K-drama recommendation: “What’s Wrong with Secretary Kim” and its life lessons

It contains some spoiler about the drama. Read at your own risk.

Are you familiar with the Korean drama titled What’s Wrong with Secretary Kim starring Park Seo Joon and Park Min Young? Or is this already included in your watchlist?

Well, here’s a recommendation for you to start watching this amazing and full of realization rom-com drama!

What’s Wrong With Secretary Kim is a 2018 South Korean romance comedy drama and it consists of 16 episodes.

The story revolves around a narcissistic vice-president, Lee Young Joon, who runs their family company. He had a secretary named Kim Mi So for nine years who decided to resign to find her purpose in life.

Mi So haven’t gone to college and at a young age, she decided to work as Young Joon’s secretary in order to help her family and pay her sisters’ college tuition.

As she gets older, she wanted to live a life not as a secretary nor a breadwinner but as Kim Mi So; and to build a family with someone she truly loves.

However, upon knowing this, Young Joon immediately persuaded his secretary to stay by giving her big deals and incentives. He even ask her for marriage.

At first, his only goal is to keep her in the company but later on, he realized that he really don’t want Mi So to leave his side. And then, their romance started to unravel.

What do I love about this drama

I just want to watch some light and romcom drama because it seems like I was surrounded with sad and negative news. Upon watching its first episode, I can guarantee you that if you’re looking the same thing, this drama will definitely give you that vibe.

Well, it’s not that really light because there’s a mystery twist behind the characters’ names but in all, it is amazing!

I love how the story made me laugh, sad, giggle, and cry all throughout the episodes. It made me fall in love and realize a lot of things.

It made me realize how love can really turn us into something, that love can change us to the kind of person we wanted to be. Reminding us that it is amazing to fall in love. It is amazing to be loved and to love.

Other than that, the characters also depicts different personalities in which we can reflect and realize.

Lessons we learn in the characters

Park Seo-joon as Lee Young Joon

He is an arrogant individual labeling himself as perfect. As what he have said, he is handsome, rich, and competent.

Everyone in the company admired how intelligent he is but scared of him at the same time. When I say he is egoistic, I am not exaggerating things.

But despite being one, when he learned to love Mi So, he started to change his ways slowly. He started to try doing what Mi So does in a daily basis like eating ordinary foods and putting hands in some chores.

Everything is new to him but he chose to adapt Mi So’s environment because he loves her.

You may be an evil, egoistic, or rude individual, when you fall in love, everything will put into its right places.

Young Joon also had a traumatic past but he is so brave to conquer it all alone. He let out the pain and decided to forgive the people who causes the pain. He is a great fighter and this made me cry a river.

We all deserve the love in this world and there’s no exemption because since then, we are all molded by this unconditional love.

Park Min-young as Kim Mi So

Mi So’s character depicts a loving and kind daughter. She is the youngest of the family but she sacrificed her studies and decided to work in order to help her family. She is also a loyal and hardworking employee for nine years.

Mi So is an example of a woman who smiles everytime but she only masked her pain behind that smile and keeps it to herself.

When everything is settled with her family, and her friends already have their own families too, Mi So decided to have a life.

She wanted to have a life not as a secretary nor a breadwinner. She kept on living for other people and now she wanted to live for herself— to finally choose herself.

Look how hard it is to carry all the responsibilities since you were a teen. However, after everything, she remains humble and kind towards other people. Then, that kindness was paid off with genuine and unconditional love from her loved ones.

Despite all of the challenges we faced and will be facing, we need to be kind and to choose what is right. And it is not bad to choose ourself. We also need to choose and love ourselves in order to love other people.

Moreover, Mi So is also a hopeless romantic person. She waited for her right guy who she can lean on and do some romantic stuff. Well, that right guy came to her life. Talks about right time, person, and place.

Lee Tae Hwan as Lee Sung Yeon

What happened to Sung Yeon is a great example of those people who are victimizer but act as a victim.

Maybe because of so much guilt that you can’t take it anymore. Or for some, they just wanted to be a victim and cover everything with lies.

But we need to stop it. We need to reflect and be accountable of our own actions. The best things to do are forgive other people and yourself. Accept your mistakes and be free of the grudges you are holding in.

Hwang Chan Sung as Go Gwi Nam

Gwi Nam is a very hardworking employee. He has goals in life and really determined to earn a lot of money by spending less. So, that his future family won’t experience poverty just like what he had experienced.

It’s a good mechanism to be hardworking and have goals in a right way. But remember that we cannot forget where we came from.

There’s no shame being poor but we also cannot blame them having those feeling because being poor and lacking are prone to be bullied.

At the end of the day, we also need to take care and love ourself. Let’s not deprive ourselves nor sacrifice the present to have a better future. Our present determines and makes our future.

Let’s spend less but also give ourselves a reward. In this world, your body is your capital to gain a profit.

Pyo Ye-Jin as Kim Ji A

Ji A resembles those people who are new to their job and still trying to adapt in the environment.

She was surrounded by the people who are good in their jobs and she’s quite pressured thinking that she is new to this field.

She easily commits mistake and blames herself. Promising to do her best even more.

Let’s not be hard on ourselves. We will reach our destinations or be good at things step by step and we cannot compare ourselves to other people because they maybe also failed or tried harder numerous times in order to achive what they’ve achieved.

Moreover, we both have different time phase. Let’s just be positive and continue to learn more by doing our best.

Kang Ki Young as Park Yoo-Sik

His ex-wife left him and he started to question his self. He did his best but seems like his wife isn’t happy anymore.

To all married individuals, try to fix your marriage first before making a decision that you’ll regret in the end.

You’d maybe committed mistakes, use that as a lesson to be a better individual. But then, if you really love each other, you will still end up together if you chooses to be.

Just don’t think that you’re worthless.

Hwang Bo Ra as Bong Se Ra

She and Mr. Yang were dating secretly. If someone arrives in the emergency stairs where they planned to meet and talk, Ms. Bong will act hurting Mr. Yang.

In this situation, she doesn’t hurt him physically but emotionally.

Don’t make your relationships hard. It’s okay to date privately but not secretly. People will always have a say to anyone, so don’t mind them and choose your happiness.

Appreciation

I really appreciate this story for not just making me laugh and cry but also for helping me to reflect. Kudos to the director, writers, actors, and staffs!