"Simwoomyeon Yeonliri" delivered wholesome laughs from its first broadcast and successfully settled into Thursday primetime.
On the 26th, the premiere of KBS2's new miniseries "Simwoomyeon Yeonliri" (writers Song Jeong-rim, Wang Hye-ji; director Choi Yeon-soo; production Sim Story) episode 1 vividly unfolded the chaotic family return-to-farming of Seong Tae-hoon (Park Sung-woong), who was assigned to the pristine yet fierce(?) district of Yeonliri. That day's rating was 2.9% (Nielsen Korea, national households, all households), marking a fresh start from the first episode.
Episode 1 began with a crisis for Seong Tae-hoon, who rose to a director general position at a major company on the basis of his ability alone. Visiting his superior, Director Choi (Min Seong-uk), to resolve an issue in the cabbage production area, he instead received a transfer to the Yeonliri branch, known as the exile site of "Matstory," encountering an unexpected turning point. Seong Tae-hoon considered resigning, but as the head of a household responsible for his family, including his eldest son Seong Ji-cheon, who is enrolled in medical school, and his children studying abroad, he chose reality and revealed the steadfast traits of a "K-head of household" who did not waver even in crisis.
Accidentally appointed branch chief of the Yeonliri branch, Seong Tae-hoon was tasked with the heavy responsibility of succeeding in the cabbage farming that the company's future depended on. Upon arriving in Yeonliri, he faced a barren field and could not hide his despair, but his first meeting with village head Im Ju-hyung (Lee Seo-Hwan) marked the start of a new connection. With Im Ju-hyung's help, the process of securing housing for the Seong family also proceeded with bumps, leaving an impact.
However, attention focused when Tae-hoon, who had been demoted at the company, was joined by his wife Jo Mi-ryeo (Lee Soo-kyung), who had been abroad, and their three sons. Jo Mi-ryeo was shaken by the sudden news of her husband's transfer and moved to Yeonliri with the family. After a momentary shock at the dilapidated country house, Seong Tae-hoon took on the cabbage farming while Jo Mi-ryeo became involved with the women's association, and the family adapted to the unfamiliar rural life in their own ways. Meanwhile, field manager No Hyun-gap (played by Jeong Seon-cheol) was spotted behaving as if reporting Seong Tae-hoon's every move somewhere, adding tension.
Seong Tae-hoon vowed, "Is farming really anything special? Plant it and it will open!" and launched into full-scale cabbage farming. But his challenge, at a complete "zero base" with no farming experience, faced obstacles from the start. Even removing stones proved difficult, and his bumbling efforts provided bittersweet laughter.
Meanwhile, upon learning that Seong Tae-hoon's ultimate goal was cabbage farming, Im Ju-hyung expressed strong hostility, saying, "Try leaving perfectly good land fallow for 10 years, killing it all, and then clearing all the stones—do even a single weed come up?" He showed overt antagonism solely because Seong Tae-hoon belonged to "Matstory." Toward the end of the broadcast, Im Ju-hyung declared he would obstruct Seong Tae-hoon's farming, asking, "Without me here, what can you do alone?" hinting at the start of serious conflict between the two. The ending featured a stunned Seong Tae-hoon getting splashed with water in the middle of the wasteland, foreshadowing his rough return-to-farming ahead.
Meanwhile, Seong Tae-hoon's eldest son Seong Ji-cheon (Lee Jinwoo) had his first meeting with Im Bo-mi (Choi Gyu-ri), the village head's only daughter and a nutritionist who has long cared for the villagers. The connection that developed between the two amid unexpected crisis offered fresh excitement and suggested another storyline to look forward to.
In this way, "Simwoomyeon Yeonliri" added humor and realistic daily life from its first broadcast, marking a strong start. The reliable acting chemistry of actors Park Sung-woong and Lee Soo-kyung as a perfect married couple, along with distinctive characters and the fresh setting of rural Yeonliri, combined to successfully provide healing to viewers tired of daily life.
KBS2 miniseries "Simwoomyeon Yeonliri" episode 2 will air on Apr. 2 at 9:50 p.m.
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