Ireland

Directed by Kim Jin-man (김진만)

Written by In Jeong-ok (인정옥)

TV Channel/Platform: MBC (MBC)

Airing dates: 2004/09/01~2004/10/21

16 episodes - Wed, Thu 21:55
Synopsis
A westernized Irish adoptee, Joong-A inevitably flies back to Korea to confront her past and to see the country she is really from, only to fall in love with her brother, Jae-Bok. Their love is painful, as they are never meant to be together as lovers, but merely as brother and sister. The show’s message is that there is no such thing as noble innocent love and that love is adversity itself. Therefore, love mustn’t be impeded by so-called “destiny” or family, no matter how ironic or difficult the case may seem. Although destiny is cruel and arduous, the two young lovers radiate pure happiness. The show describes how love survives the tragic bondage of family, destiny and romance.

Casting

LEE, Joong-A (Female, 27) - LEE Na-Young
Irish name Georgia Shaw, an intelligent medical intern who was adopted by an Irish family at the age of three, has a hippie-like eccentric personality. Interestingly, she tends to cook Korean food while in a good mood, and Irish food while in a bad mood. Having been completely accepted into the family, despite her ethnicity, she leads a peaceful life both in the United States and in Ireland. Her adopting family protected her at all times, even in politically unstable Northern Ireland. Due to her Irish brother's serious involvement with the IRA, the family that adopted her is attacked and tragically destroyed. In order to save herself, Joong-A is forced to turn her back on her family and leave. Filled with guilt, she later laments and grieves this fact at family's graves. She felt then that she was no longer a doctor, nor a Shaw, believing that she brought the tragedy on all by herself. At the end of her emotional drift, she becomes determined to fly back to Korea, only to fall in love with two men with quite opposite characters. First, there is Kang Kook, a bodyguard who is always there for her, but whom she doesn't love passionately. Her real passion is for Jae-Bok, a drifter she saves by giving mouth-to-mouth resuscitation to as he was choking on the street.

LEE, Jae-Bok (Male, 33) - KIM Min-Jun
A drifter with no sense of fashion or morality, talks much but does little. His mother has remarried and his younger sister was adopted to an Irish family. Although helplessly thoughtless and reckless, there are two things that truly make him genuine and sincere; his mother and his sister. He believes that his life doesn't matter if his mother is happy. With his extraordinary skill with women, he meets a young actress named "Shihyun" and freeloads off of her. While she's out filming, he does the dishes and when she's home, he gives her a good massage. But he often loses his temper and breaks things, cursing and yelling. One day, a girl saves him by giving him mouth-to-mouth resuscitation. He first starts coming on to her, but eventually he falls in love with her. He is amazed to realize how one can feel ashamed and in turn change through the influence of another person. His hearts starts aching because of Joong-A. He wants to change and become someone important in her life. He impulsively takes a job at a musical instrument manufacturing company but soon gets bored and quits. He then encounters Kang Kook, not realizing that he is Joong-A's husband, and with Kang's influence begins training as a bodyguard. The friendship between Jae-Bok and Kang Kook grows despite their opposite personalities.

HAN, Si-Yeon (Female, 21) - Kim Min-jung
A young erotic movie actor who used to be a potential childhood actor. A bit of a scatterbrain, but strong and full of energy. Her family had a good living and never worried about money until she finished middle school when her father's business went under. Since her family never had to work, her father's failure left her mother and her little sisters clueless. Siyeon, the strongest daughter, works for a small erotic movie production company to support her family. Confident with her perfectly gorgeous body, she aspires to be in a really successful movie someday. She is currently living with her older boyfriend Jae-Bok, a drifter who knows about life and knows how to make her happy. He never loses fights and is excellent in bed. One day at a movie premier, she bumps into a silent bodyguard, Kang Kook, a type of a guy whom she would generally never show a bit of interest. Kang mistakes her for the famous movie star he is to protect and later, when he finds out that Siyeon is only wearing the same dress as the star, he mistakes her for a stalker. They keep bumping into each other here and there. Over time she develops feelings for him.

KANG, Kook (male, 28) - HYUN Bin
A handsome bodyguard who doesn't say much but always says the right thing. A survivor of a car accident on a family picnic when he was a little boy. His father's old friend, a former reverend and an artist raised Kang since then. Kang grew up enjoying martial arts and painting. He wanted to be an artist but was convinced that art was a tough way to make a living. Ironically, his job ended up being tougher than any other job; he became a bodyguard. He wants to protect Joong-A, a hurtful soul who suffers from a mental illness. He may in fact need her to suffer and depend on him so he can be a huge part of her life. Taking pleasure in helping others, he is a bodyguard in his love life, too. He was the happiest when Joong-A bandaged his wound after an accident. The way they love is to share each other's pain. One day while doing his job trying to protect a famous actor he bumps into the unsuccessful erotic movie actor Siyeon. She hits him repeatedly in the face after she is knocked over by him, yelling and vowing that one day he will be hired as HER bodyguard. Funny girl, he thinks. As they keep bumping into each other, he is attracted to her strong personality and falls in love with her. When she is around, he is no longer quiet. He even reads lines of an erotic movie for her. It's awkward at first, but he finds a way to have fun with it. Realizing that she truly makes him happy, he begins to enjoy being with her.

Episode guide

EPISODE 1 :


JOONG-A was adopted by an Irish family when she was little. Many years later, she witnesses her adopting family’s tragic death before her eyes. Filled with guilt, she decides to return to Korea, the land of her origin. Kang flies in the same plane with Joong-A. Joong-A loses her passport and Kang picks it up in the plane.

Jae-Bok visits an erotic movie company’s studio and flirts with the actress, Si-Yeon. She is oddly attracted to Jae-Bok even though he has nothing to offer. Jae-Bok is financially dependant upon his stepfather, Sung-Man. Sung-Man hates Jae-Bok’s behavior and wishes to live with Bu-Ja alone.

Si-Yeon used to be a popular child actor, now is an unsuccessful erotic movie actor. She doesn’t treat her family very well, but no one in her family complains because she supports them. Jae-Bok and Si-Yeon go on a date. Jae-Bok feels compassion for her and says her rough hands remind him of his mother’s. He wants to buy her a drink but he can’t afford it. Jae-Bok threatens random teenagers in the street and takes their money to buy Si-Yeon a drink. Si-Yeon thinks Jae-Bok’s behavior is stupid and pathetic, but she likes him.



EPISODE 2 :

Looking at Joong-A stomping about and laughing on undried cement, Kang realizes he is becoming attracted to her. When he goes to Joong-A ’s hotel room the next day, he finds out that she has already checked out. Kang finds a bottle of her medication on the floor and feels both betrayed and deceived.

Jae-Bok leaves Sung-Man’s house and goes to Si-Yeon’s place. He claims that Si-Yeon offered that he move in with her. At first, Si-Yeon’s mother doesn’t welcome him, but she accepts him after getting a phone call from Si-Yeon.

Joong-A is knitting and drinking by the riverside. She then wraps the finished scarf she’s been knitting around her neck and suddenly jumps into the water. She comes out of the water and recollects her memories with her family in Ireland.

Kang runs into Joong-A, who is staring at her own footprints on the cement. Kang is disappointed to hear that Joong-A only came by to get her medicine back. Infuriated, Kang throws the medicine bottle at her and turns away. But he can’t leave her. He offers to protect her as her bodyguard.




EPISODE 3 :

Kang makes a great deal of effort to find Joong-A’s parents. He even appears in a TV show to find her parents. Meanwhile, Bu-Ja watches the same TV show at home and realizes that she’s the one Kang is looking for. While seeing the information about Joong-A on TV, she thinks of her little daughter whom she gave up so long before.
Joong-A notices Jae-Bok washing the windows of a tall building. She runs up the stairs to see him. Cute, she thinks. When the two walk into a restaurant together, Si-Yeon’s parents see them and are not pleased to see their daughter’s boyfriend with another woman. But they decide not to tell Si-Yeon this because they worry she’ll get hurt if she knows about it.

Joong-A speeds on her bike and accidentally hits Si-Yeon. Si-Yeon first fakes injury and pretends to fall down. When Joong-A tries to help her get up, Si-Yeon pulls her down and calls her names. This makes Joong-A furious and so she finally hurts Si-Yeon, after which she takes Si-Yeon to the hospital.



EPISODE 4 :

On Jae-Bok’s birthday, Si-Yeon cooks a meal and promises him that she will buy him the bike he always wanted. Jae-Bok pictures Joong-A on his new bike.

Kang is unfairly dismissed from his job. Holding a serious grudge, Joong-A waits for Kang’s former boss, Mr. Park in the hotel lobby. She has a lunch box in her hand. When she sees Mr. Park, she goes up to him and furiously throws the lunch box at his face.

Kang finally meets Bu-Ja. He tells her that Joong-A is not ready and that she’ll need more time.


Since Kang lost his job as a bodyguard, he works at construction sites. This makes Joong-A feel sorry for him and so she tries to help him in any way possible. Kang suggests Joong-A meet her birth mother Bu-Ja. Joong-A reluctantly agrees to meet her birth mother, and when she finally faces her, she walks out of the place saying that she doesn’t resemble her mother at all.



EPISODE 5 :

Bu-Ja prepares food for Jae-Bok’s birthday and invites him to her house. She tells him that she found his younger sister, Joong-A. However, for some reason, he doesn’t believe what she says. He tells her, “Just wait until Joong-A comes to find us...” Sung-Man shows him the videotape in which Joong-A appears on a TV show looking for her family.

Joong-A starts working in the clinic run by Dongsuk and Byungran. Jealous of young and pretty Joong-A, Byung-Rran makes her clean the clinic even though Joong-A graduated from medical school back in Ireland. Married to a younger man, Byungran is very conscious about her age.

Si-Yeon’s parents ask Si-Yeon for money to start their own business, but she completely ignores their request. Disappointed by Si-Yeon’s reaction, Si-Yeon’s father makes a remark, which implies that Jae-Bok is seeing another woman because of Si-Yeon’s behavior. Si-Yeon’s mother is restless because she doesn’t want Si-Yeon to find out that Jae-Bok is seeing someone else.

Jae-Bok happens to meet Yang-Suk in the street and gets a job in his bodyguard agency. Jae-Bok feels as if his social status has raised up a notch. Nonetheless, Kang isn’t happy about working with him.

Si-Yeon is offered a job on an internet porn site when the movie production company goes bankrupt, but she rejects the offer. Without knowing how to make a living, Si-Yeon turns to Joong-A. Feeling a sense of closeness with Joong-A, Si-Yeon calls Joong-A ‘sis’ and tells about her family life. Jae-Bok sees Joong-A in front of Si-Yeon’s house. He’s happy and proud when he sees her doctor’s gown. Joong-A feels more comfortable with Jae-Bok, who just watches her and becomes happy for her, than Kang who tries to help and protect her.



EPISODE 6 :


Jae-Bok works very hard at his new job and he even starts taking an English class. One day, Si-Yeon waits for him in front of his house and asks him if he loves her. But Jae-Bok avoids the answer. He just says that he’ll let her go if she ever wants to leave him... But Si-Yeon doesn’t have anyone to rely on but Jae-Bok.

Jae-Bok throws himself at a stalker who was trying to hurt his client with a fishing line. He manages to save the client in the process. Jae-Bok is seriously injured and Kang takes him to the clinic where Joong-A is working. Jae-Bok and Joong-A pretend not to know each other in the presence of Kang. When Jae-Bok wakes up from the anesthesia, he tells Joong-A that he’ll quit working with Kang and leaves the clinic.

Kang goes to Jae-Bok’s house and asks him to keep working with him. That same night, Jae-Bok goes to the clinic to see Joong-A. But he says that he just came to say that he’ll keep working with Kang and learning from him...



EPISODE 7 :

Joong-A walks all around the perimeter of Bu-Ja’s house, but she turns around when she sees Sungman. On the other side of the street, Jae-Bok walks toward Bu-Ja’s house. Confused with the people around her and Bu-Ja, Joong-A loses her job at the clinic when she tells Dong-Suk that she doesn’t have any desire to settle into life as a doctor.
Mr. Park asks Kang to come back and keep working for him again. But Kang refuses, saying he can’t go back even if he wants to. Finally, Mr. Park lets Kang manage the bodyguard agency on the condition that Kang keeps working for him.

Jae-Bok finds out that Joong-A quit her job and asks Kang how she is getting along. He hears that Joong-A has been sick. Jae-Bok is worried about her. While Kang is away from his desk, Jae-Bok happens to answer Kang’s phone and talks to Joong-A. Kang overhears them talking and finds out that they’ve been seeing each other.



EPISODE 8 :

Kang thinks Joong-A is seeing a guy like Jae-Bok because she isn’t quite normal. He tries to ignore her. Joong-A asks him to forget Jae-Bok.


Delighted to have a chance to play in a non-pornographic movie, Si-Yeon goes to the movie production company. She has a drink with the director and afterwards, goes to a hotel with him. She is disgusted with herself, but she doesn’t have any choice if she wants to get a role in the movie.

Joong-A gets a phone call from Kang and goes to his company. She completely forgets that today is their wedding anniversary. While practicing judo, Jae-Bok knocks his sparring partner unconscious. Shortly afterwards, Kang and Joong-A arrive on the scene. Jae-Bok feels proud of Joong-A who checks out the patient in a professional manner.
Standing around the corner from each other on the street, Joong-A tells Jae-Bok that she won’t see him anymore, even as doctor and patient. Jae-Bok is heart-broken, and sheds his tears in silence.



EPISODE 9 :

Jae-Bok rushes to the hospital where his mother is and is happy to see Joong-A already in the hospital room. When Joong-A finds out that Bu-Ja is Jae-Bok’s mother, she’s shocked.

Guk gets furious when he sees Joong-A is not her same old self after seeing Jae-Bok. Joong-A asks Guk to leave her.

Becoming a popular actress, Si-Yeon is happy to see a story about her in the newspaper.
Joong-A and Jae-Bok sit side by side in the park where they first met each other. Joong-A tells Jae-Bok that she’s been attracted to him because he’s her brother while Jae-Bok tells her that he’ll wait forever and marry her after Guk dies.



EPISODE 10 :

Feeling sorry for what she’s done to Guk, Joong-A brings some snacks for him to his night duty room, only to find Si-Yeon sleeping there. Guk tells Joong-A that it’s now time to clean up his messy life and separate.


Jae-Bok leaves Si-Yeon’s house. But when she hears about this from her mother, she doesn’t seem to care.

Si-Yeon is having hard time in her career. She can’t quite understand the movie she’s been shooting. The director gives her hard time and gets angry with her. Guk tries to make her feel better.

The DNA test results have finally come out. Joong-A tells Bu-Ja that they aren’t mother and daughter according to the test. Nonetheless, she tells Bu-Ja that she’d love to be her daughter. Disappointed, Bu-Ja says that she’ll keep looking for her daughter.



EPISODE 11 :

Now, as a successful actress, Si-Yeon is shooting a movie in a hotel where Kang is taking charge of security. Burnt out from leading a meaningless life, she relies on alcohol and turns to Kang. When Si-Yeon asks Kang to stay with her until she stops crying, he feels pity for her and smiles. Feeling uneasy about the fact that Si-Yeon is at the hotel where Kang is working, Jae-Bok goes to meet Si-Yeon. He asks her not to do anything inappropriate with Kang and says that he would do anything for Joong-A’s happiness, even if he has to turn against Si-Yeon. However, Si-Yeon already has feelings for Kang. Joong-A runs into Si-Yeon in front of a movie theater. While going on about their ordinary daily lives, Joong-A suddenly asks Si-Yeon if she meets Kang often. Si-Yeon doesn’t know what to say. Joong-A tells Si-Yeon not to fall for Kang, remembering the good relationship that the two women share with each other. Finally, she tells Si-Yeon that she’s pregnant. Later, Kang sees a movie director hitting Si-Yeon and he gets into a fight with him. Upset, Kang tells Si-Yeon not to let other people treat her like that.



EPISODE 12 :

Kang and Joong-A rush to the hospital when they hear that Jae-Bok has had an accident. In front of the operating room, Joong-A feels helpless for not being able to do anything for Jae-Bok. Bu-Ja thanks Joong-A for coming and tells her how much it means to her, however, Joong-A tells her that she didn’t come to make her feel good.

Si-Yeon goes to the hotel to meet Kang. When she goes to the parking lot to avoid a group of her young fans, she sees Kang there. Si-Yeon gives him a hat, so that he can hide the injury on his head. While chasing Si-Yeon’s stalker at the hotel, Kang is hit in the head. But He’s just happy about receiving the thoughtful gift from Si-Yeon.


Joong-A insists that Jae-Bok should be treated at Dongsuk’s clinic and he agrees to do so. Jae-Bok asks Joong-A about her condition. She says, “It’s only your mind that really knows your body. Either you get sick or you get cured, everything depends on your mind.” Upon hearing that profound answer, Jae-Bok has a hunch that something bad is going to happen. Jae-Bok isn’t able to use his legs anymore, a fact that Joong-A feels terrible about.



EPISODE 13 :

Kang is drinking in Si-Yeon’s car. He just asked Si-Yeon to spend the night with him. Apologizing for his rudeness, he’s trying to control his feelings with a help of alcohol. However, Si-Yeon says that she doesn’t feel offended since she likes him. Having overheard Jae-Bok and Joong-A’s conversation, Bu-Ja asks Joong-A about her relationship with Jae-Bok. Feeling uncomfortable, Bu-Ja tells Joong-A that she’ll take Jae-Bok to a different hospital. Joong-A asks Bu-Ja to let her take care of him.

Attacked by a stalker in a parking lot, Si-Yeon and her mother call Jae-Bok. Kang arrives to help Si-Yeon. When the stalker tries to stab him in the back, Si-Yeon shields Kang by blocking the assailant’s knife thrust with her hand.



EPISODE 14 :

Jae-Bok is watching a limping man who falls down when a little boy merely bumps into him. Later, the same thing happens when Jae-Bok bumps into Joong-A. Jae-Bok becomes quite frustrated when he thinks about his legs, and his future.

Bu-Ja and Joong-A run into each other in the hospital hallway. Without saying anything, Bu-Ja slips a green scarf to Joong-A and goes away. Sungman is watching the two of them. He tells Joong-A that he’s always considered her as his own daughter. He asks Joong-A to just remember the good moments in her life.

Jae-Bok disappears from the hospital. His cell phone doesn’t work either. Joong-A goes to Bu-Ja’s house to look for him, but he’s not there. Jae-Bok is standing on crutches at a crosswalk. He tries to walk across the street, but he collapses after only a few steps. However, he crawls and finally makes it to the other side of the street.




EPISODE 15 :

After Jae-Bok disappeared from the hospital, Bu-Ja gets sick and is confined to bed. Joong-A takes care of her, but she doesn’t tell Bu-Ja where Jae-Bok is. Sadly, Bu-Ja and Joong-A hear that Sung-Man is dead. Joong-A feels as if she’s lost her own father.
It’s Si-Yeon’s father’s birthday and the family is celebrating in a nice restaurant. But Si-Yeon’s father doesn’t seem happy at all. He can’t help thinking about his old house. In his new apartment, he doesn’t have any friends or a flower garden like he used to. And worst of all, Jae-Bok left. Si-Yeon gets angry, saying that she has nothing but bad memories about that house and her past in general.

Tired of hurting each other, Guk and Joong-A are talking about divorce.



EPISODE 16 :

This episode takes an interesting turn as the major players all see themselves just as they were when they were young. It opens with Joong-A and her six-year-old self standing side by side. Both are wearing the same outfit. Joong-A, who is pregnant, is looking at the corner where the young Joong-A is standing with a broad smile on her face. Joong-A is smiling back at her.

The six-year-old Kang is showing his Taekwondo moves. In his Taekwondo uniform, Kang is looking at the little Kang with a smile. The elder Kang approaches the little boy and offers guidance by adjusting his Taekwondo stance.

The young Si-Yeon is touching a princess’ crown with envy and holding a script. The adult Si-Yeon is looking at her with sympathy. She approaches the little girl who hands over the crown to her. Si-Yeon puts the crown on the little girl’s head.


The young Jae-Bok is sitting on the elder Jae-Bok’s scooter. The little boy is trying on Jae-Bok’s helmet, which is too big for him. The helmet falls down to the ground and little Jae-Bok is reaching for the helmet.

Jae-Bok is watching the little boy and later walks to the boy and sits next to him. Jae-Bok ties Joong-A’s handkerchief around the little boy’s knee. The boy gets up and runs away from Jae-Bok.

Jae-Bok is riding his scooter in the rain. He’s going faster and faster.
A baby is born.

A little girl, Joong-A, is trying to cross the street. She has a big bag and a balloon. She’s about to burst into tears. She turns around only to find Jae-Bok standing there. He picks up Joong-A in his arms and crosses the street.

The balloon Joong-A was holding flies away while Jae-Bok and Joong-A watch it soar into the sky.

OST

1. Ireland Title

2. 허락되지 않은 사랑 - 이현우

3. 그대로 있어주면 돼 - 김장훈

4. Dream

5. 떠나 보내며 - 장윤진

6. 내가 아니라도 - 마현권

7. 그대로 있어주면 돼 - 장필순

8. Danny Boy - 이현우

9. 이젠 - 박보람

10. 나만의 기억 - 김연우

11. Danny Boy - Lynda Cullen & 박보람 & 정신옥 & 김혜능 & 김연우

12. Danny Boy (Acappella)

13. 서쪽하늘에 - 두번째달

14. Ag Demhsa Leis an Ghaoth (Dancin' With The Wind)

15. Danny Boy - 박호준

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