that left fans wanting more from the characters of the show, and they aren’t really the ones to blame.
In my opinion, I’ve always seen of Shi-won’s affection towards Tae-woong as more of an infatuation regarding his generosity and kindness of heart and seeing him as the ‘perfect man’ as opposed to a lover for eternity. Likewise, like I mentioned in a previous post, Tae-woong’s affection towards Shi-won is highly propagated by the ghost of his love towards her older sister. As a result of Shi-won’s perceived maturity over time, Tae-woong may have just fallen for Shi-won in that matter which eventually results in Tae-woong telling Yun-je that he wasn’t willing to give up Shi-won.
In a similar regard, I felt that Tae-woong didn’t really mean when he said that he would take Shi-Won over Yun-je. Other than the fact that Yun-je is his last remaining blood relative, the show also seems to veer towards a weaker reasoning Tae-woong would have for Shi-won’s affection. Moreover, in this episode we can see Yun-je solidifying his resolve towards chasing for Shi-won and the ‘sorry’ text Yun-je later receives was the last nail in the coffin towards the ‘love triangle’ that they’ve experienced in the series. In a sense, I felt that Tae-woong was always aware of their relationship with one another and it is only now that he has finally accepted to move on from his past self to the one that we see in the reunion in the restaurant.
As for jesa in the Korean society, I think that it is still an important aspect of Korean culture and still practiced very widely. However, I do not understand why there would be a debate between Protestants and Non-Religious families since choosing to do jesa is the families choice and no religion should have the right to convince otherwise. However, I realize that there could be a debate on the jesa tradition between Catholicism and Protestants in South Korea. Also, I am not sure about all Protestants but many Catholics in South Korea do and are allowed to do jesa. However, jesa in Catholicism is I believe different than traditional jesa. In Catholic jesa people aren’t worshiping their ancestors but just showing signs of respect, 효 (Hyo, I do not know the direct translation in English) and maintenance of Korean tradition/culture. The procedure i probability different as well, since in Catholic “jesa” you would light candles, then read the bible, sing hymn and then go to mass. Furthermore, the food on the table can follow the traditional rules but Catholics normally add foods that the passed away normally liked.
This is an new article in Korean about various ways different religions do jesa http://www.newscj.com/news/articleView.html?idxno=453560.
For your question, what I think of traditional ceremonies going against religious beliefs, I would say that it does not really matter. If one wants to perform transitional ceremonies he or she should be allowed because religion cannot be forced upon.
Also, to answer your last question on this topic. As a Catholic family, we still do jesa annually. However, we follow the Catholic guidelines rather than the traditional guidelines.
There is a protestant version of Jesa as well (I have an article if you want to read it). However, I think the Catholics practice jesa more than Protestants because only a few sects accept the new jesa-esque ceremony, whereas Catholicism has allowed jesa in Korea for many decades, and this is one reason why Catholicism has grown while Protestantism has dropped in Korea. Catholics are literally stealing the Christians from Protestant churches.
효 is filial piety in English.
Jesa actually comes in two major types– charye (happens at least at seollal and chuseok, and traditionally 4 xs a year, always the same days, respects the ascendants) and gije (on the death anniversary of the immediate ascendants– this is what we see in the episode). Truly speaking charye is about respect for the ascendants. That should be fine in any religion. Gije is what is usually more of a problem for the Christians.
Hi Ashley, thank you for your post, I’d like to specifically answer your last question about jesa. I think that the history behind ceremonial rites in East Asia is very interesting and jesa in South Korea can be seen in parallel with China and the Catholic Church in the 17th and 18th century. This is a very simplified and crude explanation, but basically Catholic missionaries in China disagreed with the Roman Catholic Church over whether the ceremonial rites were social or carried “religious” meanings. Those of the Jesuit order specifically thought that it was secular, a social aspect of Chinese culture and shouldn’t be seen in conflict with the Catholic teachings, but the Roman Catholic Church didn’t agree with this. The Church saw it as a form of idolatry to have professed Christians practicing the rites. As historian Michela Fontana notes in the final chapter of her book Matteo Ricci, the Church went so far as to outright condemn this practice through a papal bull in 1715, which was only amended in 1939.
As far as I know, the same motivations went behind banning ancestral rites in Korea as well. These ceremonial rites were seen as a form of ancestor worship. The first Christian martyrs in Korea were in 1791 when two cousins refused to perform ancestral rites for their dead mother/aunt. The state authorities would view Christianity as disrupting the social harmony and would suppress their beliefs. This continues like Edward mentions, in the present day where there is disagreement in South Korea over jesa. Personally, our family does not do jesa. As Christians, my family and I place greater emphasis on the meaning of harvest during the times that jesa is usually held and when someone passes away, attend memorial services.
Sources:
Finch, Andrew. “The Pursuit of Martyrdom in the
Catholic Church in Korea before 1866.” Journal of Ecclesiastical History 60, no. 1 (2009): 95-118.
Fontana, Michela. Matteo Ricci: A Jesuit in the Ming Court. Rowman & Littlefield Publishers, 2011.
Thanks Ashley for the post! Since all of your questions have been answered, I’ll discuss about housing in Korea. From episode 13, Si-won’s ‘one-room’ is exhibited. (A one-room is more or less a small studio.) As discussed in class today, there is an increasing number of single households in Korea, especially in Seoul. Si-won is a precedent of this phenomena. According to the 2010 Statistics of Korea, around 39 percent of single households were young individuals who were living away from their parents because of their schooling (university) or work. In order to accommodate the rising number of single-households in concentrated areas, the government introduced a housing system to resolve this issue, but according to Kim the satisfaction of individuals living in these small homes are extremely low (Kim, 2014). Oh and Nam proposes share houses to be a possible method of housing for single households in the future (Oh and Nam, 2014). In Reply, we also see Yun-je and Jun-hui share housing. Do you guys agree with Oh and Nam in that share housing is a better alternative than living in a one-room? If you were to move to Seoul, what would you choose: living alone in a small (I mean really small) apartment or live with others sharing the kitchen and living room?
Kim, Ji-u [Kim Jiu]. A Study on the Satisfaction and the Needs of Students and Office Workers in Single Households – A Case of ChoongJungRo District in Sudeamoongu, Seoul. Seoul: Journal of Korea Design Knowledge. 2014. [김지우. 대학생과 직장인 1인 가구의 소형주거 만족도 및 요구에 대한 연구-서울시 서대문구 충정로 지역을 중심으로. 서울: 디자인지식저널; 2014.]
Oh, So-yeon and Nam Gyeong-Suk [Oh Soyeon and Nam GyeongSuk ]. A Study on the Development Directions for the Urban-life-housing Reflecting Characteristics of Single-person Households – Focused on the Share Housing. Seoul: Korean Institute of Interior Design. 2014. [오소연, 남경숙. 인 가구 특성을 반영한 도시형 생활주택 발전 방향에 관한 연구- 셰어하우스 형태를 중심으로, 한국실내디자인학회 학술대회논문집. 서울: 한국실내디자인학회 2012년도 추계학술발표대회 논문집; 2012.]
I’m not sure if I did the citations correctly. Where would I find the 지역 in the source? I wasn’t able to find it, so I just Seoul…I’m sure there’s a better way to do it.
Journal articles don’t need a 지역, only books.
And when the book doesn’t clarify that, you just google the publishing house and you can find the address and then know the 지역.
Your second entry is particularly wrong, as this is just part of a proceeding from a conference– it’s not a publication. In both cases, you need the page numbers. In the former you need the volume and issue number.
Nice write up Ashley in response to some of the questions my thoughts are as follows. I feel like Yoon-jae does not want to give up on Si-won, and is more indirect than the more direct approach of Tae-woong. It would appear that Tae-woong has an advantage, and he is considered handsome, successful, and communicates well. However it appears Tae-woong can not give up Si-won as he probably thinks that letting her choose is best. What if she does not want Yoon-jae and genuinely wants him? Seems fair enough instead of just giving up his own interest. He did not know that Yoon-jae had feelings for Si-won until recently so It appears Yoon-jae could do a better job of expressing and communicating how he feels instead of keeping it all inside. It does seem pretty confident of Tae-woong, yet at the same time he is more direct and probably feels that it is up to the girl to decide who she truly loves.
I think Si-won letting Tae-woong into her house could be she is more comfortable with him on a romantic level vs her relationship with Yoon-jae? or does not have that feeling yet for him? This is a good question. It could be that Tae-woong is just more direct and asks to come into her house. I do not think this foreshadows anything as Si-won could choose Yoon-jae, and this is just tricking us into thinking Tae-woong is her sole lover.
My family does not participate in a “Jesa” ceremony and I do not think there should be precedence against people for doing this. It does make sense that some hardcore Christian’s could think that, however most people are moving towards a more open way of thinking about these things.
Good job everyone. I read all the comments, but I’m going to go back to scoring 연실’s final essay now instead of writing response to each of you.
Really glad to see you all working so hard, bringing in literature and educating each other. I think that you have all taught each other a lot during this class.^^