Anyone who knows me well knows I’m a hopeless romantic. So, when I first watched this movie, my heart swayed and I felt like a teenage girl again. I’ve watched this movie too many times to count. And as I get older I learn more from it than I did in the beginning.
What I learned from Finding Kim Jong Wook
Travel! Alone if possible
Want to know what the scariest thing about being alone in a new place is? Having to depend on yourself. Being alone in a new place forces you to get to know yourself. I learned this from Ji Woo. Her conservative nature in this movie doesn’t reflect who she is. Being in a whole new country on her own showed her how strong she was. And being in the arms of a stranger showed her how she could take risks. She wasn’t always boxed in by the expectations and perceptions of those around her. That is what had made her into the person she was ten years later.
Find what you love and do it
Min Jae finds it so hard to do any kind of job, not because he isn’t dedicated, but because he just isn’t feeling any of the jobs he has to do. I’m not really one to go out on a limb and quit my job just because I don’t like it. Most people wouldn’t. But I think that’s the beauty of his character. He reminds me in a sense that I’m not living life on my own terms. Being a part of the system never served anyone’s dreams. Min Jae isn’t afraid to just walk away from any job that doesn’t make him happy.
Ji Woo does the same, though she’s more subtle about it. One of her colleagues ask her at some point in the movie “why do you do this? Why do you come to work here at the theatre?” Her response is “I just love music” What a straightforward answer. It’s not sugar-coated in a long history of doubt and need for acceptance or stability. She just loves music. And it’s that simple for her. She does what she loves, and that’s the essence to being happy.
That’s the greatest thing about both our characters, and it’s something I’ve always wanted to adopt for myself.
First Loves are Important
When I was 24 I fell head over heels in love with my college sweetheart. We were so into each other it felt like nothing and no one could ever separate us. But we ended up breaking up, much like our protagonist here. And though her story probably differs from mine (or yours), the message is all the same. She’s not the same person she was before and after she meets him. This staunch character actually took a risk and found out things about herself on that trip with her Mister Destiny that she would not have found out otherwise. And that’s what first loves are about. They are about looking back and realising that you grew from the experience. Most people might think it stupid to hold onto something as long as she did, life goes on after all. But what’s wrong with holding onto memories that made you into the great person you are today? I don’t regret the mistakes I made with my first love. They were important mistakes to make. They taught me so much about myself. My first love makes me who I am today.
Comments
You don’t have to buy into the movie as much as I did. I’m a hopeless romantic, and that always sways my opinion. But if you’re looking for a feel good movie to lift your spirits on a bad day, watch this. You might find something in there that you learn for you.
Let me know what you think in the comments. Let’s chat K community.
The K-Rant 