A Love To Kill (IJUKSA)

In my opinion, this is the best Korean drama I've seen to date. Although the ratings in Korea were not as high as the producers hoped, the drama still won an award for the best drama in Asia. I totally think it deserves the award.

I believe the drama won't be able to have the same heartfelt emotions if the cast were changed. Rain and Shin Min-ah were excellent in portraying the emotions needed in the drama. I'm surprised with Rain's improved acting skills. Shin Min-ah also did very well but there are scenes when I thought she could do better. Nonetheless, both actors managed to convince the audience how in love they were with each other even though there were very little dialogue between them. Congratulations to the producers and director too for making such a wonderful and memorable drama.

The Story
Kang Bok-ku and Kang Min-gu are brothers. Min-gu, who is the elder, had single handedly brought up his brother after their mother abandoned them and their father, a gangster, had ignored them. They grew up together and were poor. One day, Min-gu decided to leave his brother because he was following their father's footsteps. They were separated for 10 years. When they finally found each other, Min-gu accidently falls from a building after seeing the news of Cha Eun-suk's engagement announcement. Min-gu and Cha Eun-suk were a couple before Eun-suk became a star.

Bok-ku blames Eun-suk for his brother's plight. He thought Eun-suk left his brother when actually it was the other way round. It was Min-gu who left Eun-suk after he was presured by Eun-suk's step mother. Eun-suk never wanted to break-off with Min-gu and was heart-broken and miserable when Min-gu stopped seeing her. They courted for five years. Eun-suk wasn't aware of her step-mother's plans.

The engagement between Eun-suk and the second son of a multi-millionaire, Kim Jun-song, was planned and announced without Eun-suk's consent. The engagement was actually a plan by Jun-song to clean-up his image. Jun-song accidently fell on a drunk Eun-suk and the incident was recorded and circulated in the internet. Jun-song had no feelings for Eun-suk but forced her to play along with his plan nevertheless. Eun-suk was against the idea but Jun-song managed to convince her family to accept him eventhough they knew Eun-suk was still in love with Min-gu.


Meanwhile, Bok-ku's 'girlfriend', Han Dah-jung, decided to help raise money for Min-gu's hospital bills by blackmailing Eun-suk without Bok-ku's knowledge. She threatened to release pictures of Eun-suk with Min-gu to the media if she didn't pay-up. Her sidekick, Park Mi-sook, who pretended to be Bok-ku, told Eun-suk that the blackmail was all Min-gu's plan. Eun-suk was shattered but paid money for the photos. Bok-ku doesn't love Dah-jung but stays with her family because of guilt. She saved him from a fire when they were in highschool and was disfigured during the incident.

Unknown to Dah-jung, Bok-ku had his own secret plan too. He became Eun-suk's personal bodyguard with the intention to make the woman fall in love with him and later dump her as she did his brother. The plan went well because Eun-suk was erasing Min-gu from her life and her fiance was such a bully. Although Eun-suk despised Bok-ku in the beginning, she eventually cared for him as he was always there to save her. When Bok-ku realised she was falling for him, he decided to go full-force with his revenge plans.

Bok-ku ran away with Eun-suk on her engagement day. They were captured in the evening of the same day by Jun-song and his men. The news of Eun-suk running away with her bodyguard on her engagement day ruined her career. But Eun-suk couldn't care less about her career. All she cared about was to be with her man. Realising that his plan has worked, Bok-ku decided to drop the bomb on Eun-suk. Eun-suk was devastated and confused. Bok-ku revealed his true identity to Eun-suk at the hospital.

Dah-jung, who was evesdropping on the conversation, quickly appologised to Eun-suk and explained why Bok-ku acted the way he did. She stopped Eun-suk from entering Min-gu's room and made her leave the hospital. The shattered Eun-suk left and came back the next day to visit Min-gu. She came to the hospital everyday and stayed at a motel. Bok-gu, realised his mistake when he found out about the blackmail by Dah-jung. He felt so guilty, he hid his brother from Eun-suk. Eun-suk became very angry to the extent that she almost lost her sanity.

A year passed on. Eun-suk, no longer a famous artiste, runs a karaoke lounge together with her family. One day, while she was on her way to attend to some business, her car brokedown and she stopped at the nearest mechanic shop. There, she unexpectedly met Bok-ku. They had a drink and she admitted going to his place each passing season. When she asked about his brother, Bok-ku told her Min-gu had died in autumn the previous year. Eun-suk couldn't believe it. He lied, of course.

While this was happening, Eun-suk's ex-fiance, Jun-song has decided to help Eun-suk make a comeback. He found himself not being able to forget Eun-suk and thought of giving his relationship with her a second chance. The film which was put on hold the year before became a hit. The success, however, had no effect on Eun-suk. She was devastated with the news of Min-gu's death and couldn't forgive herself for being the reason for him jumping off a building. She drowned herself in alchohol.

She came to pick-up her car at Bok-ku's workshop drunk a week later. Bok-ku, who had always cared for her, drove the car to a park and made her wait in it for three hours before taking the keys from him. Bok-ku spent the entire 3-long hours shooting basketball in cold winter wheather. When the period was over, she came and took the keys. As she was walking towards the car, Bok-gu told her to not to do foolish things in the future, don't drink and don't cry. Eun-suk, who was in tears, turned and told him that eventhough he said falling in love with her a year ago was a plan, she knew that there were times when he did miss her ernestly, felt sad, felt happy for her. Bok-gu, who was stunned, couldn't say anything. Eun-suk found out the truth.

Unfortunately, Bok-gu left his handphone in Eun-suk's car. To her surprise, there was a picture of Min-gu inside the phone. She was reunited with Min-gu and decided to care for him herself. She rented a house and brought Min-gu with her eventhough Bok-ku protested. A month and a half had passed but Bok-ku never once visited his brother. He paid Mi-sook to help Eun-sukOn his brother's 31st birthday, he finally came to visit him with Dah-jung. He quickly agreed to visit after Dah-jung said he couldn't go because he couldn't bear watching Eun-suk together with his brother.

During the visit, Bok-gu returned the chain Eun-suk gave him saying that he didn't need it anymore. He returned it in the bedroom where his brother was sleeping. He didn't know that it was actually a gift to Eun-suk from Min-gu. Eun-suk asked him to keep it but he insisted returning it back to her. Min-gu heard the conversation. Eun-suk couldn't stay in the house with Bok-ku around after that and went for a walk outside. While Mi-sook and Dah-jung passed out because they had too much to drink, Bok-ku went to a nearby shop for cigarettes. He was surprised to find Eun-suk drinking alone there.


It was an awkward moment for Eun-suk when Bok-ku, upon seeing her dried hands due to too much washing, bought a whole bunch of rubber gloves for her. She accidently dropped the bottle she was holding and cut herself when she tried to pick the pieces up. Bok-ku, without a second thought, took her finger and sucked the blood. Eun-suk was taken aback by the spontaniety pulled her finger away. Bok-ku stood-up and grabbed a plaster and quickly covered the cut almost by force because Eun-suk was hesitating. As they walked back, Eun-suk told Bok-ku he was making her feel uncomfortable and told him not to come again. Bok-ku didn't utter a word. He left the house with Dah-jung that same night. After they left, Eun-suk sat on the stairs crying. Her cries was heard by Min-gu.

Min-gu threw tantrums after that and kept yelling to Eun-suk to leave. Eun-suk didn't understand but tried to rationalise his behaviour as depressed and tired. One day, while crying and yelling he accidently threw a sharp object to Eun-suk's forehead. Luckily, her ex-fiance, Jun-song came to visit. He took her to the hospital and later confronted Bok-ku for making Eun-suk suffer. Bok-ku, upon seeing Eun-suks suffering, begged her to leave his brother. But Eun-suk refused. She told him Min-gu didn't hurt her on purpose and he could die if she leaves.
Bok-ku understood Eun-suk's words and decided that it was time to stop feeling anything for each other.

When they returned, the bedridden Min-gu clutched Bok-ku and Eun-suk's hands and told them he was scared and didn't want them to leave. Bok-ku made him promise not to throw tantrums and he stayed until Min-gu slept. Eun-suk offered Bok-ku to spend the night next to his brother but he declined saying Dah-jung was waiting for him. Bok-ku returned to find Dah-jung washing her shoes using cold water. He asked Dah-jung to sleep with him that night. Eun-suk slept next to Min-gu but he pushed her out off the bed.

The next day, Bok-ku arrived at the house early to only find Min-gu unconcious. They rushed him to the hospital but the doctor told Bok-ku there was little hope. Eun-suk collapse to the floor and was taken back to her parents'. The step-mother stopped her from returning to the hospital. That night Min-gu passed away after whispering a will to Bok-ku. When Eun-suk arrived the next morning with Jun-song, she saw his body and collapse again.

In the beginning, Bok-gu refused to attend his brother's funeral that day. Eun-suk, managed to pay her respects later in the evening. She blamed Min-gu for leaving her and not trusting her. After much wailing she left with Jun-song. Bok-ku came later telling his brother he couldn't do what he wanted. He left the funeral place and collapse on the pavement. Bok-ku turned into someone who had no will to live. He gets in trouble with the police for brawls. Dah-jung cannot do anything to make him change.

Eun-suk on the other hand, was suffering differently. She went out with Jun-song and sang her heart out at karaoke and ate until she puked. One day, Jun-song sang a song that was familiar to Eun-suk. It was a song that Bok-ku used to sing to her. She quickly went to the rooftop (their meeting place) and found Bok-ku there. Bok-ku told her he was doing fine and then ignored her totally. She knew then that their love was doomed. Both suffered until both of them almost died. Eun-suk stuffed herself and Bok-ku lost his will to live.

Jun-song couldn't bear to see Eun-suk suffer, brought her to Bok-ku who was hospitalised. He was ready to let Eun-suk go and help them build their lives rather than see her suffer. Bok-ku saw Eun-suk talking to herself and decided to tell her about his brother's will and his decision. Min-gu knew Eun-suk loved Bok-ku more than she loved him. The blow was too much for Eun-suk.

The next morning, they accidently met each other at Min-gu's grave. Eun-suk was calm and apologized to Bok-ku for making his life difficult. But she also made it clear of her feeling - she regretted nothing. They parted ways but Bok-ku came running back asking her whether she would want to do something crazy with him - runaway with him for a day. She agreed. So they spent the day on a mountain, talking and having fun. They vowed to live well and forget each other after that day. The next morning they parted ways and began their new lives.

A year passed, Eun-suk continued her success in the entertainment world welcomed Jun-song in herlife while Bok-ku went on to become a boxing champion and a successful mechanic. Then one day, Jun-song came to Bok-ku's workshop. He thought Eun-suk had ran away again with Bok-ku. He couldn't locate her as her handphone has been off for two days. Jun-song revealed how Eun-suk had been getting psychological help for the past year. When he left, Bok-ku immediately drove to the mountain getaway. He searched for her until darkness fell. He found Eun-suk lying in the snow bearly alive. He tried to carry her back to the chalet but he was too weak. They freezed to death in the end.

The ending could be better though, but I'd like to give this drama 10/10.