KBS2 miniseries ‘Simu-myeon Yeonriri’
Every Thursday night, a single line delivered by actor Park Sung-woong in the drama brings not only laughter but also poignancy, striking at viewers’ emotions.
Airing every Thursday at 9:50 p.m., the KBS2 miniseries ‘Simu-myeon Yeonriri’ (directed by Choi Yeon-su / written by Song Jeong-rim, Wang Hye-ji / produced by Sim Story) offers laughter and healing as it unfolds the return-to-farming tale of the thoroughly urban family of Seong Tae-hoon (played by Park Sung-woong), who are suddenly dropped into the pristine yet savage(?) zone of ‘Yeonriri’. The narration by Seong Tae-hoon that closes each episode distills and delivers the drama’s message, stirring viewers’ emotions. The production team has shared some of the most memorable moments.
#Episode 1: Seong Tae-hoon’s return-to-farming story begins like a bolt from the blue
Seong Tae-hoon, a department head at the food conglomerate ‘Matstory’, was reassigned to the Yeonriri branch and began farm life overnight. He ended up taking on cabbage farming, but relentless checks from village head Im Joo-hyung (played by Lee Seo-hwan) signaled a rocky road ahead. Over the image of Seong Tae-hoon getting drenched in the middle of a wasteland, the narration “Getting drenched right where a bolt from the blue dropped me, fine, life can be like that. It can be, but why, of all people, does it have to be me!” signaled the start of his bittersweet return-to-farming tale and sparked laughter.
#Episode 2: Between hope and anxiety, the wavering Seong family
Despite Im Joo-hyung’s interference, Seong Tae-hoon finally coaxed cabbage sprouts to life after much struggle, using cattle dung instead of fertilizer. The joy was short-lived, however, as news broke that the second son, Seong Ji-sang (played by Seo Yoon-hyuk), and the youngest, Seong Ji-gu (played by Yang Woo-hyuk), had run away from home, bringing crisis. At the same time, his wife Jo Mi-ryeo (played by Lee Soo-kyung) showed signs of shortness of breath in front of the women’s association, heightening the tension. In this situation where the whole family was in crisis, Seong Tae-hoon’s line, “At that moment, I mistakenly thought I had brought life to this land. It was not that I sprouted a cabbage seedling; I had flipped the switch on a time bomb that would blow up the rest of my life,” symbolically captured the moment when hope and anxiety intersected and left a strong impression.
#Episode 4: Fathers grabbing each other by the collar vs. children sharing a kiss! Divergent choices across two generations
The constant clashes between Seong Tae-hoon and Im Joo-hyung finally escalated into a scuffle, reaching a peak. Meanwhile, Seong Tae-hoon’s eldest son Seong Ji-cheon (played by Lee Jin-woo) and Im Joo-hyung’s daughter Im Bo-mi (played by Choi Gyuri) confirmed their feelings for each other with a surprise kiss, drawing a fluttering, Yeonriri-style romance. A split-screen of fathers grabbing each other by the collar and children kissing completed a polar-opposite ending. Alongside this, Seong Tae-hoon’s narration, “As the cabbage grows, the cabbage worm grows with it. Nibbling away at the leaves little by little, it prepares to become a butterfly,” added humor and lingering resonance as it metaphorically unpacked the conflict and change between the parent and child generations.
#Episode 6: Truths revealed layer by layer, the moment of Seong Tae-hoon’s awakening
Seong Tae-hoon began to waver both publicly and privately as his children’s problems mounted, from the cabbage-field sabotage to Seong Ji-cheon’s withdrawal from medical school. On top of that, he learned that his wife Jo Mi-ryeo had been suffering from panic disorder, belatedly facing the family’s pain he had not known. With help from the residents of Yeonriri, he seemed to find a chance to get back on his feet, but the company’s cabbage seedling test came back with an ‘unsuitable’ ruling, deepening the mystery. His confession, “I knew nothing at all. Not my wife’s pain, not my children’s hearts, nor the true face of the company to which I devoted my whole life,” hinted at Seong Tae-hoon’s regret and awakening, raising curiosity about what comes next.
‘Simu-myeon Yeonriri’ elicits empathy from viewers as it sincerely unpacks messages about life, growth, and family against the backdrop of a modest farming village. The narration added each episode prompts the audience to reflect on its meaning, elevating the drama’s overall quality.
Episode 7 of the KBS2 miniseries ‘Simu-myeon Yeonriri’ will air at 9:50 p.m. on the 7th.
