[HanCinema's Drama Review] "Miss Korea" Episode 17

Quite a few issues came to a head this episode and new ones surfaced in order to carry us to the end of this drama. The strongest parts, though, dealt with the issues that have been peppered throughout the show. They were finally given some solid airtime and a chance to work themselves out.

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The major issue dealt with was that of education level and how that affects all kinds of relationships. Seon-saeng had been a semi-welcomed guest as the Vivi cosmetics team was fighting the loan sharks. Now that they are trying to forge a new path for themselves, the serious discrepancy between the Vivi team's doctorate-level education and Seon-saeng's middle school diploma stands out in sharp relief. Is there a place on the Vivi team for such a man and is there a place beside the educated Hwa-jeong? It's a huge issue in Korean society, and in societies everywhere. A conclusion has not been reached, but Hwa-jeong fights for Seon-saeng's good heart and world experience as his strengths. The Vivi team may be educated, but still ran their company into the ground This is a noteworthy point and one that I hope the show continues to explore.

There is also the idea of knowing when to give up and start something new. The Vivi team has given up on its major project, BB Cream, and has turned to a new idea. They should've given up a while ago because the problems they've had for the past sixteen episodes could've been mostly avoided. What is good about the whole situation is that the Vivi team isn't taking their failure sitting down. They are investing their time, creativity and smarts into something new. It's a bit of a "Candy" message, but it's a strong one that holds true.

Yoon, as a character, has finally been addressed in a satisfactory way. He is clearly stuck in the mindset that money will buy love and he showed that, and his sincerity, to Ji-young. While it isn't the most pleasant characterization, it's still honest, and realistic. Some people really do think that that money can buy everything.

The relationship between Hyung-joon and Ji-young is still in a gray area. They lie to each other, but have good intentions. Ji-young's self-esteem has been boosted by winning "Miss Korea" while Hyung-joon's loss of his factory has crushed him. Despite different circumstances, they still want to be together, and the world they will have to do to stay together is no small feat. Ji-young's stubborn personality stays with her and makes her journey as "Miss Korea" even more difficult. It's a pretty solid relationship as far as drama couples are concerned. It's the small lies that may unravel them. But that remains to be seen.

With only two weeks left in its run, "Miss Korea" has a few loose ends to clear up, but nothing earth shattering. The IMF financial crisis is making people act desperately. The smell of money lingering around the "Miss Korea" competition entices a lot of scavengers, and those at the center of it have to stay strong: at least until the end of the show!

Written by Raine from Raine's Dichotomy

Follow on Twitter @Raine0211

"Miss Korea" is directed by Kwon Seok-jang, written by Seo Sook-hyang and features Lee Sun-kyun, Lee Yeon-hee, Jo Sang-ki and Lee Mi-sook.