This week, the drama "Kind Words" broke its own ratings record by earning 11.3 percent of the viewers, placing it second after "Empress Ki." Given its difficult subject matter and the competition, those ratings are still impressive. The drama stands out for its honest and nuanced portrayal of marital infidelity.
Actress Kim Ji Soo delivers one of the finest performances in the drama. She plays the role of the heartbroken wife, Song Mi Kyung, a woman whose own marriage has been defined by her parents' unhappy marriage. She devoted her life to her husband and family then found out that he had an affair. And if that were not bad enough, her husband truly loved the woman he had the affair with.
Realizing this, Song Mi Kyung's whole world crumbles and for the first time in many years she is forced to examine what she really wants in life. The drama explores the thoughts and actions that result from such a situation and how they affect not only the couple but also their extended families.
It's a powerful and painful drama.
"The power of the drama comes from the script," said Kim Ji Soo in a recent interview with the Chosun Ilbo. "The script writer is very good at describing the details of emotional turmoil and confusion that any couple who have become estranged due to adultery would experience," said Kim Ji Soo.
In the interview she talked about her personal experiences with heartbreak and how they help define her character's actions.
In the drama she convincingly cries over her husband's infidelity. To convey those emotions the actress drew on disappointments in her real life romantic experiences. Although the actress has never been married, she dated actor Kim Joo Hyuk, who she met on the set of the SBS drama "Like A Flowing River." They dated for six years and the relationship ended in 2009. After that she dated Roy Kim, a Korean-Canadian who was 16 years younger. That relationship ended last year.
The 41-year-old actress does not want to share the details of her own heartbreak but she can say that it has helped her convey emotions.
"I think a broken heart can serve as a source of inspiration for an actor, because the depth of sorrow you can express becomes much deeper," she said.
Despite playing a betrayed wife in this drama, her views on marriage have not changed. She doesn't rule out the possibility of marrying one day, but she can now see that there are also disadvantages.
