Lovers in Paris

Lovers in Paris
파리의 연인
(Pari-ui yeon-in)
Genre Drama, romance
Produced by Kim Yang
Network SBS
Original run June 12 – August 15 2004
No. of episodes 20
Original time slots Saturdays and Sundays at 9:55 p.m.
Lovers in Paris
Hangul 파리의 연인
Hanja 파리의 戀人
Revised Romanization Pari-ui Yeon-in
McCune-Reischauer Pari-ui Yŏn-in

Lovers in Paris (파리의 연인, Pari-ui yeon-in) is a successful Korean drama series broadcast by SBS in the summer of 2004. The show is also known as My Sweetheart in Paris and Romance in Paris. The show won the prize for best television drama in the Baeksang Art Awards, held on May 20 2005. The show was the first of three romantic dramas set in Europe. The second drama is Lovers in Prague. The third, and last one is simply titled Lovers (연인).

Plot
Spoiler warning: Plot and/or ending details follow.

Han Ki-joo is the President (and the son of the CEO) of GD Motors (which is based on the successful Korean motor company GM Daewoo). He has been living in Paris for two years after his failed marriage to Baek Seung-kyung. He is charismatic and a smart man and he has been groomed all his life to take over the position of the Chairman of the company, the next commander of GD Motors.

Kang Tae-young is the beloved daughter of a film director. She is carrying on her father’s wish and is studying film in Paris. To make ends meet, she works as a housekeeper for Han Ki-joo. She is a simple yet spunky girl with an optimistic outlook on life, she may be goofy at times but her warm, spontaneous personality makes everyone gravitate towards her.

Yoon Soo-hyuk is the free-spirited vagabond nephew of Han Ki-joo who dropped out of design school in the United States to live with him in Paris. He shares a close and intimate relationship with Han Ki-joo, although Han Ki-joo being the uncle is not much older than him. Han Ki-joo gives the freedom that he yearns for and supports him monetarily to pursue the kind of life he wishes.

Being the man with high standards, Kang Tae-young is quickly fired by Han Ki-joo as a housekeeper. However, when he realises that she is from the same hometown as the wife of a potential business partner, he is quick to capitalise on that and hires her to be his girlfriend to warm up to his business partner. She agrees in exchange for getting back her job as a housekeeper. During the two dates that he takes her out, she is smitten by the entire fairy tale of the event. In turn he finds himself unexpectedly captivated by the chatty, unpretentious girl.

However, the fake girlfriend plan backfires on him, and both part ways on bad terms in Paris.

Yoon Soo-hyuk also meets her on a different occasion and is taken by her immediately. He sees through her insecurities and her weaknesses and his heart goes out to her and wants to protect her.

Recalled by his father, Han Ki-joo returns to Korea, and Kang Tae-young takes the same plane back as well to attend to her father’s death anniversary. Both are reunited coincidentally back in Seoul and manage to have their misunderstandings resolved. She prepares to return to Paris to continue her studies, and parts with him. Unfortunately, her uncle has squandered away her family house and run away, leaving her with her young cousin and the debts he has incurred.

While trying to sort out her family problems and retrieve her father’s camera that was confiscated by the creditors, she meets Han Ki-joo again. Through multiple coincidental encounters, he finds himself attracted to her. Despite his commanding presence and being the next chief of his family's business, on the relationship front he is a complete retard. But his heart starts to yearn for a relationship that he has never experienced before.

Yoon Soo-hyuk returns to Korea as well to track Kang Tae-young down. He puts up at her place and tries to win her heart. But he is devastated when he realised that his beloved uncle is also vieing for her affection.

The situation is further complicated with the introduction of Moon Yoon Ah, the daughter of an influential politician whom Han Ki-joo's father has selected to be Han Ki-joo's wife. She also happens to be Kang Tae-young's classmate in high school and she is determined to win Han Ki-joo to be her husband.

Against the better judgment of all around them, Han Ki-joo and Kang Tae-young open their hearts to each other. But their union will not be smooth sailing with a scheming Moon Yoon Ah and an emotionally wounded Yoon Soo-hyuk plotting to split them up. Meanwhile, a CEO at GD Motors tries to bring Ki-joo down and created a scheme with the designer for GD Motors, Yoon Soo-hyuck to spill the latest car design to the rival of GD Motors. The new car is announced and GD Motors is petrified by the fact that the latest and the best design was stolen. Later, Ki-joo figures out that his beloved nephew, Soo-hyuk did this, but forgives him. The fact that Ki-joo forgave him so easily and lovingly drives Soo-hyuk crazy. After getting into a car accident while blazing through the streets of Seoul to attempt to erase his guilt, he gets amnesia and loses his recent memories. (He only pretends he does not remember anything to let go of Tae-young so she can go after her true love, Ki-joo.) Moon Yoon Ah, after all those times, decides to let go of Ki-joo and throws her engagement ring into Han-River. With two "obstacles" out of the way, Ki-joo and Tae-young can finally get together. Unfortunately because of Ki-joo's families' dislike for Tae-kyung, the couple decides to be separated temporarily. Tae-young goes back to Paris and Ki-joo stays in Korea and overlook a new car development. After 2 years, the new car is announced and is a success. Ki-joo, immediately after the ceremony, catches a flight to Paris. For some time, they do not know where each other is and go on with their lives. Then one day, just as the series started, but this time instead of Tae-young, it's Ki-joo who throws a coin into a fountain and wishes to see Tae-young again. As he turns and put his leg around his bike, he sees Tae-young standing there. They both are stunned. The next scene shows the couple sitting by a river. Tae-young breaks the silence and asks, "If we had not met in Paris, do you think we still would have ended up together?" Ki-joo answers, "Most likely we would have." The scene suddenly switches to an outdoor coffee house and Tae-young with her old hair style is sitting on a chair sipping coffee. There are Ki-joo and probably a potential client in the back. Tae-young's voice over narrates a story. "Behind Tae-young sat the lover she always has dreamed of, but of course, she did not have the slightest idea." The next scene shows Tae-young in Korea, busily typing the same story on a computer. She looks at the clock and busily organize her stuff and leaves. (She is a housekeeper for an unknown person just like in Paris, but this time in Korea.) On her way out, she sees a newspaper with large headline that tells of a "cinderella" girl who got engaged to a rich guy (Picture of Tae-young and Ki-joo). She scoffs and says that that kind of romance never happens to a normal person. She leaves the house she keeps. As it turns out, the housekeeper Tae-young is selling stuffed dolls on a street of Seoul. When she leaves her cart unattended for some time, a lady (about 40-50) comes up to Tae-young's cart and sabotages it for being it her "spot." When Tae-young comes back, she is shocked to find her cart totally destroyed and automatically assumes that the car parked next to her cart is responsible. She kicks the car until the alarm goes off. Surprised Ki-joo comes up and asks her what she thinks she is doing. Tae-young asks for a compensation. When she asks for a sum beyond the reasonable amount, Ki-joo realizes that he had forgotten to bring his wallet says he will go to his house and bring back the money. Tae-young does not like the idea for he can just take off. So she snatches up Ki-joo's key and gets into the car. She and Ki-joo drives off and Tae-young asks if she can make a stop at an apartment. Ki-joo is surprised because the apartment she want to make a stop at is his. They both stare at each other and Tae-young asks if she had seen him somewhere. The series ends with the scene of the couple driving away from the camera above.

* Explanation*

When the couple in Paris sits by a river and Tae-young asks if they would have ended up loving each other even if they did not meet in Paris, the story changes the view and shows an alternate universe/scenario where they do not meet in Paris, but in Korea as a housekeeper and a rich CEO (similar to what happened in Paris).

In conclusion, there are four Tae-youngs leading their own lives in alternate story lines. The first one is the one the viewers have seen for the last 20 episodes. The second one is the one writing a story about a romantic love in Paris. The third one is the one IN the story (may/may not count as a Tae-young). and the fourth one is the one in the newspaper.

The writer of the series stated that she meant the series to be fantasy like with twisted/refreshing/head-scratching ending for basically all Korean dramas are about: switched babies who find out their real parents later, two "star-crossed" lovers with families who do not approve of his/her lover, triangle love story, and etc. Although Lovers in Paris followed the usual pattern of Korean drama, it was extremely popular for the setting (Paris), music, dance scenes, romantic lines, the actors, refreshing ending (other Korean dramas drags on and ends up parents of the lovers accepting their sons/daughthers lovers), and so on.

Cast

The names used in the Philippines are in parentheses.

* Park Shin-Yang - Han Ki-joo (Carlo Han)
* Kim Jung-Eun - Kang Tae-young (Vivian Kang)
* Lee Dong-Gun - Yoon Soo-hyuk (Martin Yoon)
* Oh Joo-Eun - Moon Yoon-ah (Donna Moon)
* Kim Suh-hyung - Baek Seung-kyung
* Jung Ae-ri - Han Ki-hae
* Kim Sung-won - Han Sung-hoon
* Jo Eun-ji - Lee Yang-mi
* Yoon Young-joon - Kim Seung-joon

Staff

* Producer: Kim Yang
* Director: Shin Woo Chul
* Writers: Kim Eun Sook, Kang Eun Jung

Success in Korea

Lovers in Paris got a 51.8% audience rating. Even though the ratings were inconsistent it managed to beat its timeslot rivals. It has been one of SBS's most successful show ever.

Aja became a very popular expression after being used in this drama. It was also romanized as aza in the drama Full House where it was used in the phrase "aza aza, fighting".

Ki-Joo's "house" in Paris, the site of the first three episodes, was actually filmed in the Penthouse of Oakwood Premier Coex Center, a luxury serviced residence in Seoul. The GD Motors building was also in real life the SBS office building.

Success in the Philippines and Japan

It was aired as a "koreanovela" on a primetime slot in the Philippines under ABS-CBN. It only began with a 27.1% rating on its first airing but soared to 36% only a week later and became a top-rater on its timeslot. (Spoilers) The highest rating of the show was 39.7%. It never reached 40% because its rival shows in GMA-7 are still consistent in 30% level. It beat the first week of the Stairway to Heaven

After Lovers in Paris, Stairway to Heaven became a major hit in the Philippines, beating all its counterpart. Stairway to Heaven once reached 50% level, alongside with Full House.

In Japan, it was aired for the first time in January 1, 2005 through Nippon TV satellite (BS NTV) and become a major hit with its peak rating of 26.1%.
source:www.wikipedia.org