Mother (South Korean TV series)

South Korean television series

For the original TV series of the same title, see Mother (Japanese TV series).

Mother

Promotional poster

Also known as| Call Me Mother
Hangul|

Genre|

* Drama
* Suspense

Based on| Mother
by Yuji Sakamoto
Developed by| Studio Dragon
Written by| Jeong Seo-kyeong
Directed by| Kim Cheol-kyu
Starring|

* Lee Bo-young
* Heo Yool
* Lee Hye-young
* Nam Ki-ae
* Ko Sung-hee

Music by| Jeong Se-rin (Movie Closer)
Country of origin| South Korea
Original language| Korean
No. of episodes| 16
Production
Executive producers|

* Kim Jin-yi
* Park Ji-young

Camera setup| Single-camera
Running time| 60 minutes[1]
Production company| The Unicorn
Original release
Network| tvN
Release| January 24 (2018-01-24) –
March 15, 2018 (2018-03-15)
Related

* Mother (Japan)
* Anne (Turkey)
* Imperfect Love (China)

Mother[2] (Korean: 마더; RR: Madeo) is a 2018 South Korean television series starring Lee Bo-young, Heo Yool, Lee Hye-young, Nam Ki-ae, and Ko Sung-hee. It is a remake of the 2010 Japanese TV series of the same title. It aired on tvN from January 24 to March 15, 2018, every Wednesday and Thursday at 21:30 (KST).[3][4][5][6]

## Synopsis[edit]

A temporary teacher (Kang Soo-jin) at an elementary school realizes that one of her students (Kim Hye-na) is being abused at home by her mother (Shin Ja-young) and live-in boyfriend (Lee Seol-ak). Though reported to the police, they do nothing about it. After discovering the child one night placed in a black plastic bin liner on the edge of the road outside the family home, the teacher makes the impulsive decision to take the child. The pair bond immediately: the girl soon regards the teacher as her own mother and chooses a new name for herself, Kim Yoon-bok. Kang Soo-jin hopes to be able to flee the country with Yoon-bok, but with the child not possessing a passport, the pair are caught in a limbo.

On the run and with nowhere to go, they are first befriended by Madame Ra, who runs a homeless shelter but who has connections with shady people who can forge the necessary passport. However, when the police raid the shelter, Soo-jin and Yoon-bok flee with Madame Ra, only to be tricked by her, losing the large sum of money given to obtain the passport. Soo-jin then takes Yoon-bok back to the orphanage where she herself grew up after being dumped there by her biological mother. The building is now abandoned, but still living there alone is the woman, Clara (now very old), who had run the orphanage. They spend a few memorable days with Clara, but when the authorities arrive to take Clara away to a home, they again have to leave.

With options running out, Soo-jin returns alone to the home of the wealthy actress who adopted her from the orphans' home over 25 years earlier to ask for money. Though estranged from her adopted family, the actress is delighted to have her daughter "back home". Soo-jin leaves Yoon-bok first in a hotel and then is able to rent a small apartment in the same neighbourhood from a woman who has her own barber's shop. The actress and her two other daughters are soon delightfully surprised to discover that Kang Soo-jin, the "black sheep of the family", has a child of her own - Soo-jin not revealing the fact that she has "abducted" the child.

The mother-and-child's problems continue, however. It turns out that the kind lady barber - who Yoon-bok starts to refer to as "Granny" - is in fact Soo-jin's biological mother, who unbeknown to anyone had deliberately moved there in order to follow her daughter's life under adoption. Kang Soo-jin is horrified to discover that the woman is her biological mother, and removes herself and the child from the premises. The police had initially suspected that the child had accidentally fallen into the sea, but then later acquire evidence that she is still alive. While keeping up the pretense of being mother and daughter, Kang Soo-jin still hopes to be able to flee the country with Kim Yoon-bok but now they are being pursued by the police tracking down the "kidnapper", as well as the child's mother's boyfriend determined to silence the child from reporting child abuse.

Yoon-bok's mother discovers her daughter living in the house of the wealthy actress's family and her boyfriend manages to "take back" the child, but for the purpose of demanding a ransom from the wealthy family. He holds the child captive in the abandoned orphanage. Kang Soo-jin manages to free her before the police arrive, whereupon the boyfriend commits suicide by setting the building on fire. Kang Soo-jin and Yoon-bok are eventually caught by the police just before getting on a boat that would have taken them to China.

Shin Ja-young, Yoon-bok's mother, is put on trial for child abuse and is found guilty based on the child's statements. Kang Soo-jin is also then put on trial for kidnapping the child, but the sympathetic court punishes her with 3 years probation but with no prison time, albeit with the condition that she should have no further contact with Yoon-bok.

Yoon-bok is placed in an orphanage where she is outwardly happy, but those looking after her recognize that she is depressed. She then manages to abscond back to Kang Soo-jin's family home, before having to return a few days later. An attempt to have her adopted by a sympathetic young couple fails. Yoon-bok tells the orphanage director that she would rather stay in the orphanage in the hope that her "mother", Kang Soo-jin, will eventually come to fetch her. Initially aghast at the idea of Yoon-bok being reunited with her "kidnapper", the orphanage director eventually realises that the bond between them was based on love not menace, and Yoon-bok eventually gets to go and live with Kang Soo-jin, who soon afterwards officially adopts her.

## Cast[edit]

### Main[edit]

* Lee Bo-young as Kang Soo-jin, Yoon-bok's teacher and soon adoptive mother.
* Lim Se-Joo as young Kang Soo-jin.
* Heo Yool as Kim Hye-na/Kim Yoon-bok, one of Soo-jin's students and soon adopted 9-year-old daughter.
* Lee Hye-young as Cha Young-sin, Soo-jin, Yi-jin and Hyun-jin's adoptive mother.
* Choi Yoon-so as young Young-sin.
* Nam Gi-ae as Nam Hong-hee, Soo-jin's birth mother.
* Ko Sung-hee as Shin Ja-young, Yoon-bok's birth mother.

### Supporting[edit]

#### People around Soo-jin[edit]

* Ye Soo-jung as Clara, owner of the orphanage.
* Lee Jae-yoon as Jung Jin-hong, a doctor.
* Kim Young-jae as Eun-cheol, an ornithologist.

#### People around Ja-young[edit]

* Son Suk-ku as Lee Seol-ak, Ja-young's boyfriend.
* Jo Han-chul as Chang-geun, a police detective.

#### People around Young-sin[edit]

* Jeon Hye-jin as Kang Yi-jin, Soo-jin's younger sister.
* Go Bo-gyeol as Kang Hyun-jin, Soo-jin's youngest sister.
* Lee Jung-yeol [ko] as Jae-beom, Cha Young-sin's assistant
* Lee Joo-won as Tae-hoon, Yi-jin's son and Tae-mi's twin brother.
* Choi Yoo-ri as Tae-mi, Yi-jin's daughter and Tae-hoon's twin sister.

#### Others[edit]

* Jeon Mi-do as Ra-ra, Lee Seol-ak's former girlfriend
* Song Yoo-hyun as Song Ye-eun, a teacher
* Seo Yi-sook as Madame Ra, a shelter owner
* Ha Kyung as Park Kyung-Seok, a junior detective
* Jung Min-Sung as the lawyer of Cha Young-sin and her family

## Production[edit]

* Child actress Heo Yool was selected out of 400 candidates for the role of Kim Hye-na.[7]
* The first four-hour script reading of the cast was held on November 1, 2017, at Studio Dragon's main office in Sangam-dong.[8][9]

## Original soundtrack[edit]

### Part 1[edit]

No.| Title| Lyrics| Music| Artist| Length

|
|
|
|
|

1.| "To You" (나인 너에게)| Tei| 1601| Kim Yoon-ah| 04:14
2.| "To You (Inst.)" (나인 너에게 (Inst.))|  | 1601|  | 04:14
Total length:| 08:28

### Part 2[edit]

No.| Title| Lyrics| Music| Artist| Length

|
|
|
|
|

1.| "Next To You"| Peter Han| Park Woo-sank| Peter Han| 03:15
2.| "Next To You (Inst.)"|  | Park Woo-sang|  | 03:15
Total length:| 06:30

### Part 3[edit]

No.| Title| Lyrics| Music| Artist| Length

|
|
|
|
|

1.| "Let's Go Together" (같이 가자)| Park Asher| Park Asher| Ha Dong-kyun| 04:25
2.| "Let's Go Together (Inst.)" (같이 가자 (Inst.))|  | Park Asher|  | 04:25
Total length:| 08:50

### Part 4[edit]

No.| Title| Lyrics| Music| Artist| Length

|
|
|
|
|

1.| "Journey" (여정)| Sunwoo Jung-a| Sunwoo Jung-a| Sunwoo Jung-a| 04:30
2.| "Journey (Inst.)" (여정 (Inst.))|  | Sunwoo Jung-a|  | 04:30
Total length:| 09:00

### Part 5[edit]

No.| Title| Lyrics| Music| Artist| Length

|
|
|
|
|

1.| "Kind of Love" (어떤 사랑)| Ha Melli| Lee Sang-hoon| Seungkwan (Seventeen)| 03:55
2.| "Kind of Love (Inst.)" (어떤 사랑 (Inst.))|  | Lee Sang-hoon|  | 03:55
Total length:| 07:50

## Viewership[edit]

Mother : South Korea viewers per episode (thousands)

Graphs are unavailable due to technical issues. There is more info on Phabricator and on MediaWiki.org.

|

Season| Episode number| Average

|
|

1| 2| 3| 4| 5| 6| 7| 8| 9| 10| 11| 12| 13| 14| 15| 16
| 1| 674| 811| 547| 728| 569| 909| 556| 503| 553| 1039| 734| 994| 705| 1032| 874| 1064| 768

Source: Audience measurement performed nationwide by Nielsen Korea.[10]

Average TV viewership ratings  Ep. | Original broadcast date  | Average audience share

|
|

Nielsen Korea[11] | TNmS
Nationwide | Seoul | Nationwide
1  | January 24, 2018  | 2.952%  | 3.211%  | 3.8%
2  | January 25, 2018  | 3.494%  | 3.629%  | 4.1%
3  | January 31, 2018  | 2.542%  | 2.029% | 3.0%
4  | February 1, 2018  | 3.267%  | 3.448%  | 3.5%
5  | February 7, 2018  | 2.451%  | 2.800%  | 3.2%
6  | February 8, 2018  | 4.206%  | 4.786%  | 3.9%
7  | February 14, 2018  | 2.694%  | 2.747%  | 3.4%
8  | February 15, 2018  | 2.394% | 3.010%  | 1.9%
9  | February 21, 2018  | 2.668%  | 3.056%  | 3.1%
10  | February 22, 2018  | 4.495%  | 4.894%  | 4.9%
11  | February 28, 2018  | 3.138%  | 3.476%  | 4.3%
12  | March 1, 2018  | 3.927%  | 4.391%  | 3.9%
13  | March 7, 2018  | 3.487%  | 3.503%  | 3.7%
14  | March 8, 2018  | 4.584%  | 4.810%  | 4.6%
15  | March 14, 2018  | 4.100%  | 4.332%  | 4.5%
16  | March 15, 2018  | 4.974% | 5.205% | 5.6%
Average  | 3.460% | 3.707% | 3.8%

* In the table above, the blue numbers represent the lowest ratings and the red numbers represent the highest ratings.
* This series aired on a cable channel/pay TV which normally has a relatively smaller audience compared to free-to-air TV/public broadcasters (KBS, SBS, MBC and EBS).

## Awards and nominations[edit]

Award  | Category  | Recipients  | Result  | Ref

|
|
|
|

1st Cannes International Series Festival | Best Series | Mother | Nominated | [12][13]
54th Baeksang Arts Awards | Best Drama | Won | [14][15]
Best Director | Kim Cheol-kyu | Nominated
Best Actress | Lee Bo-young | Nominated
Best Screenplay | Jang Seo-kyung | Nominated
Best New Actress | Heo Yool | Won
13th Seoul International Drama Awards | Best Mini-series  | Mother | Won  | [16]
Best Actress  | Lee Bo-young | Won
6th APAN Star Awards | Top Excellence Award, Actress in a Miniseries  | Nominated  | [17]
Best Supporting Actress  | Ko Sung-hee | Nominated
2nd The Seoul Awards | Nominated  | [18]

## References[edit]

1. ^ "Mother (2018)". CJ ENM. Archived from the original on March 22, 2022. Retrieved March 22, 2022.
2. ^ Mother 아이가 다쳐도 '무덤덤'한 엄마 고성희, 상황을 알게 된 이보영 180124 EP.1. YouTube (in Korean). tvN Drama. Retrieved January 25, 2018.
3. ^ "Nippon TV Announces Deal with CJ E&M for Korean format of its Award-winning Japanese Drama Series "Mother"". Broadcasting & Cable. NewBay Media. Archived from the original on February 26, 2018. Retrieved December 14, 2017.
4. ^ "Actress Lee Bo-young Will Be Playing Another Strong-willed Mother Role in 2018". HanCinema. TV Report. Archived from the original on December 14, 2017. Retrieved December 14, 2017.
5. ^ Kim, Jeong-yeon (December 12, 2017). 차가운 교사로 완벽 몰입한 '마더'이보영, 무표정한 모습 유지. Sisun News (in Korean). Archived from the original on December 14, 2017. Retrieved December 14, 2017.
6. ^ "New TV series 'Mother' calls attention to motherhood, child abuse". Yonhap News Agency. Yonhap News Agency. Archived from the original on January 18, 2018. Retrieved January 18, 2018.
7. ^ Park, Gwi-im. "[단독] 허율, 400대1 뚫고 tvN '마더' 캐스팅…이보영과 투톱". Naver (in Korean). TV Report. Archived from the original on April 4, 2019. Retrieved December 14, 2017.
8. ^ Jeong, Yoo-na. '마더' 이보영·이혜영·고성희·이재윤, 감동의 대본리딩 현장. Naver (in Korean). Sports Chosun. Archived from the original on December 14, 2017. Retrieved December 14, 2017.
9. ^ Mother (메이킹) 대본리딩 만으로도 몰입도 100%! tvN 새 수목드라마 마더 170124 EP.1. YouTube (in Korean). tvN Drama. Retrieved January 1, 2018.
10. ^ "Nielsen Korea" (in Korean). Archived from the original on October 15, 2022. Retrieved August 26, 2020.
11. ^ "Nielsen Korea". Archived from the original on June 1, 2016. Retrieved January 24, 2018.
12. ^ "TvN's 'Mother' invited to compete in Canneseries TV festival". Yonhap News Agency. March 14, 2018. Archived from the original on April 8, 2018. Retrieved April 7, 2018.
13. ^ "Canneseries Unveils Competition Lineup for Inaugural Edition". Variety. March 13, 2018. Archived from the original on March 13, 2018. Retrieved June 18, 2018.
14. ^ "'1987' shines at Baeksang awards : The annual ceremony honors the best works in local film and television". Korea JoongAng Daily. May 5, 2018. Archived from the original on March 1, 2019. Retrieved May 6, 2018.
15. ^ "제54회 백상예술대상, TV·영화 각 부문별 수상 후보자 공개". JTBC (in Korean). April 6, 2018. Archived from the original on April 9, 2018. Retrieved April 6, 2018.
16. ^ "Lee Bo-young wins best actress at drama awards". The Korea Times. 4 September 2018. Archived from the original on 16 April 2019. Retrieved 4 September 2018.
17. ^ "이병헌·손예진·아이유 APAN스타어워즈 노미네이트". Star News (in Korean). September 27, 2018. Archived from the original on April 4, 2019. Retrieved September 27, 2018.
18. ^ '제2회 더 서울어워즈' 10월27일 개최, 드라마-영화 각 부문별 후보공개. iMBC (in Korean). September 28, 2018. Archived from the original on April 4, 2019. Retrieved September 28, 2018.

## External links[edit]

* Official website (in Korean)
* Mother at IMDb
* Mother at HanCinema

* v
* t
* e

Works by Studio Dragon

As production company|

* Another Miss Oh
* Dear My Friends
* Squad 38
* The Good Wife
* On the Way to the Airport
* Woman with a Suitcase
* Entourage
* The Legend of the Blue Sea
* Circle
* My Golden Life
* Because This Is My First Life
* Bravo My Life
* Drama Stage
* episodes
* Children of a Lesser God
* The Guest
* Player
* The Smile Has Left Your Eyes
* Arthdal Chronicles
* Watcher
* Doctor John
* Love Alarm
* The Lies Within
* Crash Landing on You
* My Holo Love
* Once Again
* The King: Eternal Monarch
* My Unfamiliar Family
* Flower of Evil
* Sweet Home
* Navillera
* Doom at Your Service
* The Devil Judge
* The Witch's Diner
* Kingdom: Ashin of the North
* Hometown Cha-Cha-Cha
* Yumi's Cells
* Hometown
* Jirisan
* Happiness
* Secret Royal Inspector & Joy
* Bad and Crazy
* Bulgasal: Immortal Souls
* Ghost Doctor
* Military Prosecutor Doberman
* The King of Pigs
* Eve
* Link: Eat, Love, Kill
* Alchemy of Souls
* Adamas
* Big Mouth
* Little Women
* Mental Coach Jegal
* Blind
* Behind Every Star
* Connect
* Island
* Crash Course in Romance
* Pandora: Beneath the Paradise
* Duty After School
* Family: The Unbreakable Bond
* Tale of the Nine Tailed 1938
* Lies Hidden in My Garden
* Celebrity
* Doona!
* The Big Door Prize
* Gyeongseong Creature
* Queen of Tears
* The Midnight Romance in Hagwon
* Hierarchy
* The Whirlwind
* Hong Rang

As planner/creator/
developer|

| 2016–18|

* Hey Ghost, Let's Fight
* Cinderella with Four Knights
* The K2
* Guardian: The Lonely and Great God
* Voice
* Introverted Boss
* Tomorrow, with You
* The Liar and His Lover
* Tunnel
* Chicago Typewriter
* Duel
* Stranger
* The Bride of Habaek
* Criminal Minds
* Save Me
* Live Up to Your Name
* Argon
* Avengers Social Club
* Black
* Revolutionary Love
* The Most Beautiful Goodbye
* Bad Guys 2
* A Korean Odyssey
* Mother
* Cross
* Live
* My Mister
* Mistress
* Lawless Lawyer
* About Time
* What's Wrong with Secretary Kim
* Life on Mars
* Mr. Sunshine
* Familiar Wife
* 100 Days My Prince
* Room No. 9
* Tale of Fairy
* Quiz of God: Reboot
* Priest
* Encounter
* Memories of the Alhambra

|

2019–21|

* The Crowned Clown
* Romance Is a Bonus Book
* Touch Your Heart
* Possessed
* He Is Psychometric
* Confession
* Kill It
* Her Private Life
* Abyss
* Save Me 2
* Search: WWW
* Designated Survivor: 60 Days
* Hotel del Luna
* Class of Lies
* The Great Show
* The Running Mates: Human Rights
* Miss Lee
* Melting Me Softly
* Catch the Ghost
* Psychopath Diary
* Black Dog: Being A Teacher
* Money Game
* Tell Me What You Saw
* The Cursed
* Hi Bye, Mama!
* Memorist
* A Piece of Your Mind
* Rugal
* When My Love Blooms
* Oh My Baby
* It's Okay to Not Be Okay
* Train
* Missing: The Other Side
* Record of Youth
* Tale of the Nine Tailed
* Start-Up
* The Uncanny Counter
* Awaken
* True Beauty
* Mr. Queen
* L.U.C.A.: The Beginning
* Times
* Vincenzo
* Mine
* My Roommate Is a Gumiho
* You Are My Spring
* The Road: The Tragedy of One
* High Class
* Melancholia

2022–24|

* Twenty-Five Twenty-One
* A Superior Day
* Our Blues
* Shooting Stars
* The Killer's Shopping List
* Monstrous
* Poong, the Joseon Psychiatrist
* Under the Queen's Umbrella
* Our Blooming Youth
* The Heavenly Idol
* Stealer: The Treasure Keeper
* Delightfully Deceitful
* See You in My 19th Life
* My Lovely Liar
* Song of the Bandits
* Twinkling Watermelon
* Castaway Diva
* A Bloody Lucky Day
* Maestra: Strings of Truth
* Marry My Husband
* Captivating the King
* Wedding Impossible
* The Auditors
* Jeong Nyeon
* Ask the Stars

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