Jo Hyun Jae

Above video is by our Japanese friend Mizutamari who has made so many discoveries about the locations of Jo Hyun-Jae’s dramas.

Recognize these places?

(Credit: Mizutamari of http://club.brokore.com/sodonyo; photos by quilt of EVERjohyunjaeJAPAN; www.johyunjae.hk.  Thanks!)

Today is Easter Sunday, so here is everybody’s favourite priest, Andrea.  Andrea is also everybody’s favourite obba (big brother) or brother or son.  Someone once said to me: “If my parish priest looks like Andrea, I’ll go to church every day.”  As it is, she is now a “retired” Catholic (i.e. she doesn’t go to church anymore.)  She also said: “A priest should not sleep with a woman (even though they are fully clothed.)”  Some people are hard to please (Sigh!)

(Credit: We thank the creator of this video.)

The following two views on the ending of “Love Letter” are from the Forum Discussion of Dramawiki:

(1)  TheBombastic1  (1/27/05) 

I like the general idea of characters questioning and struggling with their own faith.  Faith in God, faith in love.  To a lesser extent, faith in family.  To an even lesser extent, faith in medicine.  Oh yeah, and faith in friendship.  I like how faith in all these things kinda play an invisible character.  I thought it was a nice change of pace how faith, and at times lack thereof, was the trigger for everything that happened…………But then I felt it started to take on more than it could resolve, and as a result left more questions than any real sense of closure………

…….. it woulda been better to simply let Eun Ha die, and show how the other characters deal with their respective faith after that. After all, Eun Ha seemed to have come to terms with everything prior to the surgery. If she dies, that woulda opened up some fascinating takes on faith. For Andrea, who gave up everything to become a priest with the idea that if he forsakes his love for Eun Ha for love for God then God would have no reason to take Eun Ha, it would make him question God’s will. For Woo Jin, it would make him question his faith in his medical skills.

The underlying problem is that the events in the drama span a long period of time, jumping to a different time too often, and creating situations in which some events that shoulda been shown aren’t and only hinted at, which is like whetting the appetite even though there’s nothing to eat. In dealing with such a broad subject as faith, they try to touch upon everything and end up touching very little. Too many characters are introduced, poised to play an important part somehow, that end up being undeveloped and forgotten. If they intended to focus only on the Andrea, Woo jin, Eun Ha, and the mother, it may have been better if they just left [the others] out of the story.

A love letter is sweet. Despite the namesake, the drama just wasn’t that sweet. It had a good premise, but somewhere along the way its ego got the best of it, and the drama got too good for its own good. The result was kinda sloppy.

(2)  FimFim   (6/25/07)

I see a lesson or a philosophical way of thinking (based on faith) that is taught. There’s a huge lesson that is mentioned by Andrea as he talks to God in the church in the last episode. Andrea realizes something after making peace with his mom. He had such a frustrating and sad life. In the last episode, after he got drunk and Woo-Jin took him back to his house, his mom gives him a hug and they talk. His mom wants nothing from him but just to love him, and he in turn says his feelings towards his mom wasn’t resentment and that he loves her. Andrea’s feelings towards his mom and towards God are very similar in many ways. Andrea was abandoned by his mom early on in life and he felt abandoned by God as the story progressed. At one point there was resentment and anger towards God as well. All this frustration was resolved when Andrea decided to not want anything but rather to just love God and accept God’s will…..in the same way that Andrea’s mom wants nothing more than to just love Andrea. The confusing emotions all of a sudden cleared up with the realization to love and accept the things which have happened — God’s will.

Another thing that is pointed out is that loving someone is not a sin. Though, in my own point of view, I find that it would be wrong for a man to become a priest if that man loves a particular woman more than he does God. Ideally, I think that a man should become a priest only when his emotional bond with God is greater than it would be for a woman. A man becomes a priest (joins the holy order) for the strong love he has for God similar to in holy matrimony, where a woman and a man marry for love of one another. Back to the topic. When Eun-ha wakes up, they can still love each other….is what Andrea said. I can see that loving someone is not a sin when it is a pure love from heart to heart (no immorality involved).

There are certainly some things that are left unanswered, but watching through to the end, it is clear that the theme of “Love Letter” is the importance of love.

The views expressed here are those of the writers.  They are published here as a starting point for discussion.  Many viewers, particularly non-Catholics, are puzzled and vexed by the ending of “Love Letter”.

(Credit: Second photo from CarpeDiemJAPAN. Thanks!)

Think love letter, and what comes to mind? Perhaps days of youth when girls and guys are too shy to confess their feelings to one another. That describes the appeal of “Love Letter”, a drama about the purest kind of love. The central plot is framed within a children’s story about a boy who was saved when God sent a rope down from the sky. Lee Woo Jin (Andrea) is an orphan left to the care of his aunt and uncle, who are in a poor situation themselves and sees Woo Jin as a burden upon them. Futhermore, his aunt hates Woo Jin’s mother, because she felt that his brother, Woo Jin’s father, died because of her.  Woo Jin is neglected and abused, but he hangs on to the belief that God will save him someday just like in the story.

That day comes when his other uncle (mother’s brother), Father Peter (a priest) takes Woo Jin with him to live in the orphanage he runs. To a child who has only heard of curses towards his mother, Woo jin breaks downs and cries happily when Father Peter tells Woo Jin his mother is a good person.

During his high school days, Cho Eun Ha entered Andrea’s life.  Recently orphaned herself, Eun Ha is embittered by her fate. She doesn’t feel as if she could trust anybody else again… when they may just eventually leave and hurt her. Andrea feels connected to Eun Ha and tries to befriend her–initially he is met with cold reception as he could not possibly understand how she feels. When Eun Ha finds out about Andrea’s past, she gives in and they find consolation in one another, becoming the best of friends. Eun Ha falls in love with Andrea and writes him a love letter, but right before giving it to him, Andrea tells Eun Ha he is going to follow his dream to be a priest – so he can spread his love to other people.

Eun Ha can only wish to be with Andrea for as long as possible and as they head off to college, Jung Woo Jin steps into their relationship. Andrew hits it off immediately with Jung Woo Jin, causing Eun Ha to be jealous, but Jung is actually taken by Eun Ha. Jung had fallen in love with Eun Ha at first sight years ago, and it was that one encounter which stopped him from commiting suicide during his troubled teenage years.

This was somewhat of a low-profile drama when it aired, and its mediocre ratings didn’t make it a hit, even though the story was written by the same writer as “Autumn’s Tale”.  If you compare the two, you’ll definitely notice similiarities in the picturesque ways of capturing the romantic scenes, some parallelism between Ji Jin Hee’s Jun Woo Jin and Won Bin’s Han Tae Suh’s passionate characters, but “Love Letter”s characters have much more depth to them. Most obviously is that change in Lee Woo Jin/Andrea, whose kind and giving heart of gold turns into a frozen heart full of resentment.

After leaving the sheltered life at the orphage, his weak protective shell is attacked by romantic love and resentment, even hatred.  Andrea ultimately chooses Eun Ha, leaving her a love letter telling her this, but due to intervention by Jung Woo Jin, Andrea thought Eun Ha had given up on him, tries to continue his priesthood in Italy, but comes back a battered soul. He has chosen to become a priest, but carries a strange illness which makes him unable to feel, a heart unable to feel pain, joy or tears. This illness came as built-up of resentment towards his mother who adandoned him once in the past and now again, resentment after thinking Eun Ha had betrayed him, hatred towards those who has wronged him. All this makes him question why he chose the “path to love.”

First-time leading actor Jo Hyun Jae gives an impressive performance as Andrea, not entirely unflawed.  He was convincing portraying poor Andrea.  It is instilled in my mind the faint disdain on Andrea’s face when he told Eun Ha not to talk bad things behind Jung Woo Jin’s back, because Jung was his friend; how innocently he said to always think of the good side of things; his contagious smile when he said an adult can overcome any obstacle; his tear-stained face and blood-shot eyes when Andrea learned of his mother’s existence; his chilling coldness towards his mother when she asked him to forgive her when he said: “I’ll give it to you if that’s what you want. That’s why I became a priest, in order to forgive you, mother.”; the power of his explosive anger when Andrea told his mother to leave him in peace and leave him alone.

In one interview Jo Hyun Jae mentioned he found strength in co-star Soo Ae’s husky voice and this characteristic  helps strengthen her role in “Love Letter”. Eun Ha is the strongest character in “Love Letter”, despite contrasting with Andrea’s identity crises and what not, Eun Ha harmonizes her partner.   It almost seems as if she battles everything out by herself and this is Soo Ae’s charm. She played it to perfection. 

The pace and development was very well done from beginning to end which I can’t say the same for all Korean dramas. That framework I was talking about ended the story which creates this roundabout closing, except many viewers including myself was confused about the open ending. Even if you’re not a fan of romance, don’t turn away from it because of the title, it may be about love, but more of a examination of spiritual/Platonic love.

(Review by clouds421 in Dramawiki in Oct.2004)

This reviewer says JHJ’s performance is not entirely unflawed.  We can say the same about her review.  We don’t agree with everything she writes.  We’re just throwing it out for discussion.

The title of the theme song of “Love Letter” translates as “Heaven’s Farewell”.  We can all hum to “You’re my life/ Fill my love…………..Don’t say Bye/ Let me go” (or at least that’s what I think he’s singing.)  Enjoy!

(Credit: Name on video.  Thanks!)

I’ve watched a lot of Korean dramas ever since they first became popular in China in 2003.  I couldn’t even remember some of their titles.  I have a fertile imagination and an ultra-reality attitude.  I also have unique criteria and preference for actors.  But I do not have strict standards for my favourites.  20-something girls chasing after idols is understandable.  Someone like me, no longer in the first flush of youth, doing something like this can only be described as naive and meaningless.  In 2008 when the tide of Korean dramas was receding, I then chose to pursue it, all because I got to know a man called Jo Hyun-Jae.  Just seeing his face for the first time made me think of him day and night.

Good looks is the best weapon of the male lead in Korean dramas.  Jo Hyun-Jae’s good looks is the kind that is incomparable, flawless, and nonpareil.  I am very critical the way I look at people.  I can see through the packaged looks of so-called handsome guys.  What is unusual about JHJ is: What my eyes see are a perfect face and perfect profile, and what my heart feels are his gentleness and tenderness.

I like to see him in formal suits — very smart and dapper.  I like to see him in casual wear — very stylish and sharp.  I like the big watches he always wears on his wrist.  I like the way he wears dress shoes with casual trousers.  I can ignore a lot of handsome men, but I cannot remain unmoved by someone as suffocatingly handsome and as innately sexy as you.

Sometimes I wonder: You do not come from a rich family.  How come you have an aristocratic air that is obviously in-born?  You are Seo Dong: you and the part have become one.  If one goes to a country without any understanding of its customs and culture, one can only get a cursory experience.  If one understands an actor’s special qualities and then watches his works, one will feel doubly moved by something beyond the TV screen.

How far is Korea from me?  What is the distance between you and me?  I don’t care about any of this.  I see all these acting and posturing among TV actors, all these rehashing of roles and manufacturing of news — they leave no room for the imagination.  I sit here on a sunny afternoon, listening to light music, thinking of you, fantasizing about our encounter — romance foretold in an earlier life.

I’ve always hoped you would say more, do more, outside of the TV screen, but you only leave us a few words.  The only exception is on the “Only You” TV Special.  (Please see our 4/21/09 post “‘Only You’ TV Special”.)   I’ve just finished watching “Only You” and was frantically searching for your videos on the internet, trying to find an outlet for my emotions outside of the drama.  Thank God for the genuine and adorable you!  I cannot explain; I can only let my imagination run wild.  I can only say this to you: “No matter how good anyone else is, I never want to wake up from my love for you.”

Every drama of yours has its memorable elements.  In “Love Letter” your clear eyes (clear as water) somehow remind me of the “little dragon lady” in the tombs — totally out of this world.  (Editor’s note: The reference is to the heroine of a popular Chinese novel who is a master in martial arts but who lives in a tomb.)  Sister Esther says in LL: “In this world there is no one who is so suitably dressed in a priest’s robes as well as ordinary clothes.”  Without the priest’s black robes, in an ordinary blue sweater, in that scene by the seaside, your beauty is shockingly breathtaking.  In the drama, your lover is by your side one moment; next moment you are divided by eternity.  One line from the drama says it all: “Next time we see each other, we must be blessed.”

“Sunshine” is a drama that I like very much.  Many people cannot accept the ending, but what I want to say is this: Ji Yeon-Woo who is struggling at the poverty line and Jung  Eun-Sup who is born with a silver spoon in his mouth — both have a seed of pain planted in their hearts, but are afraid to touch it.  They meet and fall in love — let the seeds germinate and grow, see what comes out, so they can eradicate it.  Min-Ho says: “I can accept Yeon-Woo’s past.”  And Eu-Sup plans for Yeon-Woo’s future.  Both are equally qualified to love Yeon-Woo.  Compared to the brave Cinderella Cha Eun-Jae in “Only You”, I like Yeon-Woo more — strong on the outside, soft on the inside.

There are certain scenes in “Sunshine” that deeply impress me:

1.  Eun-Sup holding Yeon-Woo’s hands to teach her how to make a cake

2.  Eun-Sup arranging Yeon-Woo’s hair to put on the violet hairclip

3.  Eun-Sup standing closely behind Yeon-Woo to help her get something from a high cupboard

4.  Eun-Sup standing not far from Yeon-Woo singing to her over a cell phone

5.  Eun-Sup holding Yeon-Woo in his arms and telling her he shouldn’t have let her wait too long

There is a slight scent of warm love in the air.  The scene of that kiss in the guest house is perfectly prepped — the two of them sitting against the wall under the window; ES slowly draws nearer to YW;  YW retreats a little; ES doesn’t give up; uses his injured hand to touch YW’s face; YW does not resist; ES closes his eyes and moves nearer to YW’s lips but touches her nose instead; YW shivers a little but does not move away; ES’s kiss is so tender, so protective!

I’m very glad Song Hye-Kyo is the female lead in “Sunshine”.  She is a good actress and always plays the lead.  The development of the plot and the ending are beyond the actors’ and viewers’ control, but we did agonize, laugh, are sad and happy with the actors, and this is enough.

2009 has quietly arrived; it’s a little closer to our reunion.  Tonight is so cold.  Is it snowing in Seoul?  JHJ, do you feel blessed?  Do you feel the love of your fans?  Time passes; life is flat and ordinary.  I let myself into the surreal world of the TV screen.  Because I got to know you, I’ve shed a lot of happy and impassioned tears.  This world that we live in is still bitterly cold, but at least I can cherish your ice-melting looks.

(Translated from the Chinese article by 阁楼汀雨 published in baiduJHJ.com and edited by wulijohyunjae.)

(Credit for photos: 1st photo – param of carpediemJapan.   “Sunshine” photo from blog.naver.com.  Thanks!)

“Only You” begins its run on MRTV (Myanmar Radio Television) in September, showing every Thursday and Friday at 7 – 8 p.m.  The original 16 episodes have been re-edited into 22.

The September issue of “People” magazine, very popular among young people in Myanmar, devoted several pages to introducing “Only You”.

Some people may not even know where Myanmar is (formerly Burma), but Jo Hyun-Jae actually manages to penetrate into this country which has produced one of JHJ’s most active and loyal fans — Mandalaywith (the source of this story.)

(Credit: http://cafe.daum.net/hyunjaelove; CarpeDiem by Mandalaywith; johyunjae.hk.  First photo by bu-suka.  Thanks!)

I’m a Catholic and I love churches.  Everywhere I go on my travels, I make a point of visiting churches (Christian and Orthodox)….and temples…..and mosques.   All these places of worship are sacred and awe-inspiring.  I always say a prayer for my family and friends, and for Jo Hyun-Jae.

Before I watched Jo Hyun-Jae’s “Love Letter”, I had no idea catholicism is so widely practised in Korea.  According to Wikipedia, there are over 5.1 million Catholics in South Korea – over 10% of the population. South Korea (and by extension the Catholic Church in all Korea, north and south) has the fourth largest number of saints in the Roman Catholic Church (since 1984) by nation. There are 15 dioceses including three archdioceses of Seoul, Taegu and Gwangju.

I haven’t been able to find out how many Catholic churches there are in Korea, but during my recent visit to Seoul I came upon five, two within walking distance from my hotel in Myeong Dong.  Three of these are used as settings in “Love Letter” and the other two used as a backdrop in certain scenes.  (Please see our 8/7/09 post “Further adventures in JHJ country (2)”.)

Junglin-dong Yakhyun Catholic Church

This is the church that is the setting for the very first scene of “Love Letter” when Andrea is ordained as a priest (also in the last episode when the ordination is finally complete.)  This very elegant church, built with bricks, is just 32m. long, 12m. wide and has a 22m. high bell tower. It has no complicated ornamentation but it evokes a feeling of solemnity, and has become the model for Korean church construction. Some information on Junglin-dong Yakhyun Catholic Church: Designation: Historic site no. 252. Period: Joseon Dynasty 1892. This is the first western-style cathedral to be built in Korea. “Yakhyun” is the name of the hill between Malli-dong and Seoul Railroad Station. Long ago the area was covered with fields of medicinal herbs, “yakhyun” meaning “full of medicinal herb fields”, hence the name of the church.

Pungsuwon Catholic Church

Copied from an inscription on the grounds:

Kang-won-do Tangible Cultural Property No.69

This is the first gothic-styled Catholic church built in Kang-won-do Province.  It stands on the site of the fourth oldest Catholic church in Korea, started in 1888, the 27th year of the reign of King Kojong (r.1863-1907), by a French priest, Father Louis Le Merre (Korean name: Yi Ryu-sa) in a room of a thatch-roofed cottage.  Catholics took refuge in this area in the wake of the government oppressions of 1801, 1866 and 1871, the latter two being repercussions of the French and American attacks of these years.

The church was designed by Father Le Merre’s successor, Father Chong Kye-ha (Augustin, 1863-1943), and built in 1906-7 with the technical advice of Chinese artisans and the labour of the whole congregation.

Pungsuwon Catholic Church is used extensively in “Love Letter” and appears in many episodes from beginning to end.  It is Andrea’s uncle, Father Peter’s parish church.  In the drama there appears to be an orphanage attached.  The grounds are beautiful and the interior of the church is simple but serene. This is the place where Andrea grows up and where he and Eun-Ha discover one another.   And this is also the refuge that Eun-Ha returns to when she discovers her illness.

Small Church

There is a small church that is used in Episodes 3 and 4 (when Andrea and Eun-Ha return from university) and again in Episode 12.  I do not know its name or designation, just that it is 20 minutes’ car ride from Pungsuwon Catholic Church.   It is not as grand as the other two, but there is a rustic quality about it that is very endearing.  And of course it has that famous bench on which JHJ sat.

(Yes, that’s the bench!  I had to sit on it, and the other one too.  Imagine the pastoral scene without the cars [and me!] and you can feel its peacefulness and serenity.)

NOTE: All photos taken by yours truly.  Feel free to transfer article and photos (and please have the courtesy to credit http://jo-hyun-jae.com.)   BUT don’t you dare take my original photos and stamp your website’s name on it!  (It’s been done before.)

In Episode 7 of “Love Letter”, Andrea leaves Korea for Italy where he spends the next few years in a seminary training as a priest and as a doctor.  The setting used for this Italian retreat is actually in Seoul — St. XXXXXX Village.  (Please see our 8/9/09 post “Further adventures in JHJ country (3)”.)

It is a beautiful and peaceful place, and I would like to share more pictures with you.  One part of it is called Aaron’s Retreat, but to me it is Andrea’s Retreat.  As I mentioned in my 8/9/09 post, I took loads of pictures, everywhere where our JHJ might have left his footprints.  Suddenly I discovered on a little hill somewhere a plaque: “Father Andrea’s house”!  There is a date under his name: (1821 -1846).  I don’t know whether that means Father Andrea lived there during these 25 years or whether he only lived such a short life.  In any case, what a coincidence!

Let the pictures tell the story of this place.

Father Andrea’s house

If you like my photos, feel free to use them.  But please credit: http://jo-hyun-jae.com

I haven’t done this for a long time — watching a drama from start to finish throughout the night. Even though my eyes are hurting and my head is aching, I still feel my heart is bursting with love and I am profoundly moved. I can’t tell whether it’s a dream or reality: what appears in my mind’s eye is a pair of eyes — so full of love, so clear, so pure, so beautifully sad — that deeply attracts me.

“Love Letter” is about a HE who has been abandoned by his mother and a SHE whose parents are dead. Fate has brought them together. Similar age and similar experiences in life draw these two delicate souls and kindred spirits together. They are not lovers but they are closer than lovers. They are like brother and sister but they are not siblings. The rope of fate binds them tightly together. But they do not break down the last defence, so the unspoken love is buried deep in their hearts. Actually they know that they have been in love with one another for a long, long time.

Influenced by his unfortunate childhood experiences, he has determined to be a priest (who is as warm as the sun) from very young. That is why he cannot accept her. When she finds out his resolve to be a priest, she cannot love him anymore, however much she loves him. Even though they love each other, they can only hide their feelings in their hearts.

But love is innocent, even in the face of God. Finally their love find the light under the warmth of the sun. But who would have thought that DEATH has already silently arrived? Fate sometimes likes to play with poor human beings in this fashion.

The whole drama is filled with forlorn desolation and the characters are tragically beautiful. Jo Hyun-Jae’s lead character is the focus and bright spot of the drama. I have not seen an actor with such clear eyes and such an air of nobility for a long time. Jo Hyun-Jae brings me a pleasant surprise. “Love Letter” makes me fall in love with him!

(Written by 崇雨尊 and originally published in Chinese on BAIDU Jo Hyun Jae Bar on 6/27/09.)