On February 16, the third episode of “Fool’s Love” explored the emotional topic of single mothers in Korea.
Kang Ho Gu (Choi Woo Shik) encounters his teenage crush, Do Hee (After School’s Uee), while riding in the subway. Ho Gu has an idealized view of love which was further perpetuated by a previous encounter with Do Hee. He is instantly disillusioned when he discovers that she is pregnant, after believing that he had formed a relationship with her.
The topic of single motherhood has become increasingly prevalent in contemporary drama but it is a sensitive issue in Korean society. Single mothers and divorcees have struggled to gain acceptance but programs like “Fool’s Love” are instrumental in establishing an open dialogue about the sensitive topics.
The episode opens with Ho Gu providing an explanation for his sorrow over Do Hee’s obvious pregnancy. The characters do not initially exchange words about the situation but it is apparent that he is distressed. His sorrow is illustrated as he states, “I couldn’t turn my face [to see] that it was a reality. Because I couldn’t believe it. Because I didn’t want to believe it.”
In his innocence, Ho Gu had previously believed that Do Hee, an accomplished professional swimmer, needed to have surgery due to health complications from hemorrhoids. He did not consider that the procedure she attempted to discuss with him was actually an abortion, which she later decided not to pursue. She was not upfront with him prior to this encounter but she decides to engage him in conversation and provides confirmation that she is actually pregnant.
Ho Gu had maintained an idealized view of Do Hee, presuming that she was innocent and untouched beyond a kiss that they shared during their prior encounter. His vision of her is destroyed as he contemplates the scientific fact that, “A baby is made when a man and a woman make love.”
He sadly realizes that he has been waiting for another man’s woman for the past six months and becomes enraged. At this point, it becomes apparent that “Fool’s Love” will illustrate his ill-fated relationship with his dream girl.
Do Hee is a daring role for Uee, who has previously starred in “You’re Beautiful” and “Golden Rainbow.” The character immediately faces tough decisions including taking a hiatus from her career, in order to carry her child to full term.
She receives financial and emotional support from her coach. However, she is not honest with him about her condition, leading him to believe that she is gained weight from eating as opposed to pregnancy. Her existence is lonely, as she travels throughout the subway system, speaking to sympathetic grandparents.
When the ill-destined couple reunites, Do Hee leads Ho Gu to believe that she is engaged to the father of her child. From this point, the premise of “Fool’s Love” differs from other Korean dramas which have approached the issue of single motherhood.
In the 2014 weekend drama “The Greatest Marriage,” Cha Gi Young (Park Si Yeon) struggles to maintain her career as a prominent newscaster after she is impregnated by her coworker, Park Tae Yeon (No Min Woo). “The Greatest Marriage” repeatedly discussed the topic of abortion, as Gi Young was encouraged by numerous individuals to get rid of her baby so that she could return to her career.
Those close to her provide her with two choices, abortion or marriage. Rather than succumb to an orchestrated marriage with his controlling family, she attempts to raise her child as a single mother.
Her biggest obstacle in her quest to achieve the balance between her career and motherhood is her male co-worker, Jo Eun Cha (Bae Soo Bin). Initially, Eun Cha manipulates her co-workers and the public to shun the single mother. Eventually, he becomes her savior, as she attempts to navigate through Korean society without being ostracized.
“Modern Farmer” also explored the sensitive topic through the character Kang Yoon Hee (Honey Lee), a woman who had a promising future that was halted by the birth of her son. Her son is tormented by his classmates, who do not understand why he does not have a father. “Modern Farmer” concluded with a happy ending as Lee Min Ki (Lee Hong Ki) left his life in Seoul behind to remain with Yoon Hee and her son.
“Fool’s Love” has great potential as a show that can provide a different approach to the topic of single motherhood.
The drama benefits from the collaborative efforts of Director Pyo Min Soo and screenwriter Yoon Nam Joong. The pair previously worked together on the tvN drama “Flower Boy Ramyun Shop,” which explored the hot topics of older women who fall in love with younger men. It will be interesting to see how the “Fool’s Love” will explore the dynamic between the forlorn and lovestruck Ho Gu and the slightly manipulative Do Hee.
