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동반자살 — threatened suicide pact
1:11
Self-harm
규민 threatens to die together with 진아 — a 동반자살 (dong-ban ja-sal), a suicide pact. In Korean melodrama this kind of threat is sometimes used as an extreme act of emotional coercion, placing the other person in a position of feeling responsible. It is portrayed here as threatening and frightening, not romantic.
This note discusses suicide or
self-injury. If you need someone to talk to: in Korea call 109,
in the US call or text 988, or
find a helpline in your country.
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시댁 족보 — in-law family background
15:37
미연 mutters that 준희's family's 족보 (jok-bo) — literally the clan genealogy — is 개차반, a blunt term meaning a complete mess or disgrace. Traditional Korean families placed huge weight on a suitor's family tree and social standing when approving a marriage. Even in modern Korea, a troubled family history on the groom's side can be a real obstacle for parents considering a match for their daughter.
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처녀귀신 — spinster ghost
15:44
미연 says she'd rather 진아 become a 처녀귀신 (a maiden ghost) than marry into the wrong family. In Korean folk belief, women who died before marriage were thought to become restless, bitter spirits. Saying it here is a dark-humorous exaggeration: she'd rather her daughter stay single forever than marry poorly.
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혼술 — drinking alone
24:48
준희 calls 경선 '혼술의 여왕' — the queen of 혼술 (hon-sul), which means drinking by yourself. 혼술 became a recognised lifestyle term in Korea in the 2010s, reflecting the rise of one-person households and solo dining culture. It carries a mix of chill independence and mild loneliness depending on context.
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아버지의 유산 — a father's legacy of distrust
25:54
경선 says the only thing she inherited from her father was the lesson that love cannot be trusted. The drama has already hinted her father had multiple families and children across different relationships — a deeply stigmatised situation in Korea where family registry (호적) ties everything together. Her refusal to date is rooted in that specific wound.
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금일봉 — cash envelope in lieu of attendance
36:49
The deputy suggests the boss skip the female-staff dinner and send a 금일봉 (geum-il-bong) — a sealed cash envelope given as a gift or gesture of goodwill — instead. Handing someone a cash envelope to get out of an obligation is a common workaround in Korean workplace culture, used at weddings, funerals, and company events alike.
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이모님 — 'Auntie' as a restaurant address
37:54
동우 calls the restaurant ajumma 이모님 (i-mo-nim), literally 'maternal aunt.' Calling an older female server or proprietor 이모 is standard, friendly Korean restaurant etiquette — it signals warmth and familiarity rather than an actual family relationship. Adding -님 is a polite suffix that softens and elevates the address.
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노래방 축하송 — karaoke congratulations song
59:00
승철 bursts into the Korean-style birthday-congratulations melody — '축하합니다, 축하합니다' — which people sing at 노래방 for any celebration, not just birthdays. It's the go-to spontaneous cheer when someone has good news; here he repurposes it for the couple's relationship reveal, which makes the moment both funny and oddly touching.
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굿 — shamanist ritual as comic hyperbole
1:03:17
승호 sarcastically says 진아 might as well perform a 굿 (gut) — a traditional Korean shamanistic ritual conducted by a 무당 (mudang, shaman). 굿 are used to drive out bad spirits or bad luck. Saying 'you might as well do a 굿' to someone who keeps raising gloomy what-ifs is a common comic exaggeration, implying their negativity is supernatural in scale.
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한의원 — traditional Korean medicine clinic
1:08:50
상기 mentions 미연 has taken 승호 to the 한의원 (han-ui-won), a clinic of traditional Korean medicine. These clinics, staffed by licensed 한의사 (Oriental medicine doctors), offer herbal prescriptions, acupuncture, and cupping. It's entirely routine for Korean families to visit one for fatigue, digestive issues, or general wellness, just as naturally as going to a regular GP.
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1차 졸도 — rounds of reaction shock
1:11:03
승호 jokes that their mother's reaction will be '1차 졸도' — a first-round fainting fit. Koreans often describe escalating reactions in numbered 차 (rounds), the same word used for rounds of after-dinner drinks or 노래방. Framing Mom's shock as just the opening round implies there will be a 2차 and 3차 of drama to follow.