Likeable or Not

Likable or Not
Country of origin South Korea
Language(s) Korean
No. of episodes 172
Production
Running time Mondays to Fridays 20:25
Broadcast
Original channel KBS1
Original run September 3, 2007 – May 2, 2008
External links
Website

Likable or Not (미우나 고우나) is a South Korean TV daily drama that began airing on September 3, 2007.

Contents

Synopsis

Baekho and Danpung

Baekho and Danpung first meet during Danpung company food testing at a mart. They continue to run into each other in various farcical situations. Baekho eventually starts working in the marketing department of Bonjour Foods, where Danpung is his superior. At first, she is exasperated by his inexperience, but is eventually impressed by his work ethic and innovative ideas.

Baekho falls in love with Danpung, but is afraid to tell her because Danpung is dating his high school classmate, Hyun-woo. Hyun-woo is a doctor from a wealthy family, and is therefore a very eligible bachelor. However , Dan Pung realises that she doesn't love Hyun-woo. Hyun-woo decides to leave to America so that DanPung can search for her own happiness. Sometime after, Danpung realizes she loves Baekho.

Baekho and Danpung want to get married, but must first endure the fierce opposition of her mother and brother. Danpung's mother eventually relents after Danpung protests by starving herself. Once married, they are a very happy couple. About two years after their wedding, Danpung becomes pregnant.

Seonjae, Sua, and Ji-Yeong

Seonjae and Ji-Yeong have been dating for about 8 years. Ji-Yeong was a loyal girlfriend, and stood by Seonjae throughout college, his study abroad and army service. They are in love and plan to get married.

Sua meets Seonjae and becomes infatuated with him. She chases him relentlessly, ignoring the fact that he already has a fiancee. Helping Sua is her grandmother, who wants to give Sua everything she wants, and Seonjae's mother, who craves wealth and power for her son. Eventually, Seonjae is swayed, and cruelly dumps Ji-Yeong to marry Sua.

Seonjae and Sua's marriage is not happy, because Sua is selfish and spoiled. She is also very jealous that Seonjae may still have feelings for Ji-Yeong. Seonjae does in fact have feelings for Ji-Yeong, especially because Sua is selfish, and Ji-Yeong was a sweet and kind person. Although they do not have an affair, Seonjae continues to go see Ji-Yeong whenever he is stressed. He even asks Ji-Yeong if she would get back together with him, and even gives help to Ji-Yeong's family when they have financial troubles without being asked.

After marrying Sua, Seonjae is given a very high position in Bonjour Foods. While working there, he acts very arrogant and above the law. He eventually creates a slush fund, and bribes a government official. When Mansu finds out of this, he suffers a brain hemorrhage, and goes into a coma. During Mansu's coma, Seonjae is promoted to Bonjour's president. But Mansu eventually wakes from his coma and fires Seonjae. The police have also begun to investigate Seonjae's crimes. Due to this scrutiny, Seonjae's father resigns from his position in the government. After seeing his father sacrifice himself for him, Seonjae finally repents for his misdeeds. He divorces Sua to spare her the burden, and turns himself in to the police. Sua goes to Paris to forget about Seonjae.

After serving time, Seonjae begins to work at an organic farm, and enjoys his modest and hardworking life. Sua returns from Paris, and they get back together.

After being dumped by Seonjae, Ji-Young is devastated and takes a long time getting over Seonjae. She reconnects with an old classmate, Ujin, who had a crush on her in the past, but gave her up because she already had a boyfriend. After tentatively dating Ujin for a while, she eventually decides to marry him. At the end of the series, they are a happy couple.

Mansu and Dongji

Mansu and Dongji were young and in love, but broke up because Mansu's mother, Mrs. Choi opposed the marriage. Mansu married another woman, and then became widowed. Later on, they reconnected, and marry again. Mansu's mother still opposes this marriage, but finally relents. After the marriage, she continues to treat Dongji badly, and also her son, Baekho.

Dongji suffers under Mrs. Choi's abuse for a long time, but Mrs. Choi eventually sees that Dongji is a good person, and accepts both her and Baekho as members of the family. At the end of the series, Baekho is revealed to be the biological son of Mansu. It is never revealed why Dongji never told this to anyone, or whether she knew it herself. In the final episode, we learn that Dongji is pregnant.

Production credits

Cast

Main cast

The only child of a widowed Dongji, Baekho drives a taxi and gambles at the beginning of the series. Although a bit of a ne'er do well, he is very kind-hearted and sweet. After his mother marries Mr. Bong Mansu, the president of a large food product company called Bonjour Foods, Baekho gets a job in the marketing department.
Na Sunjae's younger sister. Danpung is the director of marketing for Bonjour Foods. Smart and hardworking, Danpung ascended to her position at a young age, but her professional demeanor is disturbed by Baekho's rookie mistakes. She is being courted by Hyunwoo, a doctor.
Na Danpung's older brother. Good looking and well-educated with an MBA from a U.S. school, he is a fund manager at an investment company. He is more ambitious than his government official father.
Bong Mansu's daughter, who lost her mother at a young age. She briefly studied art in France, but dropped out and returned to Korea. Having grown up as a rich family's only child, and spoiled by her grandmother, she is very immature and selfish. She is vehemently against her father's remarriage, and treats her step-mother Dongji and step-brother Baekho coldly. She becomes infatuated with Na Sunjae.
Sunjae's college sweetheart. Like Sua, she is also an only child who lost her mother at a young age. Sweet and thoughtful most of the time, she still knows how to stand up for herself. She is very devoted to her boyfriend Sunjae; unfortunately, her love is ruined by Bong Sua's infatuation, who makes Sunjae break off their relationship and marry Sua. She works as a veterinarian at an animal hospital with her father, who is also a vet.

Extended Cast

Baekho & Sua's Family

Mother of Bong Mansu. Raised her granddaughter Sua since childhood, and spoiled her rotten. Very shrewd about protecting her family reputation and fortune. Opposed Mansu's remarriage to Dongji because of her unremarkable background and divorced status. She relents only after making Dongji secretly pledge that she will not officially certify her marriage, and will make no claim to Mansu's money and assets.
President of the large company Bonjour Foods. Lives with regret after his wife's death, but reunites with Dongji, his first love. Also regards Dongji's son Baekho as his own. He seems somewhat oblivious to the conflicts between Dongji and his mother.
Was a beauty salon owner, and widowed mother of Baekho. Falls in love with Mansu but endures the fierce opposition of Mrs. Choi. After marrying Mansu, she continues to endure Mrs. Choi's abuse, who makes her do all the housework and blames her for everything.
Dongji's younger brother. Like his nephew Baekho, Dalhyun is kind, but not very reliable. Met his wife Miae when they worked together as extras, but Miae divorced him after his business goes bankrupt. He works in an "event company" which provides various party planning and promotion services. Drifts around with no place to go with his son Chan at the beginning of the series. Currently staying with Dongji at Mansu's house. Has been dating the house-guest of Jiyoung's, Sonya, much to the consternation of his ex-wife, Miae.
Cute and smart son of Dalhyun and Miae, about six years old. Although very clever, he's still a kid who cries for his mother. Miraculously earns the affection of Mrs. Choi, who hates everyone in Dongji's family but Chan.

Sunjae & Danpung's Family

Sunjae and Danpung's father. A stern disciplinarian to his children, and old-fashioned husband to his wife, Jongsoon. Works as a government official. He is very firm about what is right and wrong, and values modesty and humility. As such, his personality is somewhat inflexible.
Sunjae and Danpung's mother. Sly, greedy, and phony, she is dissatisfied with the modest lifestyle she has with her husband, and is frustrated by his rigid personality. A friend of Dongji since junior high school, she felt better about her life to see Dongji suffer as a widowed, single mother. But she becomes very jealous when she discovers that Dongji is marrying Mansu. Curries favor with Mrs. Choi to fulfill her dreams of material wealth and status. Seems to regret marrying off his son to Sua, now that she finds out that Sua isn't actually the best of daughter-in-laws. A loving mother, she sometimes seems to be in conflict over her greed and her love for her family.

Jiyoung's Family

Jaebok's older sister and Jiyoung's aunt. She farms in a rural province, but often stays at her brother's house in Seoul.
Lost his wife during the birth of their only child, Jiyoung. Extremely devoted to his daughter. Is a veterinarian and owns an animal hospital.
Jaebok's younger sister and Jiyoung's aunt. Recently divorced from Oh Dalhyun, she lives with Jaebok. She worked in small extra roles before her marriage, and now wants to become a famous actress. Gossipy and opinionated, Miae always says what she thinks. Although she loves her son, Chan, her dreams of acting keeps her from being a good mother to him.
Kazakhstan immigrant who works very hard to send money home to her family. Works at an "event company" with Dalhyun. Rents a room at Jaebok's house. She and Oh Dalhyun fall in love, much to the consternation of Hwang Miae.

Other People

A successful plastic surgeon, and high school classmate of Baekho. His parents are wealthy and currently live in the U.S. Meets Danpung during a blind date, and begins to court her. They get engaged, mostly due to family pressures, but Danpung soon realises that they are both incompatible after they have set their date for their engagement, and so breaks off the relationship.
A pet groomer who works at Hwang Jaebok's animal hospital.
Jiyoung's college friend. After studying abroad, begins to work at Bonjour Foods as a research scientist.
Works with Baekho and Danpung in the marketing department of Bonjour Foods. Friends with Danpung, who confides in Misook about her personal life.
Works with Baekho and Danpung in the marketing department of Bonjour Foods. She has a big crush on Baekho.
Works with Baekho and Danpung in the marketing department of Bonjour Foods.
Works with Baekho and Danpung in the marketing department of Bonjour Foods.

Awards

See also

External links