The focus of these first two episodes are Seri’s choices.  Here’s the timeline from what I understand.

In 1989, she made her first choice. She was a year old at that time. It’s customary for a toddler to participate in a fortune-telling ceremony called “doljabi.” Thus, while sitting in front of table with various objects like a stethoscope, a stack of money, gavel, notebook, and flower which would foretell her future, she sealed her fate when she grabbed her father’s hand. Her innocent action earned her father’s approval but incurred her two older brothers’ jealousy.

Now, she’s 31 years old, and estranged from her family. Although the years in between are still murky, there are clues presented from second-hand sources.  For instance, according to her father, she founded her own company 10 years ago. In 2009, she was only 21 years old. Seri’s Choice is the name of her company.

Then, while she was looking through Hyun Bin…errr… Lee Jung Hyuk’s books, she chanced upon his application to a music conservatory in Basel, Switzerland. The application was dated for the school year 2007-2008.

It also said on the application, “This application form, fully complete, signed and dated, must be sent before March 1st 2019 to the following address….”

Seri puzzled over the application form and the subscription concert program because she thought that she’d seen his face from somewhere. Later in the epilogue, it would be revealed that they did meet in Switzerland. They both watched paragliders swirling in the air.

She had gone on a “suicide tourism” in Switzerland. The counselor at the clinic denied her request for euthanasia as she didn’t meet the established criteria. She protested that she was under had extraordinary mental pain despite not suffering any physical pains. She had “depression, panic disorder, eating disorder and insomnia.” Handing her a brochure, the counselor recommended that she toured the sights of Switzerland as 70% of their visitors go back home after taking in the beautiful landscape of the region. She mumbled in Korean that she didn’t have a home to return to.

Personally, I thought the counselor’s answer was dismissive. To her, depression can be cured by a simple change of scenery.

Note: If you’re struggling with thoughts of suicide, then this kdrama might not be right for you. You might want to watch this show with a trusted friend or proceed with caution since we don’t know how yet Seri’s suicide ideation comes into play in this kdrama.

To get back on topic…

In view of the timeline, Jung Hyuk’s conservatory application can be interpreted into two ways.

On one hand,  Seri and JH could have been in Switzerland 10 years ago, sometime around 2007 to 2008, when JH applied to music school, and she applied to an assisted suicide facility.

Their reasons for visiting the country couldn’t have been more divergent. He was pursuing music, while she was seeking death. However, her trip (and their possible chance meeting? We don’t know yet whether they spoke with each other) influenced her decision to start her own company when she went home.

On the other hand, Seri and JH could have been in Switzerland more recently, sometime before March 2019 when his application to the conservatory ended. If they met not long ago, then that would mean that her depression occurred not long ago, too. Her success in business didn’t give her inner joy. She felt hopeless and depressed enough to consider euthanasia.

Frankly speaking, I find it difficult to assess Seri’s state of mind. Unlike other heroines, I think she’s capable of subterfuge, of lying and deceiving other people and herself as well.

For instance, her dating scandal with an actor at the start of the episode could have been fabricated to create a buzz for her line of accessories. I wouldn’t put it past her to scheme such a thing.

Also, her harsh accusation that her mother wanting to get rid of her could be a misinterpretation. Seri didn’t know that she was number 1 on her mother’s speed-dial. And she didn’t know that her mother was deeply affected but restraining herself when she heard the news of her disappearance. Her mother could have disapproved of her joining her father’s company for her own good.

Then, when she found herself in that North Korean village with Jung Hyun, she quickly assessed her situation. “When you’re in an accident, you need someone on your side. And the only person I know here and now is this man. I should do well.”

She turned on her damsel-in-distress mode and started conniving. Inwardly, she thought, “I knew it. No matter how tough you pretend to be, you’re just a man.  See? He can’t even look me in the eye. He’s more innocent than I thought.”

Moreover, I couldn’t tell whether Seri was sincere or not when she sobbed her pity story about losing billions of won in stocks. She told JH that finding herself stuck in North Korea was sadder and more frustrating than losing three billion won in stocks due to an acquaintance. But the lowest point in her life must have been the time she went to Switzerland to seek euthanasia….

At any rate, her decision to end her life in Switzerland was another CHOICE she made which she (thankfully) reversed.

The third choice she made was to build her company, Seri’s Choice.

The name of the store is a giveaway. One level, her store’s name touts that all items sold in her store were especially chosen by her and therefore, dictated by HER good tastes in fashion and accessories. She bragged, “Either when things depended on my luck or depended on my sense, I always made the right choices.”

But on another level, the store’s name is a testament to her gutsy move. It’s her declaration of independence from her family’s corporation. She was striking it out on her own. Although it’s quite tempting to lump her suicide ideation, her family estrangement, and her stock disaster, all together at the same time, it’s quite possible that these three things didn’t occur at the same time and happened independently of each other.

Her fourth choice was going paragliding.

Her father asked her to meet him in his office the following day to discuss her taking over her father’s position in the company. She refused, saying that she had to do a final test on a new product. Her response was authoritative. Her brothers would have jumped at the chance to head the company. But from the get-go, she was letting her father know that she wasn’t going to kowtow to him simply because he was appointing her as his successor. She was her own woman.

The following morning, she was at the field for paragliding event.

Secretary: Ms. Yoon, when did you learn how to paraglide?
SR: Did I not tell you? I got my certification in Interlaken when I went to Switzerland.
Secretary: Oh I see. We could’ve tested it and just submitted a report to you. You didn’t have to do this yourself.
SR: It looks like I’ll get quite busy. I’m in a rush because I need to climb someplace.

She meant her ascent to her father’s corporate world.

Her secretary warned her that the wind was quite strong. She answered, “Why does the wind blow? It’s blowing to move on, not to stay. The wind has to keep moving for me to fly.”

Her answer came out smug. She was full of herself. And if there’s anything we know about kdramas, it’s that people who have an inflated sense of themselves would end up eating their words. Excessive pride comes before the downfall.

In fact, this whole paragliding scene reminded me of that Greek myth of Icarus.

Icarus was given wings made of wax and feathers by his father. His father warned him not to fly too near the sea as his feathers would get wet or too near to the sun as the was would melt his wings. But Icarus didn’t heed his father. He was so excited with his discovery that he could fly that he recklessly flew close to the sun. He fell from the sky and into the Aegean Sea.

The moral lessons from this Greek myth? Don’t be reckless; heed warnings. Avoid overly ambitious projects. Recognize and respect limitations.

Similarly, we can draw parallels in Seri’s crash landing into North Korea. Her moral lessons? Stop putting on airs. Enjoy the simple life. Rely on the kindness of strangers.

The life in North Korean village might seem so primitive and quaint to her but there’s plenty of home truths she could learn from the simple folks.

The fifth choice Seri made was the fork on the road. Because her instincts had unfailingly guided her to success in the business world, she thought those same instincts could guide her safely out of the woods. Thus, rather than listen to JH’s instructions, she second-guessed him and took the other path.

She was so confident that she always made the right choice at every moment of crisis in her life, that she discovered her mistake too late. “But this time, I was wrong. Although it was just one mistake, the consequence was immense. Right now, I’m in North Korea.”

Of course, since this is a romcom, this costly mistake of hers would prove to be just a temporary setback. In fact, this mistake she made would probably be the best choice she ever did in her life.

Her sixth choice was to seek help from JH and his company.

From Episode 2 at 18:43.

JH: Then choose.
SR: Choose what?
JH: If you want, I can escort you to the State Security Department right now. (his men protested) They might send you home after the interrogation.
SR: But that means they might not.
JH: I can’t make promises.
SR: What are the other choices? You told me to choose.
JH: (inhaling deeply) Listen to our orders.
SR: Orders? What kind?
JH: First, you may not leave this house during your time here.
SR: That’s a given. I’m not insane. I’m not going anywhere.

At this point, she made her choice. Although she didn’t explicitly state it, she was opting to rely on him to get her out of there.

Next, she and JH discussed their terms of engagement. He ordered her not to talk to him and his men to spread South Korean beliefs. Likewise, she demanded that they don’t her with North Korean propaganda. He demanded that she didn’t disclose anything that happened there once she returned to South Korea. She promised she’d have selective amnesia. In return, she asked that she be fed meat for two of the three meals because she was a meat lover.

I like the idea that he offered her a choice and she was still negotiating so she could come up with the best possible outcome. This is her personality trait revealed in the first episode. When her father offered his position up to her, she also negotiated her conditions.  She asked him, “If I’m your successor, will I have the authority to appoint new CEOs for our subsidiaries?” She wanted to fire her brothers because they were incompetent.

To me, then, that will be the crux of this kdrama: her choices. For her, it’s always been important that she makes her own decisions based on what’s good and beneficial for her in the long run. As we’ve seen, she’s goal-oriented and success-driven. But when she inevitably falls in love with Jung Hyun, she’ll have to cast away her preconditions and negotiations because none will work in their situation.  A relationship with him will require her to be selfless.

So there we have a brief overview of Seri’s choices and the implication to story.

It would be very remiss of me not to gush about Hyun Bin’s character, Lee Jung Hyuk. At first, I found it odd to romanticize a North Korean soldier, especially since Hyun Bin (real name: Kim Tae-pyeong) was the poster boy for ROK Marine Corps.

But oh well… I’m watching this for Hyun Bin. He could be a Klingon in disguise for all I care.

There were a few scenes that would foreshadow his character development.

1. He’s going to be putty in her hands.

I just know he was going to eat his words when, in the beginning of the show, he told the ROK commander to hand over the North Korean grave diggers because “when it comes to punishment, we, the North, certainly outdo the South.”

Ha! What punishment? Seri bugged him at work on the phone for toiletries but he couldn’t even reprimand her when he got home. What punishment?

First call:
Seri: I’m really sorry but I’m looking for body wash urgently. I just can’t find one.
JH: There must be soap.

Second call:
Seri: What about shampoo? It’s really urgent!
JH: (one-word answer) Soap.

Third call:
Seri: I’m calling to just ask if you have a scented candle by any chance? I really really need it when I take a bath or sleep.
JH: (just hung up)

Fourth call:
Seri: I’m not getting any hot water. This is really urgent.
JH: (exhaled. He probably told her to fetch it from a stove outside.)

The fifth call was implied. She probably asked him how to soak in a tub given the primitive set-up of his bathroom. He explained, “With the clothespins on the clothesline, fix the bath bag. Tuck the bath bag in under the basin filled with warm water to block airflow. Then, you can take a warm bath.”

When the phone rang for the sixth time, he just said, “What now?” expecting her to bother him again. If I were him, I would have yelled, “Darn it, woman! Just take a bath when I get home and I’ll scrub your back, too.”

I liked it that he brought toiletries home for her. He made sure they were “South Korean” products. (I’m ignoring the product placement.) If he traveled to Switzerland, then he mustn’t be as savage as Seri deemed him to be. lol.

But what touched me most was the candle. He brought her candle. Sure, it wasn’t the scented candle that she wanted, but I have to give him A+ for remembering her request when he probably had a lot of work to think about.

In times like this, it’s really the thought that counts.

In later episodes, I expect a seduction scene where JH lights the bathroom and bedroom with scented candles.

credit: showergem

2. He’s going to be dignified and incorruptible…except when it came to her.

He refused the offer of a stick of instant coffee from South Korea from his colonel. Thinking that he was such a stickler for rules, the colonel said, “Why? Because they’re relief goods from South Korea? I also felt uncomfortable at first but now I can’t have enough of its bitter-sweet taste. I don’t think you like sweet things.”

As it turned out, he could deny himself those South Korean products, but he would buy Seri smuggled cosmetics like skin toner, cleansing cream, day cream, night cream. So! He could practice austerity for himself, but he would indulge her with luxury — and contraband — goods.

He also didn’t forget to supply her with clean clothes. The canary-yellow sweater was an interesting choice too because I thought he would buy her a drab olive-colored sweater.

Overall, his gesture surprised me because a) it showed that he was willing to bend his strict rules for her, b) his thoughtfulness came after he’d been curt with her on the phone, and c) he probably realized that she was a girl unaccustomed to his sort of spartan lifestyle.

Ah! I shouldn’t forget to mention that he also borrowed the general’s vehicle to reach her. He must not be used to asking anybody a favor since he’s someone who prides himself in being self-sufficient. That’s the point his family connection was expunged from his military record, right? Like Seri, he wanted to succeed on his own without his family connections being revealed.

For a millisecond, however, I was disappointed that his chariot was only a 2019 Jaguar with an official license plate that starts with 729. I wanted him to arrive in a helicopter with strong landing lights and heavy firepower aimed at the bad guy. Hey…if he was going to blow his cover as THE precious only son of the Director of the General Political Bureau, he might as well do it in style.

But yes. We can all predict the collision course of this kdrama. It’s necessary for Jung Hyuk to be incorruptible because his direct superiors are involved in smuggling criminals who escaping prosecutions into North Korea. One such fugitive is the man who absconded with one billion won from Seri’s second brother’s company.

lol. The director even kindly left us a foreshadowing when JH dropped his soldier’s cap in a rush to hide Seri from the bad guy’s view.  The bad guy’s vehicle ran over it.

3. An officer and a gentleman

Move over, Richard Gere!

Only in kdramas do we get a perfection like Hyun Bin portraying one tough North Korean soldier with the romantic soul of Arthur Rubinstein and the culinary arts of Wolfgang Puck. What more can women want? I’ve a big admiration for Jean-Luc Picard of the USS Enterprise but hey, he was follicly challenged.

Seriously. There’s something sexy about a man who can make noodles from scratch with a hand-cranked contraption, and at the same time grill steak to perfection on a primitive burner. Just show me that he can make an excellent cup of coffee and my alter-ego/fictional self would be ready to move in with him his military housing.

But as kdrama veterans, we KNOW that the screenwriter(s) will milk this image of an “officer and a gentleman.” We know that script will do its darnest to make us swoon for this male character.

Take for instance when Seri was embarrassed for crying in front of a stranger. He quickly extinguished the candlelight and told her “Don’t worry. I can’t see you now.”

What made that attractive? The economy of his action. He took care of the problem without a fuss. There! She could cry to her heart’s content in the dark. lol.

Then, Seri wanted to know his name so she could return the favor one day. He responded, “You don’t have to. There was no favor to begin with.”

What made that swoon-worthy? His moral rectitude. He was just doing what was right so there was no need for her to repay him.

Then, the bra scene. The street vendor had asked him if he needed underwear as well and offered selection, “This is Vivian, and this is Venus. And this is Bodyguard.” He waved at them, “I’ll take them all, too.”

Vendor: What size? What size do you need?
JH: Anything will do.

That was hilarious. You know why?

In Episode 1, he heard gunshots in the dark and he was able to identify the weapons. “The combat site is 400m away from our current location. Going in at eleven o’clock. Total count, ten. K2 automatic rifle, six in total. And Tokarev TT-33. Three are in use.” Of course, since he was musician, he could detect and discern sounds better. It’s like distinguishing between a C from an A#.

But he’s not a connoisseur of women’s bodies so he won’t know about bra sizes. Even though she crash-landed on his body, he was very careful not to hug her.

4. He’s “Mountain Hawk” (at 32:45).

That’s his code name. All the men in his company have chosen birds as their code names.

From what I remember, the first two episodes showed three images of birds.  As veteran kdrama viewers, we know that these birds symbolize something.

In Episode 1, there was a hawk. A hawk guards his territory well, just like Jung Hyun. In Episode 2, there was a barn owl. It was studying Seri when she was unconscious and hanging from the tree. Owls are supposedly harbingers of death, but I think an owl here meant that Seri was about to enter a test of her courage and sanity. lol. But in the epilogue of Episode 2, there was an Alpine chough. An Alpine chough is said to pair for life. The bird was shown shortly before Seri and Jung Hyun encountered each other in Switzerland.

So…will I stay and watch this romcom on netflix? For now, yes. The plot holds up and this pretend engagement should be worth swooning over.  🙂