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| Actress Kim Hee-sun plays the lead in Netflix's new original series, "Remarriage & Desires." Courtesy of Netflix |
New series follows woman seeking revenge on mistress
By Lee Gyu-lee
Using the services of a matchmaking firm to find the right partner for marriage is not as common in other countries as it still is in Korea, so the unusual concept of matchmaking for the super-rich might intrigue some viewers overseas, said Kim Jung-min, the creator and director of Netflix's new original series, "Remarriage & Desires."
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| Kim Jung-min, the director of the series, "Remarriage & Desires" / Courtesy of Netflix |
The eight-part series, which was released on July 15, revolves around a widowed woman, Seo Hye-seung (Kim Hee-sun), who is raising her daughter alone after her husband killed himself.
Kim Hee-sun's character stumbles across an exclusive matchmaking agency that caters to the super rich, called Rex, where she encounters her husband's mistress, Jin Yoo-hui (Jung Eugene), who is responsible for her misery. To take revenge, Hye-seung uses the agency to interfere in Yoo-hui's plan to marry a much sought-after wealthy bachelor Lee Hyung-ju (Lee Hyun-wook), and bring her down.
The series debuted in the eighth spot on Netflix's official non-English Top 10 chart on the week of its premiere.
Actress Kim said that she was drawn to the series' plot which portrays human desires.
"It might sound strange to people outside Korea to be able to find love based on social status and categorize people into ranks … People's desires, no matter where you are from, are the same. They want to have a good life, the right person and it would be nice to be successful," she said.
"The story is about the desire and urges that everyone has … So I was drawn to that part as I read the script," actress Kim said.
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| A scene from the series, "Remarriage & Desires" / Courtesy of Netflix |
The director noted that he had researched and interviewed the people in the actual matchmaking business to portray the super-exclusive, high-end agency in the story.
"They valued the privacy of their clients more seriously than I expected. In the series, we called it 'rank,' but they actually categorized the clients by 'value,'" he said. "But I didn't make this series with a prejudice against arranged marriage or such agencies. I wanted viewers to have a moment to ask themselves what kind of desire they have as they follow the characters in the series."
He added that he wanted to portray human's basic desires through a story of love and marriage.
"There's love in marriage and in that love, there's desire. I wanted to depict the basic ambition with the backdrop of the matchmaking service in the story. Each character's desires are the driving force of the story and could draw viewers into following the series," he said.
The series involves elements that would often be seen in soapy "makjang" K-drama (dramas with over-the-top, absurd elements in their plot): infidelity, social stratification, revenge, a Cinderella story, a business conspiracy and political corruption.
The director said that he tried to make the series a fast-paced one so that the viewers can immerse themselves in the story and its characters.
"As this is also streamed to overseas viewers, I felt I needed to develop the story at a fast pace like American series," he said. "My goal was to make the viewers want to binge-watch all eight episodes once they start. So, I had to edit out parts that might feel loose. I wanted viewers to fully resonate with each character in the story."
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| The series, "Remarriage & Desires," ranked eighth on Netflix's official non-English Top 10 chart last week. Courtesy of Netflix |
Kim Hee-sun shared that she resonated with her character, as she shares a lot of resemblance with her.
"I, myself, also have been married for about 16 years with my husband, and have a daughter in middle school, which is a similar situation (to Hye-Seung's). These kinds of things ― infidelity ― actually happen a lot around me too. So as it would be devastating, I could understand her and her actions," she said.
This series is the first time the actress has taken a role on Netflix. Expressing gratitude for the positive work environment throughout production, she said that she feels the entertainment field has changed to give more opportunities and roles to actresses than before.
"Compared to the 90s when I got into the field, the content and genre types have diversified. There are more types of roles that an actress could take after (returning to entertainment after) having kids. As time passes, it has led to more positive changes," she said.
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