2020 will go down in history as a year of tragedies, joblessness, and uncertainty. Lockdowns would have been more unbearable without the comfort of a K-drama marathon. Here’s the second part of our best K-dramas of 2020 list.
Tag: Han Ji-pyeong
Played by Kim Seon-ho, Han Ji-pyeong is a well-loved character in the K-drama “Start-Up.” He is a handsome, charming, and wealthy venture capitalist.
This male second lead character has become very popular among fans of the hit Korean drama series. Han Ji-pyeong may have even stolen the show from the lead characters, Seo Dal-Mi (Bae Suzy) and Nam D0-san (Nam Joo-hyuk).
Han Ji-pyeong grew up in an orphanage, which explains why he seems cold and does not easily trust other people. When he was in high school, he received help from Choi Won-deok (Kim Hae-sook), a corn dog seller. Won-deok, affectionately called Halmoni (grandma) by the show’s fans, gave Ji-pyeong a place to stay when he had nowhere to go. Despite Ji-pyeong’s somewhat crass attitude, Halmoni fondly calls him “Good Boy.”
Ji-pyeong wrote letters to Seo Dal-mi upon the request of Halmoni, who wanted her granddaughter to have a new friend. He disguised himself as the math genius Nam Do-san and became pen pals with Dal-mi.
Ji-pyeong, the Mentor
Years later, Dal-mi, who needed a fake boyfriend to show off to her mom (Song Seon-Mi) and her sister (Kang Han-Na), looks for Nam Do-san. Han Ji-pyeong finds the real Nam Do-san, who is now a startup founder, and asks him to help Dal-mi.
Adamant at first, Do-san eventually agrees to pretend to be Dal-mi’s hotshot CEO boyfriend. To keep Dal-mi from learning the truth about the real Nam Do-san, Ji-pyeong, now a successful investor, lends Do-san his expensive car, clothes, watch, and even his office.
The usually supercilious Ji-pyeong also mentors Dal-mi and her team to help her achieve her dream of becoming a CEO.
The charade goes on until “Start-Up” episode 4 when everything is revealed to Seo Dal-mi. By then, both Ji-pyeong and Do-san have already fallen in love with Dal-mi.
Han Ji-pyeong acts like a cold, tough businessman. But deep inside, he’s a softie when it comes to Dal-mi and Halmoni. This suplado (snob) knight in shining armor, however, is willing to do anything for love.
But while Ji-pyeong does everything for Dal-mi, she falls for Nam Do-san instead. He may not get Dal-mi’s heart, but fans of Kim Seon-ho are more than willing to take care of Ji-pyong. To him, they say, “amin ka na lang (please be ours).”
Read our stories about Han Ji-pyeong, Kim Seon-ho, and “Start-Up”:
