Love Letter (TV series)
| Love Letter | |
|---|---|
 Love Letter DVD cover | |
| Genre | |
| Written by | Oh Soo-yeon |
| Directed by | Oh Kyung-hoon |
| Starring | |
| Country of origin | South Korea |
| No. of episodes | 16 |
| Production | |
| Producer | Jang Geun-soo |
| Running time | 60 minutes |
| Original release | |
| Network | Munhwa Broadcasting Corporation |
| Release | February 10 – April 1, 2003 |
Love Letter (Korean: 러브레터; RR: Leo-beu Le-teo) is a 2003 South Korean television series starring Jo Hyun-jae, Soo Ae and Ji Jin-hee.[1] It aired on MBC from February 10 to April 1, 2003, on Mondays and Tuesdays at 21:55 for 16 episodes.
This drama revolves around Lee Woo-jin's conflict between priesthood and his love for childhood friend Eun-ha.
Overview
[edit]Act 1 - Growing up
[edit]As a young orphan, Lee Woo-jin (Andrew) received horrible treatment while growing up under his aunt. When his uncle (a priest) comes back from Italy, he decides to raise him. Eun-ha, another orphan, is brought to the cathedral as well. Although initially antagonistic towards Woo-jin, the two become inseparable friends. At the end of high school, when Eun-ha is about to confess her feelings for Andrew, Andrew tells her of his dreams to become a priest.
Act 2 - College
[edit]Andrew and Eun-ha leave the cathedral to attend college. Andrew meets Jung Woo-jin, and the two become close friends. Jung Woo-jin falls in love with Eun-ha, but she rebuffs his attentions. The love triangle causes hurt and pain for all 3 friends. It is brought to a climax when Andrew writes Eun-ha a love letter, but Jung Woo-jin destroys it without Eun-ha having read it.
Act 3 - Finale
[edit]Andrew returns from the seminary but has not taken his final vows of priesthood. Eun-ha develops a heart condition, and before her final operation, makes Andrew promise to fulfill his dreams of becoming a priest. After the operation Eun-ha slips into a coma. Jung Woo-jin is finally able to escape the love triangle, and Andrew takes his vows to become a priest. Eun-ha then awakens from her coma, and Andrew agrees to take care of her.
Cast and characters
[edit]Main characters
[edit]- Jo Hyun-jae as Lee Woo-jin/Andrew
- Yoo Seung-ho as young Lee Woo-jin/Andrew
- Lee Woo-jin was raised by a cruel aunt before being taken to live with his priest uncle. Although he believes his mother has died, it is later revealed that she abandoned him to become Jung Woo-jin's stepmother. Kind and introspective, he wrestles with his desire to become a priest with his feelings for Eun-ha. He studied medicine in university and is a trained surgeon.
- Soo Ae as Cho Eun-ha
- Another orphan taken into care at the seminary after the death of her mother. Although antagonistic at first towards everyone, she slowly develops feelings for Lee Woo-jin. She is caught between affections from Jung Woo-jin and her own unrequited love for Lee Woo-jin. A life-threatening heart condition makes her ask Lee Woo-jin to choose priesthood over her. Although the surgery on her heart is a success, she slips into a coma. She awakens from her coma at the end of the series, ready to spend the rest of her life with Lee Woo-jin.
- Ji Jin-hee as Jung Woo-jin
- Although initially friendly to Lee Woo-jin, his jealously of the relationship between Eun-ha and Lee Woo-jin, as well as the discovery that his stepmother is Woo-jin's biological mother, causes him to act out of character and sabotage Lee Woo-jin's attempt at happiness. Like Lee Woo-jin he is also a qualified surgeon. He has unresolved issues with his father for leaving his biological mother and although he rebels against him, he finds himself turning out to be exactly like him.
Supporting characters
[edit]- Son Hyun-joo as Father Peter
- Father Peter is Lee Woo-jin's maternal uncle who raised him in the church after rescuing him from a cruel paternal aunt.
- Kim Young-ae as Dr. Im Kyung-eun
- Im Kyung-eun is Lee Woo-jin's biological mother who abandoned him at birth.
- Kim Yoon-kyung as Seo-young
- Eun-ha's friend.
- Kwon Min-joong as Sister Esther
- Yoon Yoo-sun as Sister Gemma
- Yang Hee-kyung as Maria
- Father Peter's cook/housekeeper.
- Joo Hyun as Dr. Jung Myung-woo
- Im Kyung-eun's husband and Jung Woo-jin's father.
- Choi Jae-hyung
- Seo Hyun-ki
- Son Young-joon
- Jung Woo-jin's friend
- Jung Mi-ae as Andrew's high school classmate
- Han Ye-rin as Hee-jin
- Lee Woo-jin's cousin.
International broadcast
[edit]It also aired on KBFD-TV in Hawaii in March 2003.[2]
GMA 7, a leading Philippine TV network, aired Love Letter in March 2004.
It also aired on antv in Indonesia in April 2004.
References
[edit]- ^ "MBC 새 미니시리즈 '러브레터'의 여주인공 맡은 탤런트 수애". Woman Dong-a (in Korean). March 3, 2003. Archived from the original on August 15, 2013. Retrieved August 14, 2013.
- ^ "Love Letter" Archived March 16, 2013, at the Wayback Machine. KoreanWiz. Retrieved August 14, 2013.
External links
[edit]- Love Letter official MBC website (in Korean)
- Love Letter at HanCinema
- Love Letter at IMDb
- Love Letter review at SPCNET