Which Oppa Choi do you like better? The before or the after?
In his latest Enishi 2018 magazine, Volume 2, Park Sihoo-ssi reiterated again his absolute trust and respect for Writer So Hyunkyung. In his view “My Golden Life” was really a perfect script.
The storyline was like a roller coaster ride, moving so rapidly with ever changing highs and lows. This was what made the drama so memorable and so engaging for the audience. Park Sihoo-ssi felt as though he was acting in different dramas instead of just one and it gave him the opportunity to showcase his different charms.
So which Choi Dokyung did he like? The before or after he left home to become independent?
The “before” Oppa who lives by the societal rules
Park Sihoo-ssi preferred the “after” Choi Dokyung. The Choi Dokyung who had to work hard for his independence. He enjoyed filming the scene in the gym as he felt an affinity due to his previous personal experience working in the same capacity when he first started his career in the entertainment industry.
Another side of the “after” Choi Dokyung he liked was his working hard for the woman he loved. He doubled up on his jobs to earn enough money to buy her a birthday gift. Not only that, to celebrate her birthday, he did something he had never done before. He painstakingly cooked her seaweed soup, pouring his love into his cooking. This scene was still fresh in Park Sihoo-ssi’s memory.
The “after” Oppa who struggled to make his own life
Me? I also prefer the “after” Choi Dokyung. While in the “before”, he showed signs of a man with a heart and a man who was also a voice of reason, he put himself across more as the chaebol, one who would go with what society dictated would be the right and proper behaviour. He was like a puppet on a string, being controlled and showing hardly any resistance.
However, in the “after”, his character and fighting spirit surfaced. He stood up and fought hard for what he wanted out of life, persevering despite challenges after challenges and learning to become a better person.
Anyone has views on which Choi Dokyung you prefer? The before or after? Please share!
KBS Drama Youtube Video – “My Golden Life” Episode 32: Earning his own keep in the gym, 17 December 2017
https://youtu.be/honCMI9DmWE
KBS Drama Youtube Video – “My Golden Life” Episode 34: Cooking for my love, 24 December 2017
https://youtu.be/K_U-LBvej-0
KBS Drama Youtube Video – “My Golden Life” Episode 34: A gift of love, 24 December 2017
https://youtu.be/z6fDEZHttE8
之前还是之后？
施厚君在他最新的2018年缘Enishi 杂志第2期中再次重申了他对苏贤京So Hyunkyung作家的绝对信任和尊重。他认为“我黄金光辉的人生”真的是一本完美的剧本。
故事情节就像乘坐过山车一样，行驶速度非常快速，随着高低不断变化，使得这部电视剧如此令人难忘，也是吸引观众的眼球的最大原因。施厚君感觉自己好像在不同的电视剧中演出，而不仅只是参演一部剧。他有好多机会去展示他不同的魅力。
Picking up after others in the gym
那么他喜欢哪一面的崔道京呢？离开家自寻独立之前还是之后呢？
施厚君更喜欢“之后”的崔道京。为了独立而努力工作的崔道京显得更帅。他喜欢在健身房拍摄的场景，因为自己刚出道时，有同样的经历，因此感觉亲和。
他喜欢“之后”的崔道京的另一面是他为所爱的女人努力兼职几份工作，为了赚取足够的钱给她买生日礼物。不仅如此，为了庆祝她的生日，他为她做了从未做过的事情。他精心烹制海藻汤，将他的爱倾注在他的烹饪中。这一幕在施厚君的记忆中还是新鲜的。
Living his own life
我呢？我也更喜欢“之后”的崔道京。在“之前”的时候，他是个有关怀心和有理智声音的男人，但，毕竟还是从财阀的角度看事，只愿意接受社会认为是正确和适当的行为。他就像一根绳子上的木偶，受到控制和被摆布，几乎没有任何阻力。
然而，“之后”的他，性格和斗志气浮出水面。 他为自己想要的人生而努力奋斗，坚持不懈，尽管面对一个个迎面而来的挑战。他真正的学会做人的道理，成为更好的一个人。
大家更喜欢哪一面的崔道京呢？可否跟姐妹们分享自己的看法？谢谢！
Doing it for love
Credits – Many thanks! KBS Drama “My Golden Life”
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28 Comments
If you ask me which part of Choi Do Kyung’s character I like the most: the first part , while he was the heir of the company, or the second part, when he left his home and company to live on his own, I’ll answer – the second part. In other words, when he courageously expressed his intention , that to be happy , this needs for him to be on his own, meaning that being on his own, although with high social status and wealth, he wanted to be the person with independence of thought, feeling and action. He pointed out that being on his own he could do, think and feel without relying on others, like his grandpa, his ma , on giving him his directions in life. Being on his own, CDK could posses the freedom and resposability to decide his own purposes in life, thus becoming a multifaceted human being with toughts, feelings and desires, being prepared to stand his ground, when his principles or values could be at stake , refusing the situations when these could destroy his personal dignity. And there are many scenes when CDK by chainging his purposes, these gave him the courage to maintain his dignity instead of selling his moral soul. All these have led to more respect , being well regarded by all around him. And although he has become the CEO of the company, he could think rationally in being his own person, by coming back to his small company he created with his own effort. I like CDK ,” the second”, for his firmness, his self- control, his self-confidence, that he was not afraid to be his own persnon to express his ideas, to have faith, to believe in liberty , as no one has the right to dictate to his life. He has become an individual uniquily inspired and worth of the right to individuality. That’s why I like CDK, in the second part of “My Golden Life|”, which , in a way , reveals Park SI Hoo’s own principles in life.
Thank you Stefanie for your depth of analysis into why you like CDK in the second part of MGL! Who wouldn’t when we witnessed and cheered him on episode after episode as he made his heroic efforts ( with success! ) to break free from the shackled life within the Choi family strict upbringing to groom him into a Chaebol of their expectation! But rather than follow the common criticisms that CDK in the first part of MGL is cowardly, insincere, unlikeable, I rather empathise with the unhappy almost miserable position that he is caught in, and much relieved he made his escape. Good Korean dramas almost always portray positive character development as the story progresses and there’s lot of it in MGL, in particular CDK’s. And that’s probably one of the main reasons for its absolutely awesome viewers’ rating.
Dorothy Ooi It is of utmost as well as utter intrigue to me, that for the sake of positivity and empowering Korean drama lessons, while we ought to emphathise the Before DK and not suppose to join the common criticisms (this notion was also a no brainer to his intellectual, wise and compassionate learned fans) , yet, the common criticisms of selfishness, cowardice, cold hearted, inability to love, moments of insanity had been perfectly alright to be openly hurled over and over at Seo Jian, one who suffered severe depression, and more so coming from the same wise group of PSH fans. My Golden Life is better renamed as My Rotten Life, after all, DK only begot the reel love who no one ever wished for. The best satire I have watched for a while.
Thank you Stefania Lupu for the expressions and patience and love that normally would be the type of comments I too would choose to make, as a public platform, I had called for championing of both lead male and female roles. But for today, I cannot resist my chance of presenting my take that MGL has turned out a satire, something the writer herself also did not anticipate this effect. The irony of the ironies.
I wrote my reply but one stroke of my key, they disappeared. Sorry no time to repeat. Thanks for your response is all I can say now
What I wanted to say in a gist is, when your ass wasn’t on fire like Jian’s ass, then you are able to imagine yourself would not go to new parents in a tick. This is a quick answer I don’t mean to say when your ass is on fire, you are justified to kill. The long story cut short, Jian did not want to go rich parents in the 1st place, it is circumstances of debt pressure and the added strange behaviour of a father who could not give her a valid reason and a mother who fanned the hurried along fan. Enough is enough, I really do not wish to repeat all over again of what I said before. For the record, I have also never said DK is coward or insincere, I said his nobless oblige was just performing a duty, it wasn’t driven with depth of heartfelt willingness to help, that is not the same as insincere, lack of genuine earnesty but it wasn’t insincere. I said he was a jerk, a nice jerk, but his oblivions of what were not taught to him or the discovery of his true inner self indeed were his inadequacies as a good person in the before him. Period.
The more befitting the title ought to be My Rotten Life because end of the day, your view of her selfishness is still the same. No wonder you do not wish the MGL reel love for PSH kekeke.
Cross my heart and cross my conscience, I DO NOT and DID NOT ever, not one sliver of moment question myself that Jian is selfish. None whatsoever.
Park Sihoo-ssi 박시후-씨 朴施厚君 It is My Rotten Life. From my simple logic, being given a rotten apple of a selfish woman named Seo Jian. So now you turned around to put me on the spot that I am belittling the writer? If it comes across like this, I actually do not mind that it is me belittling the works of a great writer. If the writer failed to deliver her message of My Golden Life because of the character she created in Jian who is viewed by viewers like yourself Nance, to be a selfish Jian, the writer ought to reflect upon this, as I said no one ever thought about the irony she created, that is why I said it is the best satire I have watched for a while. 🙂 I was still waiting to hear of your response to my earlier analogy of how we should take the final message from the writer when your last words ended with ” not wished upon the reel love….” whereas I thought the writer deemed Jian good woman material to open DK’s heart and mind, which then My Golden Life title befits its contents and the characters befit the message of My Golden Life. You have today given me your answer. It is up to me to conclude with answers gathered. And my conclusion is my poor DK, it is a rotten life after all because what you ended up is a woman that is not to be wished upon. On the subject of whether her ass was on fire. Yes, DK has waived her debt hence it was her fault of being prideful, but then, Nance, the DK words of “people like you cannot have $20k” is about enough immunition to start world war 3 if he said those words to me when I was in the most distress state of waves of unfortunate happenings that kept coming towards me (Jian). The despise DK thrown on her about people like you cannot have 20k is more than the fire that burnt her ass. When a man/woman has distinguished his/her fire of pride when he is dirt poor, in the lowest ebb of her life , that person might as well be dead. Not a proud chapter for Jian, but certainly not justified to be judged that harshly to the extend that even in the end, Jian is deemed no change of her selfish character, so golden life? Who is kidding who? Imagine the damage the selfish wife will bring upon CDK? Just look at the banished ex Prime Minister of Malaysia, what type of wife he has behind him? A selfish wife for sure will lead you to disaster, CDK, rotten and ugly is all await when the woman you ended is a selfish human being. Who is contradicting the fundamental message the writer was trying to deliver — end up with a do not wished upon selfish Jian, are these my words? yes, because I am the one now phrasing them, so it seem. Time our respected writer go figure herself, My Golen Life? Try harder next time.
Park Sihoo-ssi 박시후-씨 朴施厚君 “Others have seen what is and asked why. I have seen what could be and asked why not.”[Pablo Picasso]. Not entering into a dispute , I say that I have watched a great drama, with great characters, who ,during the 52 episodes. have suffered many chages n their behaviour, their principles, who have found the strength to persevere and endure the overwhelming obstacles they met in their lives. As :Life is made up of giving and getting and forgiving and forgetting!
Park Sihoo-ssi 박시후-씨 朴施厚君 You of course are entitled to your last say😊
Stefania Lupu Dorothy Ooi Chai Hua Loke For me, Writer So did a great job. She wrote a script that fitted the reality and sentiments of the Korean society at that point in time. This is why there was so much audience engagement, particularly in Korea where the audience rating hit almost 50%.Not being a Korean nor understanding their culture, the international audience may view the drama in different light, with so many different interpretations of the situations and the characters. Everyone saw it in their own ways with different likes and dislikes, some more vehement in their opinions than others, taking things to the extremes. For me, as most of you know, I am biased where Park Sihoo-ssi is concerned. However, I also see him as a chaebol through experiences I had with people in similar capacity, and how so called high society behaved and what is expected of its players.While I do not agree in many ways their attitude, I can also understand in some ways why they behave this way. What they feared – the media ruckus, expected behaviors and how they presented themselves – they are all very real. And where Seo Jian is concerned, while I can empathize with her more and more and grow to understand her better, I don’t really like how she behaved in making such quick decision to leave her family to go to her supposed “birth” family. Of course, my yardstick being myself and my upbringing, where I would not forsake so quickly a family where I grew up with especially when I know I will cause heartache and pain.My view of her being “selfish” then has not changed despite all that she gone through. Her character has grown up, learning in the process, just as others have, and in particular, Choi Dokyung. And I also add, I have also grown and learnt in the process.
Chai Hua Loke Sorry, just want to make it clear. I didn’t touch on cowardice or insincerity so I presume that was not something I need to address. Selfishness was not why I did not wish MGL reel love for PSH. I want a happy life for PSH – not one that is like a roller coaster and where two people cannot share their thoughts and find resolutions together. Again, my personal yardstick is that when two people commit to each other, they commit to be in the relationship together, to love together, to laugh together, to share burdens together. Marriage vows, so to speak, “in good times and bad, in sickness and in health” . Not like CDK and SJA who kept things to themselves and not share and to resolve problems together. That is not my take on being a couple and being in love.
Chai Hua Loke On the selfishness, i maintain my stand because SJA did not owe CDK any money, he has forgiven her the debt.Her ass was not on fire for any repayment, so to speak.. It was her own pride that pushed her towards going to the new family and immediately asking her new mother for the money. For me, if my father were the one whose opinion I value and he behaved strangely, even if my mother kept on pushing, I would think and probe deeper and longer to find out the real reason and not immediately leave. Yes, I heard you earlier about why prolong a decision. Maybe it is just me, that decision was not an easy one because it involved emotions of people whom one has lived with and loved for over 25 years, not one which I will make lightly. I will not leave in superquick time that surprised everyone, including my new family. This is of course, my personal view. Again, I reiterate, everyone’s entitled to theirs.
Chai Hua Loke “My Rotten Life”? Then this would belittle the brilliant and powerful strokes of Writer So! No way can life ever be perfect. It is how one wants it to be and how one makes it out to be to make it golden.
Chai Hua Loke I should clarify – I deemed Jian selfish at the point she made the decision to leave home of 25 years for her birth family. That is the selfish act I saw. I did not mean that she continued to be selfish throughout the drama. She went through a transformation and so did the other characters. No one stood still and that was how the writer intended it to be and hence golden life.
DK’s words were harsh words indeed and like you, I would be most indignant too. But if memory serves me correct, it was articulated in anger and frustration due to harsh words thrown at him by SJA as a result of a bad day she had. It takes two hands to clap and the two of them reacted to each other due to the situation they found themselves in – very reactive.
Después del huracán María por fin podré verla para dar mi opinión.
I like Park Si Hoo for ever in any character. HE IS AMAZING!!!!
Same here, and I am sure many of of sisters here will agree!
I think this is a subject of no brainer to me, hence there is nothing much to say. Which CDK ? Before or After? The choice/answer is more than obvious. I only recall how I was not supposed to say not so nice things of the Before CDK to his fans, which back then, I thought, that too, was a no brainer subject, but I had been delightfully surprised. The world never fail to amuse me. This is the entertaining bit of being alive. Lots to see lots to observe. 🙂
Now I have watched the drama from start to finish, I look at it with a different eye. I like CDK most as he turned out to be after he had left the family house to start for his own, but this progress in personality could not have been made if he had not gone through first part of MGL. I disliked the before CDK, because of his attitude due to his social class and upbringing while he truly believed he was doing right. As Chai Hua said, he was a jerk. If I had met that jerk in real life, I would not have been interested at all. If another actor had played CDK, I would not even have continued watching MGL. Now I was curious because of PSH. Throughout the drama he transformed his character CDK as I had expected he would do. So in the end there is no “before” or “after” for me. Circumstances have made it possible CDK was able to find and express his true personality and this personality I like most❤️
The powerful transformation CDK took on every step of his way truly humbled any human being. The fortitude that oozed from DK is one that should leave most lasting memory to every human being that a golden life is all within your very own power and ability to reach. As Stefania said Instead of seeing What is and asked why, is to see What Could Be and tackle it head on with Why Not attitude. And Wilma how brilliant that the writer and PSH were not afraid of that jerk label on the earlier DK. Otherwise how to showcase the depth of that inner strength inside DK
Wilma van Zwietering So inherently, CDK’s personality has always been there. How it is expressed really depended on the circumstance he was in. In the first part, his upbringing and his surroundings and the people he interacted with were very much chaebol, so how he behaved then was very much in line. It was when he started to interact with Seo Jian, the Seos and when he was in the shared house that he saw things differently and this personality started to emerge. These are people whom, if not for the lost daughter and the lie by Mother Seo, he would never be exposed to. (Same thing that was said in CDDA that you will never even get close to the upper class even though you walk down Cheongdamdong). So CDK being a “jerk” was purely circumstantial. Inherently he had good traits/personality, just not brought to the fore while he is a chaebol because society dictated a formality…examples, he knew the value of family (giving back SJA her wood craft dolls because this would be invaluable and making sure that she doesn’t miss her brother’s wedding, taking care of her father and giving him comfort that she was alive and well). He went through a transformation. Same as every one of the characters in the drama…SJA, SJS, Father & Mother Seo, Father and Mother Choi, SJA’s brother and even Grandfather Roh.
Park Sihoo-ssi 박시후-씨 朴施厚君 I saw and felt exactly the same, how he behaved in the before was in line with his circumstances. And I also said the deep seed of goodness is inside him, the good seed of humanity, but needed to be manifested/extracted/triggered to become alive. Did I not say that all these time?
Park Sihoo-ssi 박시후-씨 朴施厚君 No worries, no worries 🙂
Chai Hua Loke You did indeed. I wasn’t implying you said anything to the contrary
😃사진잘보구 갑니다, 소통하며 지내요