Synopsis

“What’s Wrong with Secretary Kim?” (“Secretary Kim”) is about Vice Chairman Lee Young Joon (Park Seo Joon) and his secretary, Kim Mi So (Park Min Young).  Young Joon is young, handsome, and successful at his job as Vice Chairman of his family’s company.  But much of Lee Young Joon’s success can be credited to his hardworking and skilled secretary, Kim Mi So.  One day, seemingly out-of-the-blue, Kim Mi So informs Lee Young Joon that she is quitting, and his entire world crumbles as he begins to realize just how much he relies on her in both his professional and personal life.  Kim Mi So says that she is quitting her job because she wants to date and get married, something her current schedule as the Vice Chairman’s Secretary does not allow.  Lee Young Joon realizes that he cannot live without Kim Mi So, and does everything in his power to keep her, offering her incentives, and even asking her to marry him (multiple times).  When Kim Mi So rejects Lee Young Joon’s offers, including his marriage proposals, he realizes he must first date and woo her.  But his older brother, writer Lee Sung Yoon (Lee Tae Hwan), enters the picture and immediately develops feelings for Kim Mi So.  The competition for Kim Mi So’s heart heats up between the brothers as a childhood secret is revealed, and Lee Young Joon and Kim Mi So realize that they share a childhood traumatic experience.  Lee Young Joon and Kim Mi So begin to date in secret and the two fall in love.  Lee Young Joon realizes that he needs Kim Mi So by his side, not just as his secretary, but as his partner in life.  But just as Lee Young Joon accepts that he must allow Secretary Kim to resign, Kim Mi So realizes that she has found the perfect job in her role as the Vice Chairman’s Secretary, and rescinds her resignation, vowing to remain by Lee Young Joon’s side.  The series ends with Lee Young Joon and Kim Mi So marrying and becoming the true equals they are.

Lead Couple

Park Seo Joon plays YumYung Group’s Vice Chairman Lee Young Joon.  He is successful at his job and good-looking, but also described as a self-loving narcissist.  Dating only for appearance’s sake, rumors abound that Lee Young Joon does not find women attractive.  He refuses to allow women to touch him, the only exception being his secretary, Kim Mi So, who has worked closely with him for 9 years.  For Lee Young Joon, incompetence is a sin, and Kim Mi So’s people skills and problem-solving abilities give her a legendary status in the field.  When Kim Mi So hands in her resignation, Lee Young Joon’s world is tipped on its axis. 

Kim Mi So, portrayed by Park Min Young, began working for YumYung Group right out of school to help her father pay off his debts and to help put her older sisters through school.  She is beautiful and smart, despite not having gone to college, and is the perfect assistant to the Vice Chairman.  Over their 9 years together, she has learned to match him in every way, adapting herself perfectly to meet his every need, even carrying around items he may need in her purse and matching his walking pace, despite their height difference.  Kim Mi So has served others her entire life, working and enduring because she had to.  When she manages to finally repay all of the debt for her father and older sisters, Kim Mi So resigns, in hopes of finally being able to live for herself - “no one’s secretary, no one’s family member, just the life of Kim Mi So.” 

When Kim Mi So’s older sisters suggest that Lee Young Joon likes her, she responds with “never.”  Having experienced it firsthand, Kim Mi So knows that the Vice Chairman loves himself too much to like anyone else, “the golden standard for narcissism.”  When Lee Young Joon’s best friend, President Park, (Kang Ki Young), suggests that Lee Young Joon’s feelings about Kim Mi So resigning could mean that he has feelings for her, Lee Young Joon scoffs.  But President Park pushes further reminding him that Kim Mi So is the only woman he allows to touch him.  “Do you have trauma with women?” he asks.  Lee Young Joon responds, “I just hate women.”  But when President Park reminds him that Secretary Kim is a woman, too, Lee Young Joon insists that Secretary Kim is different.  “I need Secretary Kim,” he says.  “She’s like a fitted suit, custom-made for me.”  And when Secretary Kim’s replacement forgets and uses forbidden cable ties (zip ties) in Lee Young Joon’s office, sending him into a state of psychological panic, Kim Mi So realizes that he may actually really need her by his side.

Shared Childhood Trauma

The truth, however, is that Lee Young Joon does suffer from a childhood trauma with a woman.  One day, when Lee Young Joon was 9, his older brother took him to a redevelopment area and left him behind, telling him to stay; he was going to return for him after buying drinks.  His brother, jealous of his younger brother, however, did not return.  While Lee Young Joon was waiting, he was kidnapped by a mentally unstable woman.  The woman took Lee Young Joon to a decrepit home where she held him captive for 3 days and then hung herself in front of him. 

Throughout the series, we learn that Kim Mi So was also kidnapped by the same woman and held captive with a young boy who protected her and helped her escape.  Kim Mi So wants to find that oppa (older brother or close male friend) because he showed her more care than anyone ever had, leaving a lasting impression.  Even though she is told that the young boy who was held captive with her was Lee Young Joon’s older brother, Lee Sung Yoon, Kim Mi So gradually realizes that it was, in fact, Lee Young Joon.  Lee Young Joon denies it, but he has scars on his ankles from being tied up, he suffers from night terrors, he is sensitive to the cold, and he gives her caramels whenever she is upset – all behaviors indicative of the memories she has of the oppa with whom she was held captive.  Also, Kim Mi So feels intuitively that Lee Young Joon is the oppa of her memories.  When she sees pictures of both brothers as little boys, she confirms that the Vice Chairman is her Oppa. 

Because Kim Mi So was only 5 when she suffered from the traumatic experience, she only remembers snippets as an adult.  Her memory is gradually jogged, however, by moments throughout “Secretary Kim.”  One such moment is when she is attending a showcase for work and she sees a woman descend from the ceiling with long, dark hair; red lipstick; and red high heels.  This triggers her memories of her captor who had a similar appearance.  Unexpectedly, memories come flooding back of that day, including Lee Young Joon protecting her and helping her to escape.  Kim Mi So is overwhelmed by the memories and faints, landing her in the hospital. 

This moment is important because it forces Lee Young Joon to admit the truth to Kim Mi So – that he is the Oppa of her memories.  Kim Mi So scolds him from keeping the truth from her.  “I couldn’t forget it even for a day,” he admits.  “Whenever I’d close my eyes, it would all come back as if it happened yesterday…so I thought it was a relief that you didn’t remember.”  Lee Young Joon does not want Kim Mi So to feel the same pain he had to endure.  For Kim Mi So, however, she would have preferred to experience the pain with him, rather than him suffering alone all this time.  This is a major turning point in the Lead Couple’s relationship as they agree not to keep secrets from one another. 

Kisses

Park Seo Joon and Park Min Young are two of the most well-known Korean actors.  One of the exciting things about “Secretary Kim” is the joy of watching these two powerhouses act together.  “Secretary Kim” requires its Lead Couple to tackle many emotions, and every scene is perfectly acted by Park Seo Joon and Park Min Young, whether it is a dramatic tearjerker or a humorous breath of fresh air. 

And if you are a fan of kisses, then “Secretary Kim” is the K-drama for you, as incredible kisses abound!  Both actors are known in the K-drama world for producing sweet and swoon worthy kisses on screen.  And according to Soompi, “Director Park Joon Hwa has been praised for the way he’s set up these romantic scenes, with attention to both visual and auditory effects that ramp up the excitement and romance. For example, the lack of background music in the moments before the kiss scene in episode twelve was a perfect way to convey the tension between the couple to the viewers. It’s described as allowing viewers to focus just on Lee Young Joon and Kim Mi So, which naturally made their hearts race even more.”

One of the best kisses is their first kiss.  Because of his childhood traumatic experience with a woman, Lee Young Joon has never been able to be with a woman.  Every time he closes his eyes in an attempt to kiss Kim Mi So, memories from his kidnapping flood in, and terrified, he pushes her away.  The first time that Lee Young Joon and Kim Mi So are able to kiss is very sweet.  Kim Mi So finally realizes her feelings and confesses to Lee Young Joon.  When he tries to kiss her, however, he seizes up and pulls away, breathing heavily.  Kim Mi So gently puts her hands on either side of his face, rising on her tiptoes, giving him a soft and innocent kiss. That simple and non-threatening gesture is enough to break the Lee Young Joon’s psychological cycle. He pulls Kim Mi So into him and kisses her deeply, the years of pent-up emotions communicated through the kiss.

Some of the other infamous kiss scenes in “Secretary Kim” are the “closet makeup kiss” and the “ribbon kiss.”  The “closet makeup kiss” happens when Kim Mi So makes Lee Young Joon wait in her closet while her sisters unexpectedly pay her a visit.  When they leave, Kim Mi So rushes to release Lee Young Joon, who not only had to endure being in a tight, cramped space, but also the harsh words of criticism Kim Mi So’s family had to say about him.  Having just made up, however, Lee Young Joon is unwilling to remain angry with Kim Mi So, and he pulls her down on his lap, kissing her passionately.  The “ribbon kiss” occurs when the couple is alone at Lee Young Joon’s house.  The truth about their shared childhood trauma has been revealed and they have a conversation about honesty.  But the scene becomes romantic when Lee Young Joon reveals how he feels in the moment, and begins kissing Ki Mi So, laying her back on the sofa.  He begins slowly untying the ribbon at the neck of her blouse, exposing the buttons underneath.  The kiss is interrupted by an emergency work call, but the implication is clear where the scene was leading, signaling a physical and intimate escalation in the relationship between Lee Young Joon and Kim Mi So.     

And no conversation about “Secretary Kim” is complete without mentioning the legendary “romantic kiss.”  This kiss follows an argument between Lee Young Joon and Kim Mi So about the pace of their relationship.  Lee Young Joon, who has been suppressing his emotions for 9 years, wants to move at a fast pace in his relationship with Kim Mi So, but Kim Mi So, who wants to take their relationship slower, calls him a “bulldozer” for constantly coming at her.  After speaking with President Park, Lee Young Joon realizes that he needs to match Kim Mi So’s pace and comfortableness level and promises Kim Mi So that he will take things slower.  But when he returns home that evening following an out-of-office meeting, he finds Kim Mi So waiting for him.  When he asks why she is there, she apologizes for not thinking about his feelings before speaking earlier that day, and promises to stay by his side all night.  He warns her that if she comes into his house, he will not be able to control his pace.  With a deep breath to calm her nerves, Kim Mi So turns and walks into the house, consenting to a night of passion.  After a brief hesitation, Lee Young Joon follows Kim Mi So into the house, pushing her against the wall and kissing her passionately.  This kiss leads to the couple’s first night of passion together.  This legendary kiss has gone viral, according to SpoTVNews, reaching 100 million views on YouTube on August 9, 2020, and quickly surpassing 200 million views less than a month later. The current number of views today stands well over 300 million.

Writer Morpheus

There is a love triangle in “Secretary Kim” between Lee Young Joon, Kim Mi So, and Lee Sung Yoon.  Sung Yoon is Young Joon’s older brother, and the famous writer known as Morpheus.  Sung Yoon begins to develop feelings for Kim Mi So while working with her on an event for the opening of the YumYung Group’s new art center.  But while Sung Yoon may have genuine feelings for Kim Mi So, he pursues her, at least in part, out of competitiveness with his younger brother.  Young Joon is the Vice Chairman of their family’s business and admired by all, including the beautiful Kim Mi So.  The brothers have a bad relationship because Sung Yeon believes that he was the brother who was kidnapped and that Young Joon was the one that left him behind.  As the K-drama unfolds, we learn the truth about the kidnapping, and that Sung Yoon, unable to deal with his guilt, had a psychological break, resulting in “switched memories.”  He turned himself into the victim and his innocent brother into the culprit.  As a child, Young Joon overheard his parents arguing over whether to put Sung Yoon in a psychiatric hospital, and saw his mother collapse in tears, saying she wanted to die because of how difficult the situation was.  For Young Joon, death was no longer an abstract idea, so he decided to feign memory loss and go along with his brother’s story.  “I thought I had to do that so that everyone could live,” says adult Young Joon.  What a burden for a 9-year-old child to bear!!

Kang Ki Young

Perhaps my favorite character in “Secretary Kim” is President Park Yoo Sik.  President Park is played by one of my absolute favorite Korean actors, Kang Ki Young.  Kang Ki Young has a wide range in his acting abilities, but he is always my favorite character, regardless of the K-drama.  In “Secretary Kim,” Kang Ki Young plays as Lee Young Joon’s only friend, his down-to-earth President Park the perfect complement to Park Seo Joon’s overly confident, and self-loving Lee Young Joon.  President Park has a great understanding of his friend and his lack of social skills, and he helps Lee Young Joon to understand his feelings for Kim Mi So.  In addition, despite of – or maybe because of – being divorced, President Park also has a firm understanding of dating and marriage.  Dating, he says, is like facing someone naked.  You both have to be completely honest and “bare all.”  If not, the person who is most exposed and vulnerable will feel betrayed. 

President Park is also a source of comic relief in the series.  One of my favorite scenes is when Lee Young Joon sprains his ankle tripping on stairs.  Kim Mi So is concerned about her boss and insists that he go to the hospital.  She stands up to assist him to the car, putting her arm around Lee Young Joon’s waist. When the vice chairman’s driver moves to help, President Park stops him, so that Lee Young Joon can continue to lean on Kim Mi So for support.  “It will be better if you stop, if you don’t want to be transferred to India” he says to the confused driver.   

I also love the scene when President Park and Lee Young Joon are in the car and President Park sees Kim Mi So getting into Sung Joon’s car.  President Park immediately covers Young Joon’s eyes and says – in a hilarious sing-song voice – “Guess who?!”  Naturally, Young Joon is totally shocked, but President Park refuses to remove his hand until Sung Joon and Kim Mi So drive out of sight.  The scene is hilarious, but also sweet, as President Park says to a very annoyed Yeong Joon, “I am not just a friend.  I am a true friend…I don’t want you to get hurt.”

Mental Health Awareness

“Secretary Kim” touches on the issue of mental health.  Both Lee Young Joon and Kim Mi So suffer from Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) from their kidnapping, and Sung Yoon suffers from a psychological break as a child.  And while it is not addressed directly, it is very much acknowledged that there is something neurodiverse about Lee Young Joon.  According to Laney Loh of Tatler Asia, the “traditional and conservative framework [of South Korea] has been set up in such a way that those with mental disorders are viewed as outcasts or failures, thus leaving most ignored, neglected, and untreated.”  And while open discussions about mental health awareness are still relatively rare, “the South Korean entertainment industry has been stealthily sliding into screenplays and music to deliver messages of hope and support in order to shift the narrative and ignite change in how mental illness is treated.”  

One thing I wondered while watching “Secretary Kim” was whether Lee Young Joon had Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD)? Some of the common signs of Autism in an adult include, but are not limited to: finding it hard to understand what others are thinking or feeling; finding it hard to make friends or preferring to be on your own; seeming blunt, rude or not interested in others without meaning to; finding it hard to say how you feel; taking things very literally; and not understanding social rules.  I would argue that all of those signs can be seen in Lee Young Joon’s behavior throughout “Secretary Kim.” 

Both President Park and Kim Mi So seem to be tacitly aware of Lee Young Joon’s behaviors and offer guidance without judging.  President Park reminds Lee Young Joon about social impulse control when pursuing Secretary Kim, saying that “just because you feel that way doesn’t mean you should act on those impulses.” President Park also tells Lee Young Joon that if he is going to yell at him no matter what he says, then “go home and talk to the wall.”  But when Lee Young Joon gets up to leave, President Park stops him, clarifying that he was not literally suggesting Lee Young Joon should talk to a wall.  Kim Mi So suggests that the employees are uncomfortable when the Vice Chairman suddenly attends a company dinner, to which Lee Young Joon seems oblivious.  And when Lee Young Joon takes Kim Mi So to see fireworks on the water, she explains the social norm of a man offering his jacket to a woman on a cold night.

With recent K-dramas like “It’s Okay to Not Be Okay” that showcase characters with ASD and antisocial personality disorder, the trend towards mental health awareness and the acceptance of neurodivergence is on the rise in K-dramas. 

Final verdict: MUST WATCH  

“What’s Wrong with Secretary Kim?” is a Must Watch.  Not only does it have excellent actors in the lead roles, it also has a great ensemble cast that supports the leads.  The story is sweet and combines traditional K-drama tropes such as “childhood friends turned lovers” and “rich boy falls for poor girl,” with the rising trend of mental health awareness.  On a musical note, the OST has one of my favorite K-drama OST songs, “It’s You” by Jeong Sewoon, and Park Seo Joon sings on two separate occasions during the K-drama. All-in-all, this is a wonderfully fun K-drama, definitely falling within my Top 10!    

So there it is, our review of “What’s Wrong with Secretary Kim?”  What did you think?!  Thank you for joining us on this journey.  Have a favorite K-drama you think we should review, comment down below!!  We look forward to seeing you back again next week!

Up next, “Tomorrow”