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Korean TV Dramas>
Thank You |
Thank You, a comeback drama for Jang Hyuk after a four-year
absence due to his military service, was certainly not a much-talked-about
drama. Its scale was small compared to others and it didn’t
have an especially striking storyline. In fact, many were surprised
that Hyuk chose this ordinary drama for his comeback. However,
since Jang Hyuk and Gong Hyo-jin, both of who had starred in
Volcano High, were cast and the writer of the
drama was also the writer for Hey Sang-doo! Let’s Go to
School, Sorry and I Love You and A Love to Kill, it began
attracting considerable viewers. Unlike today’s dramas Thank
You was ordinary and written without dramatic twists in
mind. Yet its non-sensational story and warm characters created
a big stir. Viewer ratings were lower than for other large-scale
productions, but it was a huge success in terms of its perfection
of the genre and the strong performance of its stars.
The director of Thank You described the drama as
a
small dedication to the lives of himself and others,
and furthermore,
to everything in the world.
Thank You, a drama that
shows appreciation and
gratitude for virtually everything,
is
remembered as the most heart-warming and
sentimental drama of
2007.
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Drama Information |
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● Director:
Lee Jae-dong
● Cast:
Jang Hyuk, Gong Hyo-jin, Seo Sin-aek,
Shin Seong-rok
● Aired:
March 21–May 10, 2007
(Wednesdays and Thursdays at 21:55)
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Broadcasting station: MBC
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Homepage: http://www.imbc.com/broad/tv/drama/thankyou/
(Korean)
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Synopsis |
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Living on the quiet island of Pureundo with her HIV-positive daughter,
Bom, and her grandfather who suffers from dementia, Young-shin is
an unwed mother leading a simple and peaceful life. One day, Ki-seo,
a man who seems to have given up his life, comes to Pureundo. He used
to be a pretentious surgeon in Seoul. However, when his fiancé dies,
he loses interest in everything and exiles himself to the island.
Ki-seo rents a room at Young-shin’s house and behaves as he pleases
but he gradually becomes attracted to pure-hearted Young-shin. He
is unsure whether his feelings for Young-shin and her grandfather
are those of love or sympathy. Ki-seo begins to open his heart and
develops closeness with Young-shin and her family. Then, Choi Seok-hyun,
Bom’s biological father, comes to the island from Seoul to build a
resort. Tensions build between Ki-seo and Seok-hyun because of Young-shin,
who suffers a series of crises.
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Character Background |
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 Min
Ki-seo, played by Jang
Hyuk
As a fourth-year resident at the age of 29, Ki-seo is a young and
talented surgeon. Ranked one of the top five surgeons at a university
hospital, he is cool-headed and confident but a bit cocky. Although
his arrogance made him an enemy to many, he does not care. After watching
how his father, also a doctor who had devoted himself to his patients,
was betrayed by a patient and destroyed himself, Ki-seo is cold-hearted
to his patients as well. He becomes a doctor who diagnoses patients’
diseases, but never concerns himself with their feelings. When his
fiancé dies, the only person he opened his heart to, he gives up everything
and leaves for an island
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Lee Young-shin, played by Gong
Hyo-jin
Hyo-jin is a 27-year-old single mother. She has a grandfather
with dementia, a younger sibling living in another city, and an HIV-positive
daughter. Despite a number of difficult circumstances including financial
difficulties, she is a pure-hearted person who always has a bright
smile. Young-shin is sometimes at a disadvantage because she is foolishly
naïve. Although she is unrealistic, inexperienced and ignorant, her
hard-working life makes her irresistible.
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Lee Bom, played by Seo Shin-ae
Bom, a first-grader, is an adorable girl who wants to be a drama writer
when she grows up. Just like her mother, she likes to interrupt others,
is very bold, and even arrogant at times. A clever and articulate
girl, she appears more mature than her actual age when she cares for
her mother. Unlike other kids, she does not want others’ help when
she falls down and scrapes her knees. She has an almost angelic presence
and accepts the fact that she is HIV-positive.
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 Choi
Seok-hyun, played by Shin Seong-rok
Seok-hyun is 27, the same age as Young-shin. They were middle school
classmates. As the son of the wealthiest family on the island, he was
adored by every girl his age and graduated from the top university
in Korea with a degree in architecture. Before joining the military
service, he sleeps with Young-shin, but he is not aware that Bom is
her daughter. He is so ambitious about his career that he probably
would pretend he did not know about Bom even if he did. He is a
talented
and capable young man. Although he is gentle and kind to everybody
else, he is constantly getting angry at Young-shin when he returns
to his hometown to look after a construction project. When he encounters
Ki-seo, who likes Young-shin, Seok-hyun feels jealous though he does
not understand why.
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Filming Locations |
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 Jeungdo
Island
As one of some eight hundred islands in Sinan-gun, Jeollanam-do, Jeungdo
is given the fictitious name of Pureundo in the drama. This is the
place where most scenes were filmed. No set was created for the drama.
Starting from the dock, the entire island acts as the backdrop
for much of the drama. The drama was filmed over the entire island,
including its village paths, beaches, rice paddies and fields. Therefore,
if you plan to visit Jeungdo to check out the filming locations for Thank
You, it is good to thoroughly brush up on the drama before visiting.
Namhae Inn, which evokes memories of the middle-aged woman who cooked
flower-shaped rice cakes for a Mr. Lee, Young-shin’s grandfather,
and showed him affection, and Yangji Coffee Shop, where Young-shin
went on a blind date, are both located on Jeungdo. Jeungdo-myeon (Jeungdo
village) has retained many of its old historical attributes, almost
as if it was an old set, replete with various government and public
offices and traditional restaurants. In addition, together with Changpyeong-myeon
Damyang-gun, Cheongsan-do Wando-gun and Yuchi-myeon Jangheung-gun
in Jeollanam-do, Jeungdo is one of Asia’s first “slow cities” to be
recognized by Cittaslow International. There is another place you
should not skip when on Jeungdo. In October 2007, MBC and the National
Library of Korea jointly built the Thank You Library, named
after the drama.
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● Tourist Information:
+82-61-1330 (Korean, English, Japanese, Chinese)
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Directions: Seoul Gangnam Express Bus Terminal
(Central City Station, subway line 3 or 7) -> Take a bus
to Jido (4 times a day at 07:35 and 16:35; fare: 30,000 won or
20,200 won; travel time: 5 hours 40 minutes) -> Take a taxi
from Jido Terminal to Saokdo Jisingae Dock -> Take a boat
from Saokdo Jisingae Dock to Jeungdo (11 times a day at 06:40,
08:30, 10:00, 11:00, 12:00, 14:00, 15:00, 16:30, 18:00, 20:00,
22:00; round-trip
fare: 1,800 won for passengers, 9,000 won for cars) -> Arrive at Jeungdo
Beoji Dock |
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Hwado
Island
The house where Young-shin and her family live is located in Hwado,
a small island next to Jeungdo. Although the house is situated far
inland, anyone in the village can give easy-to-follow directions.
A 500-meter-long bridge connects Jeungdo and Hwado so it is important
to cross during low tide. Ki-seo’s room and the persimmon storage
shed were specially built for the drama.
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| ● Directions: Walk
or take a taxi from Jeungdo |
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Eldorado
Resort
Located on Jeungdo, Eldorado Resort is the resort that Seok-hyun’s company planned to build. Every guest room has an ocean view so one can relax on the terrace while listening to the sound of the breaking waves. Ocean Spa Land, located within the resort, also has various facilities such as outdoor hot springs, a seawater sauna, and seawater heat treatments, and during the summertime an outdoor swimming pool is open. The resort also has additional facilities including a business center, a supermarket, and karaoke. View Café, which towers over the sea, a romantic observation deck and a restaurant are also situated within the resort. Within Jeungdo only
few private homes are available for accommodation and therefore
it is recommendable to stay at Eldorado and enjoy a romantic getaway if possible.
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● Address: 233-42
Woojeon-ri, Jeungdo-myeon, Sinan-gun, Jeollanam-do
Tourist Information: +82-61-1330 (Korean, English, Japanese,
Chinese)
Telephone: +82-61-260-3300 (Korean, English)
Reservations: +82-61-260-3301 (Korean, English)
● Rates: 165,000 won and up (Please
inquire about the exact rate when making a reservation since
peak season rates differ from off-peak season rates)
● Directions: Take a taxi from Jeungdo
(about 6 km from Jeungdo dock)
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* Photos courtesy of iMBC
and CINE21
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