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From Wikipedia: “The World of the Married” is a 2020 South Korean television series starring Kim Hee-ae, Park Hae-joon, and Han So-hee. Based on BBC One’s drama series Doctor Foster written by Mike Bartlett, it tells a story of a married couple whose betrayal of one another leads to a whirlwind of revenge, grief, forgiveness and healing. It aired on JTBC on Fridays and Saturdays from March 27 to May 16, 2020.
The series is the highest-rated drama in Korean cable television history, overtaking “SKY Castle” with its final episode reaching a nationwide rating of 28.371%. It also recorded the highest average rating for a drama on cable television, with an average rating of 18.829%. Although the series was criticized for its portrayal of sex and violence, it received critical acclaim for its screenplay, direction and acting performances, with Mo Wan-il winning Best Director and Kim Hee-ae winning Best Actress at the 56th Baeksang Arts Awards.
How I wrote these episode summaries without spoilers
1. I assumed that you will be reading these summaries and watching the videos chronologically.
2. I narrated some of the main actions in each episode without revealing the plot’s twists and turns.
3. At the beginning of each summary starting with Episode 2, I placed in a table a recap of the major twists and turns of the previous episode. But because you have already watched the video of the previous episode, they aren’t spoilers anymore.
4. I followed this structure all throughout, except for Ep. 16 (Finale) where I included spoilers. Reason — most people want to know if the drama has a good/happy ending or a sad ending before they invest the time in watching it.
Episode 1
Ji Sun-woo is a doctor and Vice Director of Family Love Hospital. She has been happily married to Lee Tae-oh (president of an events company and an aspiring film director), and they have a teenage son named Joon-young. But now that she’s in her 40s, she begins to worry about her looks.
After dealing with an incident involving one of the hospital’s doctors and with the demands of her patients, she becomes suspicious of Tae-oh when she finds a brownish/reddish strand of hair on her scarf and later meets someone who works for Tae-oh.
Sun-woo becomes suspicious of all the women Tae-oh knows who have brownish/reddish hair. She also becomes suspicious of her neighbor Ko Ye-rim who not only has brownish/reddish hair but also the same lip gloss that Tae-oh has. Ye-rim says that the brownish/reddish hair trended in their neighborhood after it was started by Eom Hyo-jung, who’s a former Miss Korea and an artist. Later, while checking Tae-oh’s cellphone, she sees a text message from someone asking Tae-oh to meet at a restaurant.
Sun-woo’s colleague Sul Myung-sook tries to change her mind about Tae-oh’s possible infidelity. Later, Sun-woo impulsively leaves the hospital and goes to Tae-oh’s workplace. She sees Tae-oh going out of a store with roses and a gift; as Tae-oh speeds away in his car, she follows him.
Desperate to know the truth, Sun-woo asks her patient Hyeon-seo to follow Tae-oh wherever he goes. Hyeo-seo agrees, in exchange for a prescription for sleeping pills.
Episode 2
| Ep. 1 recap:
During Tae-oh’s birthday party and through Hyeon-seo’s report, Sun-woo finds out that Tae-oh is having an affair with Da-kyung, the daughter of Eom Hyo-jung. Through the pictures in Tae-oh’s cellphone, she finds out that he has been openly dating Da-kyung. She also finds out that her colleague Myung-sook has been texting her husband about her suspicions about his infidelity. |
After fighting with his accountant Jae-hyuk, Tae-oh meets Da-kyung in a secluded place; as they kiss, somebody secretly videos them.
The next day, Da-kyung goes to the hospital for a medical consultation; later, Sun-woo goes home and throws Tae-oh’s things into a suitcase and rips off her pictures with Tae-oh. Joon-young and Myung-sook arrive, with Joon-young going straight to his bedroom. She offers Myung-sook a drink, who teases her that Ye-rim’s husband, Jae-hyuk, likes her. In response, she asks Myung-sook why she didn’t tell her about Tae-oh’s affair with Da-kyung.
Sun-woo intervenes in the abusive relationship between Hyeon-seo and her boyfriend. In her office, she treats Hyeon-seo’s wounds; when she asks what her plans are, however, Hyeon-seo says that she’ll stay temporarily in a “jjimjilbang” (traditional bathhouse) and eventually return to her boyfriend. Hyeon-seo, on the other hand, assures Sun-woo that Tae-oh, just like other men, was just tempted to have an affair with a younger woman.
Episode 3
| Ep. 2 recap:
Sun-woo is emotionally devastated to find out that Da-kyung is pregnant. On the other hand, Da-kyung asks Myung-sook to give her an abortion. The person who took the video of Tae-oh and Da-kyung kissing at the party is Dong-sik, Sun-woo’s patient. Da-kyung threatens to break up with Tae-oh if he doesn’t divorce Sun-woo. When Sun-woo confronts him if he has a girlfriend, Tae-oh denies it, but minutes later, he gets a phone call from Myung-sook, who tells him that Da-kyung is pregnant. |
Sun-woo consults a divorce lawyer on what to do and what kind of evidence she needs against Tae-oh. Meanwhile, at her home, Ye-rim overhears Joon-young talking to his friend No-eul about how parents act when they’re about to divorce.
After meeting with the divorce lawyer, Sun-woo goes to the bank to look at her family’s financial status. To her shock, she finds out that Tae-oh has taken out a loan using their house and Joon-young’s college fund as collateral.
At the hospital, Sun-woo’s mother-in-law confesses to her that she knew about Tae-oh’s affair; she pleads with Sun-woo not to divorce Tae-oh and to continue living with him for Joon-young’s sake.
Episode 4
| Ep. 3 recap:
During a chance meeting in a bookstore, Da-kyung tells Sun-woo that the man she’s involved with the for the last two years is planning to get a divorce within the next several months. Sun-woo finds numerous bills that Tae-oh incurred in paying for things he bought for Da-kyung, such as an expensive bag worth thousands of dollars. Joon-young tells Sun-woo not to get a divorce. During the funeral for her mother-in-law, Sun-woo sees Tae-oh and Da-kyung inside a car, kissing and hugging each other. From afar, Je-hyuk, Ye-rim’s husband, also sees what’s happening. |
Sun-woo gets a call from Hyeon-seo, who says that she’s starting to become close with Dak-yung and is about to go to her apartment. As Sun-woo searches Tae-oh’s car for the bag, she gets soaked under the rain, but Ye-rim’s husband, Jae-hyuk, appears and puts an umbrella over her.
At the hospital, an elderly, elegant woman sees Sun-woo for a consultation, after Sun-woo was recommended by Chairman Yeo Byung-kyu, Da-kyung’s father. To the woman’s shock, Sun-woo tells her that she has a sexually transmitted disease.
When Tae-oh leaves the house late at night, Sun-woo calls up Hyeon-seo and tells her to follow Tae-oh. Hyeon-seo records Tae-oh as he goes to Da-kyung’s apartment. But as she follows Tae-oh, her ex-boyfriend appears.
During a family night out, Sun-woo, Tae-oh, and Joon-young meet Da-kyung and her parents. As they have dinner together, Sun-woo casually asks Da-kyung about her romantic relationship.
Episode 5
| Ep. 4 recap:
Hyeon-seo’s ex-boyfriend blackmails Sun-woo that if she doesn’t give him 30,000 US dollars, he will publicize the video recording of Tae-oh going to Da-kyung’s apartment. Hyeon-seo shows up, badly beaten, in Da-kyung’s apartment and says that she decided to have an abortion. Sun-woo has a one-night stand with Jae-hyuk; the next day, she threatens to tell Ye-rim about what happened unless he give her copies of the financial statements of Tae-oh’s company. |
After a nasty incident with one of her patients, Sun-woo meets Ye-rim, who confides that she wants to have a baby but Jae-hyuk doesn’t want to. Sun-woo advises her that she and Jae-hyuk should seek counseling with the hospital’s new doctor.
When Sun-woo fails to come to the hotel, Jae-hyuk becomes angry and goes to her house. He tells her about what he found out about Tae-oh’s financial transactions, but he becomes angrier when she says that her lawyer will now take over.
Da-kyung leaves her apartment and decides to go back to her parents’ mansion.
Sun-woo continues to be blackmailed by Hyeon-seo’s ex-boyfriend. Later, after getting drunk in a makeshift bar, she finds herself out on the street under the rain. As she remembers an accident years ago, she walks into the path of an oncoming car.
Episode 6
| Ep. 5 recap:
Dr. Ma, the disgraced doctor, saves Sun-woo from getting hit by the oncoming car. Later, Sun-woo confesses to him everything that’s happening to her family. Jae-hyuk tells Sun-woo that Tae-oh has secretly set aside 320,000 US dollars. Later, he also says that Chairman Yeo Byung-kyu is Tae-oh’s secret investor. During dinner at Chairman Yeo Byung-kyu and Hyo-jung’s mansion, chaos and anger erupt when Sun-woo reveals that Tae-oh and Da-kyung are having an affair and that Da-kyung is pregnant. Jae-hyuk goes to the hotel room, expecting to see Sun-woo. Instead, he sees Ye-rim there. |
The next day, Sun-woo sends the divorce papers to Tae-oh. Later, at the hospital, she tells Hyeon-seo’s ex-boyfriend that she won’t give in to his blackmail. The ex-boyfriend thus reveals to Tae-oh and Da-kyung how Sun-woo asked Hyeon-seo to spy on them.
Sun-woo’s patients cancel their appointments when numerous negative posts about her begin appearing in the hospital’s website.
Tae-oh confronts Sun-woo in the hospital director’s office, telling her that he will fight for custody of Joon-young. Sun-woo rushes out of the office and races to Joon-young’s school. Despite Joon-young’s protests, she takes him up to the mountains. But Tae-oh uses the tracker in Joon-young’s phone to follow them.
Back at home, Joon-young sees his mother Sun-woo with a bloodied face after she has been beaten up by Tae-oh.
Episode 7
| Ep. 6 recap:
Sun-woo gets a restraining order against Tae-oh and everything she asked for in her petition for divorce. Chairman Yeo Byung-kyu cuts off Da-kyung financially when she refuses to leave Tae-oh. Two years later ... Sun-woo tries to live as normal as possible, with Joon-hyung now in high school. Yoon-ki continues to try and win her affection. Joon-young gets an invitation to the welcome back party of his father Tae-oh, Da-kyung, and their daughter Jenny. Now rich and successful, Tae-oh has returned to Gosan; the invitation shows the grand house he and his family will be living in. |
While everyone talks behind Sun-woo’s back about Tae-oh’s successful movie and his fabulous return to town, Hyo-jung continues calling all the town’s VIPs for the housewarming party. But Da-kyung says that she doesn’t care if no one from the town comes to the party.
Later, as the party is going on, Sun-woo goes to a bar and drinks by herself. Yoon-ki arrives and tries to comfort her. But then, she gets a message with a picture of Tae-oh and Joon-young enjoying themselves at the party. Despite Yoon-ki’s caution, she leaves and goes to the party to get Joon-young.
Episode 8
| Ep. 7 recap:
Tae-oh and Da-Kyung argue over Tae-oh’s plan to give to Joon-young one of the rooms in their house. Sun-woo causes a commotion at the party as she looks for Joon-young in all the rooms of the house. On their way home, Joon-young becomes irritated at seeing Yoon-sik driving for them. Tae-oh meets the hospital director and Myung-sook and tells them that his company will make a large donation to the hospital. But he wants Sun-woo removed as the hospital’s Vice Director. At home, while Sun-woo and Joon-young are having dinner, someone throws a rock that breaks a window. |
During a gathering of the women’s association, conflict arises among the members, with Ye-rim on one side and Da-kyung and her mother on the other side. Myung-sook, meanwhile, gets the help of the hospital director’s wife to help her take Sun-woo’s place as Vice Director. The hospital director’s wife promises to speak to the wife of the hospital’s chairman on her behalf.
Chairman Yeo Byung-kyu finds out about Tae-oh’s plan to donate money to the hospital; he warns Tae-oh about using their company’s money and tells him to make sure that Sun-woo is removed ad Vice Director.
To Sun-woo’s surprise, she finds Joon-young in the hospital as he visits Yoon-sik. Because of Yoon-ki’s advice, she later on allows Joon-yoong to have dinner in Tae-oh’s house.
Late that night, the intruder comes back and breaks into Sun-woo’s house. Sun-woo tries to escape, but the intruder drags her back and then chokes her.
Episode 9
| Ep. 8 recap:
Joon-young has been in counseling for the last six months because he feels guilty about causing his parents’ divorce. Sun-woo fights back, and the intruder escapes. The intruder turns out to be Hyeon-seo’s ex-boyfriend, who has been hired by Tae-oh. Based on what she heard from the members of the women’s association, Hyeon-seo tells Sun-woo about the plan to kick her out as the hospital’s Vice Director. After hearing about the plan, Sun-woo confronts Tae-oh in his office. Tae-oh tells her that he wants custody of Joon-young and that she should leave town and start somewhere else. Sun-woo becomes part of the women’s association, with the support of the hospital chairman’s wife and of Da-kyung. |
Sun-woo warns Da-kyung about Tae-oh’s real character and that he’s stalking her. Da-kyung dismisses her allegation, but later on, she witnesses Tae-oh’s jealousy when they meet Sun-woo and Yoon-ki in a restaurant.
Myung-sook and Tae-oh continue their personal crusade of getting Sun-woo removed as the hospital’s Vice Director. He schedules a dinner meeting with Sun-woo, the Director, and Chairman Yeo Byung-kyu.
Despite being berated and warned off by Tae-oh, In-kyu continues to spy on Sun-woo. Meanwhile, Joon-young’s guilt and anxieties get him into trouble in school.
Before the scheduled dinner-meeting, Sun-woo receives a parcel; inside it are a dead bird and a picture of Joon-young. When she couldn’t find Joon-young in the “hagwon” (cram school), she contacts the police.
Episode 10
| Ep. 9 recap:
After breaking up with the barista he’s having an affair with, Jae-hyuk tells Ye-rim that they should try having a baby. Joon-young begins stealing things from his classmates. The Director tells Chairman Yeo Byung-kyu that he’s grateful for the donations but that Sun-woo is the best qualified as Vice Director. In reply, Chairman Yeo mentions that Yoon-ki will be a good Vice Director. Sun-woo finally finds Joon-young, but she also bumps into In-kyu who looks at her menacingly. Da-kyung is stunned to find photos of Tae-oh stalking Sun-woo. Despite Sun-woo’s warning, Hyeon-seo meets In-kyu, who promises to treat her better if they reconcile. Later, In-kyu blackmails Tae-oh and asks for more money, or else he will report everything to the police. Chairman Yeo asks Yoon-ik what’s the real score between Tae-oh and Sun-woo. |
With In-kyu’s words echoing in his mind, Tae-oh barges into Sun-woo’s house where he finds her watching their wedding video.
The next day, Sun-woo arrives late in the hospital. She sees Ye-rim and Jae-hyuk there; intent on having a baby, they have scheduled examinations with Myung-sook. Later, she becomes worried about Hyeon-seo and leaves the hospital to look for her. As she talks to Hyeon-seo in the spa, Da-kyung sees them.
To Sun-woo’s surprise, the Director tells her that because of the large donations from Chairman Yeo’s company, Yoon-ik will replace her as the Vice Director. Later, at the driving range, she meets Chairman Yeo who advises her to leave Gosun and start life somewhere else.
In-kyu tries to win back Hyeon-seo with expensive jewelry and money. When Hyeon-seo calls her, Sun-woo goes to In-kyu’s house alone and confronts him. But In-kyu becomes enraged and throws her against the window and knocks her out.
Episode 11
| Ep. 10 recap:
Sun-woo finds out the connection between Yoon-ik and Chairman Yeo Byung-kyu, but Yoon-ik tries to reassure her that he’s doing everything for her sake. After finding out about the affair between Jae-hyuk and the barista, Ye-rim kicks him out of the house and plans to file for divorce. When Sun-woo asks what’s happening, Jae-hyuk warns her that Tae-oh entrapped him and could do the same to her. Sun-woo takes Hyeon-Seo to the train station so that she can begin life somewhere else. But In-kyu catches up with Hyeon-Seo in the station. After finding in her car the money that she gave to Hyeon-seo, Sun-woo hurries back to the station. She sees a commotion and is shocked to see a bloody body on the ground. |
The next day, Sun-woo asks Yoon-ik what he was doing at the station. Meanwhile, Tae-oh asks Da-kyung how she knows that it was In-kyu who died at the station. He’s shocked when Da-kyung tells him that the police will investigate him for In-kyu’s death.
Because of the scarf, a police investigator goes to the hospital and asks Sun-woo some questions; he also says that she will be called to a formal investigation. Rumors begin flying in the hospital, the women’s club, and Joon-young’s school about Sun-woo’s involvement in In-kyu’s death.
Tae-oh confronts Sun-woo and accuses her of killing In-kyu. Later on, Sun-woo finds out that there was no CCTV footage covering the 12-hour period before and after In-kyu’s death.
Episode 12
| Ep. 11 recap:
Da-kyung finds Tae-oh’s bloody clothes. Hyeon-seo tells Sun-woo that Tae-oh killed In-kyu and gives her Tae-oh’s wedding ring as proof. Chairman Yeo Byung-kyu orders Da-kyung’s spy to get the CCTV footage from the station. Yoon-ik refuses the offer for him to become the Vice Director. After she sees Sun-woo meeting Chairman Yeo, Hyeon-seo goes to the police station. On his way out of his office, Tae-oh is stopped by the police and brought to the station. |
Sun-woo confronts the woman whose son has been has been spreading in Joon-young’s school rumors about her involvement in In-kyu’s death. But Joon-young goes to her office in the hospital and demands to know what she told his classmate’s mother.
When Joon-young decides to live with his father and Da-kyung, Sun-woon begins looking for a place where can start to build a new life.
Episode 13
| Ep. 12 recap:
The CCTV footage shows that In-kyu committed suicide. But Chairman Yeo Byung-kyu keeps silent about the footage because he wants Tae-oh to be charged with murder. Tae-oh finds out that Da-kyung wants to send Joon-young to study abroad; as they argue about it, Joon-young hears them. In a rush of passion, Sun-woo and Tae-oh have sex. |
Sun-woo and Tae-oh rush to Joon-young’s school because he beat up his classmate who has been spreading rumors about Sun-woo’s involvement in In-kyu’s death. Sun-woo goes to the hospital to apologize to Joon-young’s classmate and his mother. But the mother says that they will proceed with the school’s investigation of the incident. On the other hand, Tae-oh takes Joon-young to the gaming station to apologize to the owner.
After learning that Joon-young has been stealing things from his classmates, Sun-woo goes to his room and inspects all his drawers.
Episode 14
| Ep. 13 recap:
On her knees, Sun-woo asks the mother of Joon-young’s classmate for forgiveness. To their shock, Sun-woo and Tae-oh find out that Joon-young saw them kissing. |
Tension erupts in the hospital when Sun-woo’s misdiagnosis causes her patient to suffer pain and bleeding in her stomach. The patient’s father threatens to sue the hospital if something bad happens to his daughter. When the Director scolds her about her poor performance lately, Sun-woo submits her letter of resignation and package her things in the office.
Tae-oh takes Joon-young to a psychiatrist who was recommended by Da-kyung. on the other hand, as a depressed Sun-woo visits her former colleague Dr. Ma at a seaside hospital, Myung-sook is appointed as the new Vice Director.
The next day, Dr. Ma finds that Sun-woo is missing from the hotel she’s staying in. He begins looking for her in all the beaches in the area and then calls up Yoon-ik.
As she looks at the water from the beach, Sun-woo remembers her parents’ funeral wake and how people talked about how her father cheated on her mother and that it was a suicide, not an accident. She takes off her jacket and walks towards the water.
Episode 15
| Ep. 14 recap:
Yoon-ik saves Sun-woo and takes her out of the water; Tae-oh sees them from a distance and tries to hold back his tears as he walks away. During the party, Da-kyung accuses Joon-young of hurting her daughter, and Tae-oh slaps him. After Joon-young calls her up, Sun-woo rushes to Da-kyung’s house. Da-Kyung refuses to let Joon-young go without any word from Tae-oh. But Sun-woo questions the reason why she wants Joon-young to live with her and Tae-oh. When Da-kyung says that her marriage is different, Sun-woo shocks her by saying that she and Tae-oh slept together. |
Tae-oh confronts Sun-woo about what she said to Dak-yung. After their argument, Sun-woo surprises the spy who has been monitoring her and tells him that she wants to speak to Chairman Yeo Byung-kyu.
After Sun-woo puts her house up for sale, Da-kyung visits the house with the real estate agent. Later on, Da-kyung meets Sun-woo and tells her that she will convince Tae-oh to give up his rights over Joon-young. But when she threatens Sun-woo not to bother her and Tae-oh anymore, Sun-woo takes her to her house and shows her what’s in her closet.
Tae-oh becomes enraged with Sun-woo. He tries to force open Sun-woo’s car, but she stays put. But when he threatens to turn Joon-young against her, she accelerates her car towards him.
Episode 16, Finale (with spoilers)
| Ep. 15 recap:
Sun-woo shows Da-kyung that they have the same perfume and lingerie, which Tae-oh himself picked. She tells Da-kyung that when somebody else like her shows up, Tae-oh will cheat on her. Encouraged by her parents, Da-kyung files for divorce against Tae-oh. Chairman Yeo Byung-kyu also cuts off Tae-of financially and kicks him out of the company. One month later, Sun-woo goes back to her work in Family Love Hospital. But when she gets home that night, she finds a note from Tae-oh saying that he has taken Joon-young with him. |
Present times ... Sun-woo finds Tae-oh and Joon-young near a river. Later on, in a fancy restaurant, Tae-oh cries and begs Sun-woo that they should get back together as a family.
Sun-woo rejects Tae-oh, but as she and Joon-young are about to drive away, Tae-oh nearly gets run over by a bus. Sun-woo tends to him, but Joon-young runs away.
One year later ...
Tae-oh continues to struggle to get his screenplay accepted.
Da-kyung is studying art.
Joon-young comes back home to Sun-woo.
Historical / cultural backgrounders and other information
Index: A. “The World of the Married” is the most watched drama on Korea’s cable TV history; B. As of 2015, adultery is no longer considered as a crime in South Korea; C. Statistics on marital infidelity in South Korea: 50% of Korean men have cheated on their wives; D. Domestic violence (intimate partner violence) in South Korea; E. In Korea, the offending spouse cannot file for divorce.
A. “The World of the Married” is the most watched drama on Korea’s cable TV history.
1. “TV drama ’The World of the Married’ sets ratings record” (The Korea Times)
The series started with a 6.3 percent rating, but has soared as it became the talk of the town with its intense, unpredictable storyline and much-teased cliffhanger for each episode.
2. “The World Of The Married ends on a high, sets record as most watched South Korean cable drama” (The Straits Times, May 2020)
According to data analytics firm Nielsen Korea, the 16-part series on cable network JTBC achieved a record peak rating of 28.4 per cent for its last episode, beating its own record of 24.4 percent from the night before, K-pop news website Soompi reported.
B. As of 2015, adultery is no longer considered as a crime in South Korea.
This drama revolves on the issue of adultery committed by the husband (Tae-oh) with a younger woman (Da-kyung) and how it impacted his marriage to his wife (Sun-woo). In 2015, the Korean Constitutional Court ruled that adultery is no longer considered as a crime.
1. “Court rules: Adultery no longer a crime in South Korea” (CNN)
Since 1953, a South Korean could get 2 years in prison for cheating on his or her spouse.
The Asian nation’s Constitutional Court overturned that law, saying times have changed.
A South Korean condom maker’s stock price soars 15% after the decision comes out.
2. “South Korea legalises adultery” (The Guardian)
3. “South Korean court decriminalises adultery” (BBC)
4. “South Korea sees surge in infidelity after law change ending jail for adultery” (Telegraph, September 2015)
C. Statistics on marital infidelity in South Korea: 50% of Korean men have cheated on their wives.
“Half of married Korean men have cheated: Study” (The Korea Herald/Asia News Network, August 2016) by Claire Lee:
The study was jointly compiled by Lina Korea -- the Korean unit of U.S. insurance giant CIGNA -- and a local sexologist clinic, and surveyed some 1,100 Koreans aged 20 or older.
The study found that 50.8 percent of the surveyed men, and 9.3 percent of the surveyed women, have cheated on their legal spouses at least once.
The study also found that the surveyed Korean men in their 50s had extramarital affairs with an average of 12.5 partners.
D. Domestic violence (intimate partner violence) in South Korea
This drama shows some of its characters experiencing intimate partner violence. Hyeon-seo is battered by her boyfriend, as we can see in Eps. 1-2, while Sun-woo is beaten up by Tae-oh in Ep. 6.
1. “Korean #MeToo spurs jump in reports of domestic violence” (Financial Times, 2018) by Bryan Harris and Kang Buseong
Police data released last week showed a 75 per cent jump in the number of household abuse cases reported to authorities over the past four years. Almost 280,000 cases were reported last year, up from 160,000 when the police began compiling centralised records in 2013.
2. “Almost 80% of South Korean men have abused girlfriend, study claims” (The Telegraph, August 2017) by Nicola Smith
3. “8 in 10 South Korean men used violence against girlfriends: Study” (The Straits Times, August 2017)
According to a study conducted by the Korean Institute of Criminology, 1,593 out of 2,000 South Korean men, or 79.7 per cent, said they had abused a girlfriend during the dating period.
About 71 per cent of those who admitted to a history of dating abuse said they had control over their girlfriends’ activities, such as restricting them from meeting friends or keeping them isolated from others, including family members.
4. “Violence, women and marriage” (The Korea Times) by Bernard Rowan
In February 2018, Statista.com reported South Koreans considered domestic abuse against women and girls the number one social issue. Violence sells and demands attention, also showing a deeper social and cultural weakness, and threat.
5. “Is domestic violence taken seriously in Korea?” (The Korea Herald, 2012)
According to the 2010 Korea National Survey of Domestic Violence and Sexual Violence, 53.8 percent of respondents who had been married had experienced spousal abuse in the previous year, and 16.7 percent had suffered physical abuse. Over the course of a marriage, the figures for physical abuse rose to 23.5 percent of respondents, with emotional abuse marking 50.7 percent, economic abuse 13.9 percent and sexual abuse 13.5 percent.
E. In Korea, the offending spouse cannot file for divorce.
1. “South Korea: Supreme Court Keeps Unfaithful Spouses from Being Able to File for Divorce”
2. “Anger at Adultery Betrays Fear at Fragility of Marriage” (Korea Expose) by Se-Woong Koo
Even after the constitutional court struck down the country’s decades-old adultery law in 2015, breaking up a marriage remains one of South Korea’s taboos.
An excellent 2015 survey by the daily Seoul Shinmun found that 24 percent of married respondents answered yes to having cheated on their spouses (with cheating defined as including paid sex).
3. “Court Denies Director Hong Sang Soo’s Divorce Filed So He Could Marry Actress Kim Min Hee” (June 2019)
Mid-2018, South Korean movie director Hong Sang Soo, equally well known for his controversial relationship with actress Kim Min Hee, filed for divorce with his current wife – allegedly so he can officially end the affair and marry the actress. The court has ruled against Hong Sang Soo and denied his request, so he remains married to his wife.
The judge then denied the filed divorce case, stating that Hong Sang Soo is the one responsible for the marriage failing and so he cannot be the one to end it. He also pointed out that Hong Sang Soo has not been diligent in his effort to heal the relationship between his wife and daughter after he has caused them emotional pain with his affair with Kim Min Hee.
Life lessons from “The World of The Married”
A. The “Cycle of Violence” (aka “Cycle of Abuse”) explains why Hyeon-seo got caught up in an abusive relationship with her boyfriend.
“Hyeon-seo” is a character in this drama who a lot of people find intriguing because she alternates from being weak and dumb (in her relationship with her abusive boyfriend) to being strong and wise (in her pieces of advice to Sun-woo).
From Eps. 1-2, we find out that Hyeon-seo is a battered woman. In Ep. 2, she’s badly beaten up by her boyfriend, and after tending to her injuries, Sun-woo asks her why she wants to return to her abusive boyfriend:
Hyeon-seo: “I’ll stay in a spa and then go back.”
Sun-woo: “Do you want to waste your one and only life because of a jerk like that?”
Seo-hae: “What if his life is totally dependent on me? No one would take him in other than me. He just takes it out on me now and then because life stinks. He’s not a bad guy deep down. I’m going to make him a good guy.”
Sun-woo: “People don’t change that easily. Didn’t you ever think that he may kill you?”
Hyeon-seo: “It’s because I love him.”
The “Cycle of Violence” (aka “Cycle of Abuse”) explains why Hyeon-seo got caught up in an abusive relationship with her boyfriend.
1. “The Cycle of Violence”: The cycle of violence is a repeating pattern often seen in abusive relationships. It involves three different stages that continuously repeat until the victim is able to leave the relationship. What often makes the situation even worse is that as the cycle continues the violence often escalates and worsens.
2. “Battered Woman Syndrome” (written by Ana Gotter and reviewed by Debra Rose Wilson, Ph.D.
3. “The Cycle of Violence”: Phase 1: Tension-Building; Phase 2: Use of Violence – The “Explosion”; Phase 3: “Honeymoon” Period
4. “Domestic Abuse Cycle Break Free TODAY”: This article discusses the signs of different kinds of abuse: verbal, emotional, physical, financial, and sexual. It also has an excellent graphic on the Cycle of Violence.
B. It’s foolish to think that you or your spouse will never be attracted to another person.
Near the end of Ep. 2, Sun-woo reminds Tae-oh: “We talked about this when we first got married. We thought we might fancy other people after a while. We promised to be honest with each other if it happened.”
From “Pillow Talk: A-Z of an Intimate Marriage”by Karen Scalf Linamen:
Accept that you’re not immune to an adulterous relationship, and neither is your husband.There is no perfect safeguard for any marriage, but when a person says, “Everything’s fine at home, or “I don’t need to worry about it. I’m safe,” those are danger signals. You always have to be on guard.
Practice accountability.
Many times, extramarital involvement has an edge of excitement about it because there is a forbidden aspect. When something is brought out into the open, a lot of the excitement evaporates.
If you find yourself attracting romantic attention from someone other than your husband, confide in your husband or a trusted friend. And if you find yourself attracted to someone other than your spouse, tell someone trustworthy who will give you godly counsel and hold you accountable to remain pure in thought and deed.
Dr. Willard Harley Jr. in his bestselling book “His Needs, Her Needs” talks about what he calls “The Policy of Radical Honesty”: talking about your unmet needs; informing your spouse if you are developing an attraction toward someone; if someone tells you that he or she finds you attractive, being prepared to tell that person how much you love your spouse, and then telling your spouse about the situation, etc.
C. The devastating impact of marital infidelity
Events move fast in Ep. 1 with Sun-woo becoming suspicious that Tae-oh is having an affair at around the 16:39 mark. She starts secretly following Tae-oh at the 38:06 mark. By the end of the episode, she has confirmed that Tae-oh is indeed having an affair; she gets a pair of scissors and walks towards Tae-oh, determined to kill him in front of everyone in the birthday party.
Dr. Willard Harley Jr. in his Marriage Builders website says about the impact of marital infidelity:
“A spouse’s unfaithfulness is the most painful experience that can be inflicted in marriage. Those I’ve counseled who have had the tragic misfortune of having experienced rape, physical abuse, sexual abuse of their children, and infidelity have consistently reported to me that their spouse’s unfaithfulness was their very worst experience. To be convinced of the devastating impact of infidelity, you only need to go through it once.”
David Clarke, Ph.D. in his book “What to do when your spouse says, ‘I don’t love you anymore’” says:
“When your spouse tells you that the love is gone, you are traumatized in every sense of the word. There is no more brutal form of rejection. Your life is in pieces, and you have no clue what to do. What to say. How to attract your partner back and save your marriage. You are shocked. Stunned. Horrified. In absolute disbelief. Your mind can’t seem to grasp what’s happening. You’re in denial. You’re in grief. You’re in a fog. You’re in a panic. You’re overwhelmed.”
Dr. James Dobson in his book “Love Must Be Tough” discusses the 11 stages that a person passes through when infidelity comes into a marriage. You can read about Stages 8-11 in his website.
Related resources from my “Salt and Light” blog: Relationship tips from Korean dramas; Surviving Marital Infidelity; Marital infidelity: causes, consequences, and conclusions.
Lessons in photography from “The World of the Married”
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| Conveying depth through diagonal lines and overlapping forms |
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| Low angle point of view |
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| Cast shadow |
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| Establishing shot |
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| Linear perspective, background blur |
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| Shooting against the light |
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| High angle shot, diagonal lines |
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| Sidelighting |
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| Natural frame |
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| Linear perspective |
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| Reflection |
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| Leading lines |
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| Out of focus foreground elements as natural frame |
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| Low angle point of view |
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| Establishing shot |
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| Background blur, compressed perspective |
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| Dutch angle or Dutch tilt |
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| Diagonal lines |
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| Quality and direction of light |
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| Reflection |
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| Foreground and background blur |
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| Out of focus foreground element as natural frame |
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| Reflection |
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