Recap Korean Drama "Remarriage and Desires" Episode 1

Jul 16, 2022

Episode 1 of Remarriage & Desires begins with a man named Kang Nam-Sik standing on the edge of a roof… and seemingly pushed by someone behind.

We then cut to his wife, Hye-Seung waking up to find police showing and immediately investigating all of her belongings. She complies with their wishes. Unfortunately, the golf balls he’s using seem to hint that he has been having an affair.

Seo Hye-Seung is a teacher. She’s only been at the school for a year but the kids all seem to love her. While she lives in modesty, Nam-Sik does not. In fact, he ends up with high rollers and important figures at a place called Rex, which happens to be a matchmaking company that exists to serve the wealthiest high-class individuals.

When Hye-Seung heads home, her mother sorts her out a membership pass for Rex. It cost 10 million won too, which Hye-Seung is convinced is way too much money. She’s not interested in a new husband.

Choi Yoo-Sun works as a matchmaker here and she’s pretty well known among the clients. She’s approached in the hallway by Jin Yoo-Hui. She’s a lawyer and offers her help to Ms Choi if she needs it.

It’s around here where we are also introduced to a few of Nam-Sik’s friends; Choi Sung-Hae, the CEO of Lionsoft, and Lee Hyung-Ju. The trio all went to college together.

When Nam-Sik returns home, she speaks plainly to Hye-Seung and decides they should get a divorce. Given they have a girl together, Min-Ji, Hye-Seung is shocked. Still, she can’t stop her husband from leaving and eventually resigns herself to her fate.

Now, it turns out Jin Yoo-Hui is the one behind this and she seems to be the ringleader in Nam-Sik’s decision making. He has money tucked away with her in order to process his divorce… but there’s a problem.

It turns out Jin Yoo-Hui has actually spent Nam-Sik’s money, calling him out for being greedy and deciding he shouldn’t have asked for a divorce. “I’s’ under my name so it all belongs to me.” She says coldly, leaving Nam-Sik in dire straights.

Even worse, the audit team have got involved too and this whole cover-up puts the blame squarely on Nam-Sik’s shoulders. Even worse, Yoo-Hui also claims that he raped and blackmailed her too.

Nam-Sik is stuck in a deep hole, one that he clearly isn’t getting out of in a hurry. He rings Hye-Seung and gives a teary confession about how he was scammed by Yoo-Hui. She used him to cover her own tracks and as a result, everything has tumbled out of control for him.

This catches us up to the moments at the very start of the episode. Hye-Seung shows up at the office, where she witnesses Nam-Sik tumble down and straight into the hood of a car. He’s taken away in an ambulance. But who pushed him off the roof?

Hye-Seung is understandably shell-shocked, and as she shows up at the company to speak to the CEO, she crosses paths with an old acquaintance. This happens to be a professor from Hankuk University known as Cha Seok-Jin. He hands over his business card and urges her to get in contact if she needs anything.

At the center of this maelstrom of drama sits Choi Yoo-Sun, who’s tasked with finding a suitable partner for Hyung-Ju by his mother. He’s in no hurry to find a wife, although Yoo-Sun points out that his company would improve if he had a wife by his side.

She promises to find a brilliant wife for him and cure his shattered pride over past relationships. Yoo-Sun certainly talks a big game and it seems to get through to him too. As Hyung-Ju concedes, Yoo-Sun sets to work elevating him to the highest member of their dating agency.

While this is going on, Hye-Seung shows up and tries to get a refund for her ex-husband’s membership. Whilst there, she ends up meeting Yoo-Hui. Overhearing her name, Hye-Seung realizes that this is the one who screwed over Nam-Sik.

The Episode Review

This first episode essentially sets the scene for what should be a soapy, melodramatic affair to follow. There are definitely hints of Eve, Love ft. Marriage and Divorce and even Penthouse in this, as it appears we’re going to double down on the drama involving Hye-Seung and Yoo-Hui.

There’s a good deal of background for Nam-Sik, as well as the overarching narrative that’s likely to encapsulate the entirety of this show moving forward. There’s certainly a lot to like with this but it’s a little too early to tell if this one will slump in the middle or not.

Either way though, if you’re a fan of soapy dramas, Remarriage & Desires looks like it’s going to whet the appetite.