When Discovery Of Love was released in 2014, my close friend and K-drama buddy kept telling me that I should watch this series while pouring out her feelings. I made a mental note to put this K-drama in my watch list, but I ended up forgetting about it. From time to time, she would mention Discovery Of Love or bring it up again during our dinner-slash-K-drama-feels-fest-bonding moments, but I kept pushing it back for some reason. Silly me! Now, I want to kick myself for not watching this drama earlier.
Finally, one November night, my mom and I decided to watch a K-drama and we couldn’t think of any new ones to watch so we ended up watching Discovery Of Love. FINALLY! And you know what happened next? This drama played with my feelings, made me have a love-hate relationship with all the characters, and kept me on the edge of my seat until the very last episode. Now I know why my friend couldn’t help but vent to me when she watched this because I did the same (and I mean this in a good way)!
What is Discovery Of Love all about?
Han Yeorum (Jung Yumi) is a furniture designer who is in a seemingly perfect relationship with Nam Hajin (Sung Joon), a kind and sweet plastic surgeon who loves her so much and wants to marry her after a year of dating. Due to unforeseen circumstances, Yeorum crosses paths again with her first love and ex-boyfriend of five years, Kang Taeha (Eric Mun), the CEO of an interior design company. As the three of them navigate the complicated world of relationships, they discover the real meaning of love for each of them. Throw in family and childhood secrets, quirky friends, and the show’s penchant of making you feel like you know what’s coming next, but you end up being wrong, you’re in for a rollercoaster ride of rom-com feels.
If you love dramas with characters fully fleshed out and have distinct personalities all on their own (I hate characters who act out of character, IYKWIM!), Taeha, Yeorum, and Hajin will feel like you personally know them and will make you want to root for them and scream at them because of their life choices all at the same time. The plot may seem like the cliché love triangle (or square *wink*) at first, but I guarantee you’ll find yourself relating to at least one or maybe even all the main leads. And for long-time fans, I have great news for you! Discovery Of Love is going to have a webtoon version soon! Let’s wait for more details!
The Discovery Of Love cast members
Eric Mun as Kang Taeha
The character: Successful CEO Kang Taeha is a little cocky, a little arrogant, and is used to getting his way. Yet underneath that cold exterior is a sweet and sincere man. He claims that his ex-girlfriend ruined relationships for him as he is still confused why they truly broke up. Despite that, he wants to meet her again and is curious about how she is doing. He even claims he wants to be friends again! When an opportunity arises for him to work with Yeorum, he grabs the chance. He wants her back and he’s not afraid to show her that. But he must deal with the fact that she is in a serious relationship now. As he learns the lessons of regret and one-sided love, he finally understands what it is to truly love.
The actor: Eric Mun is most well-known for being the leader, rapper, and songwriter for the legendary K-pop group, Shinhwa. As an actor, he has eyes that reflect his emotions well. Discovery Of Love is the first drama I have watched him in, and I must say he portrays the stereotypical bad boy character just right—not overly pushy or aggressive but just enough to make hearts flutter. You’ll know why Kang Taeha is unforgettable.
Jung Yumi as Han Yeorum
The character: Feisty Han Yeorum is a struggling furniture designer who says what’s on her mind and is true to her own feelings. She used to be “the one who loved more” in a relationship and after getting her heart broken, she now claims she knows how to handle men. She’s not the usual always kind and selfless female lead which is refreshing. Yeorum is real and true to herself. As she learns how to overcome the scars of her past, she must also choose between two men who love her. Isn’t she lucky?
The actress: Jung Yumi starred in the blockbuster movie, Train To Busan, among an extensive list of movies and dramas. One of her most notable dramas is I Need Romance 2 where she also played a female lead torn between two men. From all that I’ve seen of her works, I have liked her as an actress and Discovery Of Love is no exception. She can be both cute and brave, and I think that’s her charm. Yeorum is a hard character to portray because she has so many layers and Jung Yumi was able to embody the character where you’ll cheer her on even if you’re frustrated with her. She was able to make Yeorum real enough to not be fully lovable but also real enough to not be fully unlikable.
Sung Joon as Nam Hajin
The character: Plastic surgeon Nam Hajin is the perfect boyfriend. He’s tall and handsome, has a successful career, and most importantly, he loves Yeorum. He’s understanding, sweet, gentle, and he takes care of her well. He wants to marry Yeorum and will never let her go. The only catch? He has a childhood secret which he can’t tell Yeorum yet. I had doubts about him a few episodes in, but he pulled through to the end. (Warning: He’s totally my type so I might be just a teeny bit biased here.)
The actor: With his good looks and physique, Sung Joon started as a model and switched to acting. He is famous for being the male lead in the teen drama Flower Band. He also starred in I Need Romance 3 where he played a young songwriter in love with an older woman (Help our noona hearts!). Sung Joon as Nam Hajin is absolutely perfect. He brings a certain charm to this character – kind but confident, adorable without being sickeningly sweet, and with a little hint of shyness. Watching him in Discovery Of Love made me want to watch more of his movies and dramas!
Life lessons from Discovery Of Love
*Spoiler alert!* But honestly, if you haven’t watched this in 2021, you need to be spoiled. Don’t be like me and regret not watching this earlier!
Do not take for granted the people who love you.
Kang Taeha learned this the hard way when he realized he still loves Yeorum years after they broke up. I disliked him during the first half of the drama mainly because of the way he treated Yeorum towards the end of their relationship – constantly being late for their dates, even forgetting they have dates sometimes, and neglecting her when she needed him most. It was satisfying to see him break down when he knew the whole truth about Yeorum’s trauma. And for me, it felt like the remorse and regret came too late. Or is it?
Open communication and telling the truth are always better than telling white lies.
Probably the most frustrating part of this drama is the amount of lies the present couple told each other. At first, I kind of understood Yeorum when she was telling white lies to not hurt Hajin but oddly enough, I was mad at Hajin for the white lies he started telling Yeorum, too. Honestly, I was expecting Hajin to make serious mistakes about their relationship, but I was proven wrong. During the latter half of the drama, I was more annoyed at Yeorum for letting the lies snowball the way they did. More than Taeha coming back into Yeorum’s life, I think it was the lies that caused problems in Hajin and Yeorum’s relationship.
For a relationship to work, both parties must be committed to going through the good times and bad times together.
I really liked the part where Hajin said he is willing to go rock bottom with Yeorum and climb back up together. He was willing to work things out no matter how hard it got. He consistently tried to understand her, talk calmly to her when they were having problems, and even apologized when he wasn’t in the wrong. From the start of the drama and up until the end, he genuinely loved her.
And, yes, I was rooting for Nam Hajin. It broke my heart when Yeorum didn’t choose him. Up until now, part of me still doesn’t understand her decision. I’m a firm believer in the little things and constant love instead of the passionate kind. But I guess this is still a K-drama after all and the best and only explanation I would need to accept is.
Be true to yourself.
In the end, it all boils down to Yeorum needing to be true to herself. She tried to make the "grown-up" decision, but her heart kept telling her otherwise. She’s more herself with Taeha. You’ll notice it from the way she talks to him and the way she treats him. She’s more real. And as what Hajin said in the last episode, "If she doesn’t love me, I can’t make her. It doesn’t work with effort. I can’t even control my own feelings; how can I control someone else’s?"
I guess she couldn’t forget Taeha after all. So, I concede. I just hope she lives happily ever after with him, and she won’t regret letting go of someone as perfect as Hajin. I hope he heals and finds someone who will truly love him, too. And maybe he already did. (*whispers* I probably wish it was me, LOL!)
I need to stop before I vent any further and drown you in my feels. This K-drama will definitely make you emotionally attached to it. And trust me, you wouldn’t have it any other way.
If you haven’t watched Discovery Of Love yet, YOU. HAVE. TO. The good thing? You don’t need to have any subscription on any platform to watch it. This drama is available on KBS WORLD TV’s official YouTube account. Go and watch now!