The writers of 'Mother and Mom' expressed their views on the social atmosphere that sheds light on the materials of works, such as comedian Lee Soo-ji's 'Daechi mom parody' and the '7-year-old exam' documentary.

The Genie TV original 'Mother and Mom' concluded its eighth episode (final episode) aired on ENA on the 25th. Recently, before the finale, writers Seong Yoon-ah and Jo Won-dong met with domestic reporters at the KT Studio Genie office in Sangam-dong, Mapo-gu, Seoul.

'Mother and Mom' is a drama depicting the life of a dedicated working mom, Jung-eun, who is preparing her daughter for the '7-year-old exam' by entrusting her to a riding academy with her mother, Gia. Actress Jeon Hye-jin plays Jung-eun, while Jo Min-soo plays Jung-eun's mother, Gia, realistically shedding light on the '7-year-old exam' that has become a social phenomenon.

The work began three years ago in 2022 when writer Seong Yoon-ah came across the original work and started researching the theme of the '7-year-old exam.' After about a year of creating character play and structure different from the original, writer Jo Won-dong joined the project, and the script for the drama 'Mother and Mom' was created.

Coincidentally, the subject matter garnered intense interest, as a documentary on the '7-year-old exam' was released right before the broadcast. Perhaps as a result, comedian Lee Soo-ji, noted for her impressive mimicry skills, unveiled the 'Daechi mom parody' through her YouTube content, further drawing attention to the fervent education fervor centered around Daechi-dong.

When asked about the impact of the social atmosphere on the work, Jo Won-dong noted, "I think it had some influence." He added, "Moms became accustomed to that term, which was limited to Daechi-dong, and instead of saying, 'Is that really the case?' they said, 'Seeing that, it makes sense,' so I thought, 'The documentary has been beneficial for the drama.' "

He then added regarding Lee Soo-ji's parody, "It was funny," and laughed, saying, "It was dramatically exaggerated. We considered including something like a luxury puffer jacket but decided against it as it may not align with brand exposure."

However, Jo Won-dong admitted, "The moment something is named, there is pressure to follow a trend. When we say '7-year-old exam,' we worry about the possibility of people thinking, 'That exists,' leading them to follow suit in a negative way. While it helped promote the work, I also felt pressure, as I wondered if I would have pursued it if I didn’t know about it, since it could create reverse influences such as wondering, 'Should I send my child here or there?'"

Seong Yoon-ah, who was involved in the on-site reporting, met various individuals from current private education workers to parents to gather opinions. He explained, "In reality, children and guardians are managing an unbelievable schedule with riding. It was absolutely impossible to capture all of that in the work. There were days with extended schedules, and sometimes even on weekends. Children had separate bags for daily academy classes. Missing episodes included soccer, and swimming was present in the original work. We decided to focus solely on 'English academy' and wrote 'Mother and Mom.' "

Jo Won-dong confessed to moments when he thought, 'This is too much,' despite the careful selection of themes. He said, "First of all, it's extremely expensive. Balancing a job and being pressed for time, even for a sitter, costs hundreds of thousands [won], and tuition fees are exorbitant. Even thinking about English kindergarten was beyond what I could afford. While areas like Daechi-dong, Mok-dong, and Junggye-dong are famous for their academies, they seem like 'their own league' yet have similarly operating places in reality."

Seong Yoon-ah recalled, "I vividly remember the first time I heard stories from guardians waiting in line to buy children's materials. If you go to an underground shopping plaza in Banpo-dong, Gangnam-gu, Seoul, they would tie a bundle of necessary books for that age with a string just by saying, 'Are you 5 years old? Are you 7 years old?' I was surprised to learn that from age 4 to 7, children are studying those materials, which are all adopted in the U.S. as textbooks for the '7-year-old exam.' "

He continued, "There are really many places that offer consulting for infants and toddlers, and there were tutors that teach children to write the alphabet from a to z in cursive without breaks. It's hard for 6 and 7-year-olds to even hold a pencil and write in a straight line, yet they train by receiving tutoring for fine motor skills from 30 months onward. There were even things to do to get on the waiting list for those tutors. It was impossible to incorporate everything, so we had to shorten it."

In the story, parents enter a draw for admission to a private school called 'Myeongseong Elementary School.' Jung-eun attracts attention by showing up dressed from head to toe in red, as it is a common superstition that red helps with winning the lottery. In this regard, Seong Yoon-ah remarked, "Typically, I’ve heard parents send their kids to prestigious private schools first. Some have even heard of parents getting rejected up to thirty times. The preference for private schools is said to stem from the differences in curriculum between public and private schools. One parent who lives in Cheongnyangni, Seoul, worked at a securities company in Yeouido and sometimes drove to Apgujeong to provide education in Daechi-dong, showcasing the lengths parents are willing to go."

Seong Yoon-ah expressed, "Listening to the stories of the mothers I met in person, I really deeply empathized with the situations that lead to making such choices for their children." He confessed, "From the perspective of someone who is not raising children, I was cautious about whether it was appropriate to write about such themes."

Nonetheless, regarding the story he wishes to communicate through 'Mother and Mom,' he said, "In our country, there are various ‘exams.’ Generally, these are tests recognized and organized by the government. However, there is no government-recognized exam for 7-year-olds to line them up. Once they reach school age, they prepare for the national university entrance exam (Suneung), but there is no such 'standard' for 7-year-olds. Hence, all the academies set forth their own criteria, and guardians, wanting to show their children a somewhat better future, inevitably get swayed by that."

Jo Won-dong emphasized, "While the characters in our drama appear to be outcome-oriented, we must consider what children truly need. The message I’d like to convey is that the process and experiences are fundamentally what matter, along with spending time with family and friends, which I believe provide greater nourishment for a child's growth."

He said, "In the eighth episode, Jung-eun realizes her mistakes and asks the child, 'What do you really want?' Personally, I think that's the story I wanted to convey to the viewers through this drama. Beyond that, parents often fail to ask their children. It seems crucial to give children the option to choose for themselves."

(Continues in interview②.)

[Photo] Provided by Genie TV.

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