Characters of the Korean Drama Crash Landing on You.
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Main Characters
Jeong-hyuk
Cpt. Ri Jeong-hyuk
Portrayed by: Hyun Bin
A captain in the Korean People's Army and second son of an elite North Korean family who is the first person to find Se-ri. Formerly a skilled pianist, he joined the army following the death of his brother, which he is still investigating.
- Declaration of Protection: Vows to protect Se-ri as long as she's in his sight.
- Determinator: To get back to Se-ri, Jeong-hyuk crawled—not walked, crawled—ten kilometers through an old mining tunnel, which partially collapsed behind him at one point, before emerging on a beach on the south side of the DMZ.
- Elegant Classical Musician: Much is made of the fact that Jeong-hyuk can play the piano very well.
- Establishing Character Moment: When Capt. Ri and his platoon run into the thieves and a platoon of South Korean border guards as well. After one of the thieves goes for a loose gun Jeong-hyuk busts out some martial arts kicks to take him down—thus proving himself a badass. He then promises his South Korean counterpart that the thieves will be dealt with—thus proving himself honorable.
- Good-Looking Privates: The women of the village coo over how handsome Jeong-hyuk (a captain) is.
- Head-Turning Beauty: A male version in the person of tall, dashing, and handsome Jeong-hyuk.
- All the middle-aged wives of the village are besotted with him. They make it a point to keep him well-stocked in firewood and kimchi and meat. When he passes Se-ri off as his fiancee they all make catty, mean comments about her.
- In episode 9 Seo remembers how she met Jeong-hyuk. They were in the same high school together, and even then all the girls would rush to the window to watch Jeong-hyuk play basketball in the courtyard below.
- In episode 11 Jeong-hyuk looks so damn handsome when holding a door at a department store that people post a video on You Tube, filled with comments about just how handsome he is.
- My Girl Is Not a Slut: Jeong-hyuk gets pretty cranky in episode 11 when Se-ri talks about how much she used to go "dating" back in the day.
- Not with Them for the Money: Given that they got on while hiding out in a rural North Korean village, Jeong-hyuk is utterly uninterested in Se-ri's wealth. While his parents arranged a marriage between him and Dan for her family's money, Jeong-hyuk himself didn't express any interest in her fortune.
- Screw the Rules, I Have Connections!: A heroic Played With example. Although his father's high status is unknown to his immediate coworkers to prevent sycophantic treatment, Jeong-hyuk does get a lot of protection, mileage, and favors on the downlow from the facts that his father is the director of the General Political Bureau and he's about to marry the niece of a high-ranking member of the State Security Department.
- Serious Business: Jeong-hyuk takes a South Korean MMORPG he stumbles on extremely seriously.
- Sympathetic Adulterer: His burgeoning feelings for Se-ri are portrayed sympathetically, since he's one of the protagonists and his upcoming marriage is an arranged one with a woman he has no romantic feelings for.
Se-ri
Yoon Se-ri
Portrayed by: Son Ye-jin
A prominent South Korean chaebol heiress and CEO of her own successful fashion company, Se-ri's Choice, who has just been tapped to lead her father's company. However, she crash-lands in North Korean territory following a paragliding mishap and must now rely on Jeong-hyuk to get her back across the border before her overly ambitious brothers screw her over.
- Ambiguously Absent Parent: There’s not an answer given as to who her biological mother is or what happened to her. They don’t seem to have a relationship but it’s never outright stated.
- Bastard Angst: Se-ri is an illegitimate child who is resented by her stepmother and half-brothers, although her father cares for her and wishes for her to inherit the business over her more incompetent brothers.
- The Beautiful Elite: Se-ri, a corporate heiress and successful businesswoman in her own right. She's very fashionable, used to the finest luxuries, and frequently mingles with the South Korean elite, which contrasts her with the humble rural setting.
- Benevolent Boss: Not initially — at the start of the series she was strict, demanding, and had high standards. But her experiences soften her up and make her treat her employees more kindly, as she learns to treasure the little things.
- A Birthday, Not a Break: She hasn't had good experiences with birthdays — when she was a child, her stepmother abandoned her on a beach on her birthday, and a few years prior to the series, she tried to kill herself while on a trip to Switzerland.
- City Mouse: Rich urban businesswoman Se-ri is initially at odds with the rural village she winds up in, but acclimates well enough.
- Early Personality Signs: During her first birthday party, baby Se-ri was presented with various things thought to be indicative of her future and told to choose. She instead reached for her father's hand, which she later retells as a reason why she has a working relationship with him.
- Easy Amnesia: When Se-ri says that she'll claim amnesia upon returning to South Korea, this is discussed as a common plot device in Korean dramas. Later invoked, as she transparently uses it as an excuse to get her family off her back when she returns.
- Empty Fridge, Empty Life: Se-ri's fridge and pantry contain only bottled water, as despite all her wealth she's lonely and only eats out. Jeong-hyuk stocks it with food before leaving for a potentially deadly shootout.
- Establishing Character Moment: She's introduced photographed with a popular young actor as a publicity stunt, then analyzing the photograph to be released for max impact. This establishes her as high-powered, successful, and calculating.
- Heroic Bastard: The heroine. She is an illegitimate child, but is smarter and more put-together than her legitimate brothers.
- Honest Corporate Executive: Se-ri evidently runs a very clean and well-regarded business, and is multi-awarded and successful for it.
- Kubrick Stare: In episode 3 all the village wives are peppering Jeong-hyuk with questions about Se-ri and what she was up to as a spy in South Korea. Se-ri intimidates them into silence by giving them a Kubrick Stare while dramatically saying "I am not allowed to tell you."
- Line-of-Sight Alias: Young-ae asks Se-ri her name. Caught flat-footed, Se-ri spots a record under Young-ae's stereo, and takes the name of the performer on the record, Cho Sam-suk.
- Mistaken for Spies: Se-ri is suspected of being a South Korean spy. Later Played With when Jeong-hyuk claims she is a spy or affiliated with one as a member of Division 11, which is so top-secret that its member's names and identities are unknown to the public, in order to buy time.
- Picky Eater: She famously had very high standards for her food, and would never eat more than three bites when eating out. She had the nickname "Picky Princess". Jeong-hyuk is astounded to learn this as she had eaten everything they fed her in North Korea.
- Proud Beauty: Se-ri is very proud of her good looks.
- Reports of My Death Were Greatly Exaggerated: Se-ri gets a lot of pleasure out of her dramatic return to Seoul in Episode 10 after she was declared dead.
- Sexy Shirt Switch: Se-ri strolls around Jeong-hyuk's house wearing nothing but one of his shirts after taking a bath.
- Start My Own: In the backstory, Se-ri left the Yoon family business in order to start her own company.
- Traumatic Haircut: Played for a gag. Jeong-hyuk says that Se-ri has to blend in better if she's going to go to Pyongyang. So she goes to the hair salon, and is very unpleasantly surprised to find that North Korean women are only allowed about eight hairdos, none of which she likes. She comes back out grousing about how she lost all her volume. (The hair still looks great, of course.)
- Undisclosed Funds: Se-ri is fabulously wealthy, but the actual amount she's got is unknown. However, she's prone to extravagant shopping sprees, buys up an entire apartment building and lets its tenants live rent-free as long as they act as her eyes and ears, and even offers to buy Seoul Arts Center on a whim.
- The Un-Favourite: Se-ri's stepmother sees her as this, not least because she's an illegitimate child. Explicitly inverted with Chairman Yoon, who clearly favours and trusts Se-ri over his two sons.
- Youngest Child Wins: The smartest, most capable, and ultimately most good-hearted of the three Yoon siblings.
Seung-joon
Gu Seung-joon/Alberto Gu
Portrayed by: Kim Jung-hyun
A rejected former suitor of Se-ri's. He hides out in North Korea after stealing money from Se-ri's brother Se-hyeung, where he once again crosses paths with Se-ri.
- Chekhov's Skill: He does skeet shooting in an early scene, which initially just makes him look Idle Rich (since for the rest of the series he either has other people to do the shooting for him or is on the run himself). He later puts this skill to good use rescuing Dan from gangsters who kidnap her in the finale.
- Crouching Moron, Hidden Badass: While he spends most of the series being chased and beaten, he takes on and kills about ten gangsters while saving Dan.
- The Dandy: Concerned with his life of luxury and comfort, very well-groomed despite being on the run, and is largely a noncombatant.
- Diplomatic Impunity: Invoked — he'll pretend to be a British diplomat to get out of scrapes.
- Head-Turning Beauty: While not to the extent of Jeong-hyuk, Dan's high-society classmates can only gape at him in awe when he arrives to pick her up from tea time, and proceed to start a flurry of rumors about the handsome young man Dan is apparently now seeing. The village wives are also stunned silent when they walk in on him shirtless.
- Jerk with a Heart of Gold: Yes, he's a vain con man who acts largely out of self-interest, but he is horrified when he realizes killing Se-ri is on the table, does grow to genuinely care about Se-ri and Dan, and comes through for them in crucial moments.
- Not What I Signed Up For: Seung-joon, who is after all a thief and con artist, is perfectly willing to conspire to keep Se-ri in North Korea. But when he finds out that Cho Cheol-gang and his goons have chosen to fulfill that order by murdering Se-ri, he's horrified.
- The Only One I Trust: Jeong-hyuk considers him this during his final scheme to get Se-ri out of North Korea, since he too cares about Se-ri. Seung-joon follows through and is able to transport Jeong-hyuk and Se-ri from Pyongyang to the DMZ.
- Revenge: His actual goal is to get revenge on the Yoon family after they took his father's company and left them broke. This was the reason he was willing to marry Se-ri, and why he stole money from Se-hyeung.
- Relatively Flimsy Excuse: He claims to be Dan's cousin to the villagers after he loses his protection. Subverted in that the Gossipy Hens correctly suspect it's a lie.
- Run for the Border: He stole money from Se-ri's brother and is hiding out in a safehouse in North Korea.
- Second Love: Becomes a second love for Dan after her fiancee Jeong-hyuk leaves for Seoul and she accepts that they are incompatible.
- Shirtless Scene: Gets one in episode 13 when Dan and the village wives barge in on him after his bath.
- Stealing from the Till: As the series opens, Seung-joon is on the run after stealing a bunch of money right out from under Se-hyeung's nose.
Dan
Seo Dan
Portrayed by: Seo Ji-hye
An aspiring cellist and department store heiress who is Jeong-hyuk's arranged fiancee.
- The Beautiful Elite: Dan is from a rich North Korean family, has high society friends, and was able to study abroad. She's also very beautiful to look at.
- Damsel in Distress: In the penultimate episode, she is kidnapped and held hostage by gangsters who want Seung-joon.
- Disposable Fiancé: Jeong-hyuk's initial engagement to her ultimately ends, but not without throwing a wrench into his fabricated-turned-genuine relationship with Se-ri. Downplayed, though, as they're obviously not all that compatible and Jeong-hyuk was never interested in her romantically; theirs was to be an Arranged Marriage.
- Drowning My Sorrows: Depression over the realization that Jeong-hyuk is not interested in her leads Dan to get sloppy drunk in a bar in Episode 9. Seung-joon has to carry her home.
- Elegant Classical Musician: An elegant cellist who's the heiress of a wealthy family. At the end of the story, Dan focuses on her music career after Seung-joon's death.
- Hair Flip: She gets a hair flip in slow motion while showing up to coffee with her snooty school friends who are gossiping about her.
- Her Heart Will Go On: Her Second Love Seung-joon dies in the finale. Dan ends the series missing him, but still self-assured and confident.
- Hopeless Suitor: She pined for Jeong-hyuk for around a decade and managed to secure an Arranged Marriage with him, but he has never once requited her feelings and is instead resigned to marrying her out of duty. It's not until he risks it all for Se-ri, whom he had known for roughly a month, that she realizes this.
- Ojou: The heiress of a prominent North Korean department store, with money being the reason for Jeong-hyuk's engagement to Dan.
- Signature Hair Decs: She is often seen wearing a bejeweled hair clip, which adds a feminine side to her polished ensembles.
- Tsundere: Her default mode around Seung-joon is harsh, cold, and aloof, but she shows a more tender side upon warming up to him.
Secondary Characters
North Korea
Cheol-gang
Cho Cheol-gang
Portrayed by: Oh Man-seok
The main antagonist. A fairly high-ranking member of the State Security Department and a perennial enemy of Jeong-hyuk's who uses his connections to commit various crimes.
- Almost Dead Guy: Cho suffers a Multiple Gunshot Death at the hands of South Korean intelligence, but stays alive long enough to taunt Jeong-hyuk about his family one last time.
- Arch-Enemy: To Ri Jeong-hyeok. The fact that Cheol-gang killed Jeong-hyeok's beloved brother makes him a very personal threat.
- Big Bad Duumvirate: With Se-hyeong and Sang-ah. While Cheol-gang is far more active in the role, Se-hyeong and Sang-ah have far more resources.
- I Have Your Wife: Cho first holds the life of Man-bok's elderly mother, then that of his son, over his head to try and get him to comply.
- Pet the Dog: Gives Man-bok some cash to feed his family.
- Screw the Rules, I Have Connections!: Many authorities turn a blind eye to Cho's schemes because he bribes them.
- Self-Disposing Villain: He pulls a gun on Jeong-hyuk while snipers are pointed at them, causing them to open fire on him and keeping Jeong-hyuk's hands clean.
- Social Climber: He grew up a poor street beggar who clawed his way up the ranks.
- You Have Outlived Your Usefulness: Cho Cheol-Gang gets his own Establishing Character Moment. The three grave robbers, who were roaming the DMZ and digging up ancient artifacts, were working for him. Seeking to cover his own tracks, Cheoul-Gang let's the thieves off the hook and puts them on a van leaving the base—and then he catches up to the van in an armored assault vehicle, and rams it right off the cliff.
Jeong-hyuk's Men
Msgt. Pyo Chi-su, Ssgt. Kim Joo-mok, 1st Lt. Park Gwang-beom, Pvt. Geum Eun-dong
L-R: Chi-su, Gwang-beom, Eun-dong, Joo-mok
Portrayed by: Yang Kyung-won (Chi-su), Yoo Su-bin (Joo-mok), Lee Shin-young (Gwang-beom), Tang Joon-sang (Eun-dong)
A group of Jeong-hyuk's four most trusted men, comprised of Master Sergeant Pyo Chi-su, Staff Sergeant Kim Joo-mok, First Lieutenant Park Gwang-beong, and Private Geum Eun-dong. They help hide and protect Se-ri.
- The Baby of the Bunch: Eun-dong is treated as the little brother of the group, and is always talked about in reference to his own family.
- Country Mouse: Coming from rural North Korea, they're out of their depth when they arrive in highly urbanized Seoul.
- Genre Savvy: Joo-mok is a big fan of Korean dramas and will frequently discuss/lampshade/converse the genre's hallmark tropes as they happen, such as Easy Amnesia and Romantic Fake–Real Turn.
- Hard Head: Chi-su takes a direct hit to the head at one point and keeps going, to Se-ri's awe.
- Indifferent Beauty: Gwang-beom is consistently told that he is good-looking (to the point of being approached by several talent scouts in Seoul), but he doesn't seem to care or usually reacts with confusion.
- Momma's Boy: Eun-dong's defining characteristic is that he misses his mother.
- Missed Him by That Much: When searching for Se-ri and Jeong-hyuk in Seoul, they consistently miss out on opportunities to interact with them due to carelessness or circumstance.
- The Squad: Four men who are undyingly loyal to The Captain.
The Village Wives
Ma Yeong-ae, Na Wol-sook, Hyeon Myeong-soon, Yang Ok-geum
Portrayed by: Kim Jung-nan (Yeong-ae), Kim Sun-young (Wol-sook), Jang So-yeon (Myeong-soon), Cha Chung-hwa (Ok-geum)
The ahjummas of the North Korean military housing village Se-ri winds up in. She must now put herself in their good graces to avoid suspicion.
- A Friend in Need:
- Yeong-ae was the unofficial queen of the village, but she is brought low after her husband the colonel is arrested, something that in North Korea can mean the gulag for everyone associated. What do the other wives of the village do? They bring her food and firewood, even as Yeong-ae sobs and tells them to stay away lest they get in trouble too.
- The wives stand up to impersonators from the State Security Department when some of them try to take away Myeong-soon.
- Girl Posse: A middle-aged village wife version. The other wives follow Yeong-ae's lead.
- Gossipy Hens: Frequently seen snooping around Jeong-hyuk and Se-ri and chatting about them.
- I Never Said It Was Poison: Variation. Yeong-ae is able to get rid of men claiming to be from the State Security Department by telling them to give her regards to the director. When they agree, she tells them she had given them her brother's name, not the Director's, which proves they definitely aren't from the SSD.
- Nosebleed: The distinctly East Asian trope of a nosebleed being a sign of horniness is referenced in Episode 10 when Yeong-ae comes out of her house all tarted up, and the sycophantic village wives say that she'll be triggering a lot of nosebleeds.
- Shipper on Deck: They ship Jeong-hyuk/Se-ri after Se-ri feeds them a story about being Starcrossed Lovers with Jeong-hyuk, and react with hostility to Dan and her family.
Man-bok
Jeong Man-bok
Portrayed by: Kim Young-min
A wiretapper who works for Cho Cheol-gang.
- The Atoner: Man-bok has been ridden with guilt for years over his role in the death of Moo-hyuk. He confesses to Jeong-hyuk, dropping to his knees and sobbing that he accepts his punishment, while turning over all the evidence that soon gets Cho convicted of murder.
- The Dog Bites Back: The years of belittling eventually take their toll and he turns against Cho, even getting to near-fatally shoot him.
- Janitor Impersonation Infiltration: Impersonates a janitor to plant a bug in Se-ri's hospital room after she is shot.
- Just Following Orders: The series makes it very clear that Cho Cheol-gang is holding the possibility of his mother's imprisonment over his head to get him to wiretap, and he is consistently shown to be conflicted about ruining the Ri brothers' lives. He later turns against Cho and provides Jeong-hyuk with crucial evidence.
Jeong-hyuk's Family
Ri Choong-ryeol & Kim Yoon-hee
Portrayed by: Jun Gook-hwan (Choong-ryeol) and Jung Ae-ri (Yoon-hee)
Jeong-hyuk's parents, who live in Pyongyang. Ri Choong-yeol, his father, is the Director of the General Political Bureau.
- Cool Old Guy: Ri Choong-yeol is a cunning old fox by reputation. He's well-aware that the Director of the Military Bureau is trying to oust him, but manages to stay one step ahead of him at all times while pulling strings in Jeong-hyuk's favor.
- Foil: Jeong-hyuk's mother is a stark contrast to Dan's. While Dan's mother is loud, forthright, and extravagant, Jeong-hyuk's is more subdued and indirect.
- Papa Wolf: Upon realizing that the Military Director will likely execute Jeong-hyuk without trial upon his arrival to the North, Director Ri admits that executing someone without trial is unfair no matter what — but it's different since it's his son, and shoots the Military Director point-blank.
Ri Moo-hyuk
Portrayed by: Ha Seok-jin
Jeong-hyuk's deceased older brother.
- Cynicism Catalyst: His death deeply affected his family, caused Jeong-hyuk's career change from promising pianist to serious soldier, and is Jeong-hyuk's main motivation for investigating the State Security Department.
Dan's Family
Go Myeong-eun
Portrayed by: Jang Hye-jin
Dan's bombastic and determined mother, who owns a prominent department store chain.
- Doting Parent: Genuinely loves her daughter and supports her no matter what, even if she is awkward and overblown about it.
- "Eureka!" Moment: Has one in episode 14 when she finally pieces together why Dan is suddenly acting off about her upcoming wedding — Jeong-hyuk functionally had an affair while engaged to Dan.
- Excessive Evil Eyeshadow: Invoked when she shows up to a meeting with the Ri family with overdone hair and makeup, including very prominent green eyeshadow. She says she wants to look intimidating in order to push the marriage forward.
- Gratuitous English: She often makes English exclamations when projecting importance or is worked-up. Her brother makes fun of her for it; according to him, she learned it after being embarrassed at a meeting.
- Wacky Parent, Serious Child: It's quite incredible that such a bubbly, energetic woman raised Ice Queen Dan.
Go Myeong-sok
Portrayed by: Park Myung-hoon
Dan's well-meaning maternal uncle, who is also a high-ranking member of the State Security Department.- Parental Substitute: He is something of a paternal figure for his niece Dan, whose father has passed away.
- Reasonable Authority Figure: Unlike several other officers in the State Security Department, he's not in Cho Cheol-gang's pockets and provides favors to Jeong-hyuk.
South Korea
Se-ri's Family
Chairman Yoon Jeung-pyeong
Portrayed by: Nam Kyung-eup
Se-ri's father and the CEO of Queens Corp, the family conglomerate.
- Corrupt Corporate Executive: Implied. We never find out what it is, but Chairman Yoon must have done something to go to prison.
- I Have No Son!: Chairman Yoon says this in Episode 14 when he finds out that Se-hyung conspired with Cho to eliminate Se-ri, disowning him.
- The Patriarch: The distant, rich, and stern father in the Yoon family dynamic.
Han Jeong-yeon
Portrayed by: Bang Eun-jin
Se-ri's stepmother, with whom she does not have the best relationship.
- Affair? Blame the Bastard: Implied by the way she consistently rejected Se-ri (her husband's illegitimate daughter)'s love while Se-ri was growing up. The fact that Se-ri outshines Jeong-yeon's sons and Jeong-yeon and her husband don't have the happiest marriage don't help.
- The Atoner: She once abandoned Se-ri on a cold beach as a child, but had a change of heart and tried to bring her back. When Se-ri is shot trying to defend Ri Jeong Hyeok from Cho Cheol Gang, and is unconscious in the hospital, Jeong-yeon drops by and unloads a heartfelt apology for that abandonment, and for not supporting her in general, while Se-ri's under—but which, thanks to Man-bok installing a bug, Se-ri gets to hear anyway. Because of this, they later reconcile, and Jeong-yeon drives Se-ri all the way to the 38th parallel just to say goodbye to Jeong Hyeok before he returns to the North. Afterward, she makes it a point to be more present and supportive of Se-ri, especially in her Long-Distance Relationship with Jeong Hyeok.
- Bitch Slap: Gives an epic slap to Se-hyeung after his collaboration with Cho Cheol-gang to take out Se-ri is exposed.
- Shipper on Deck: As part of bettering her relationship with Se-ri, she's very supportive of her relationship with Jeong-hyuk, even meeting him in to express her approval and driving Se-ri to the DMZ for the last Race for Your Love.
- Sleeping Single: Se-ri's stepmother reveals to her daughter-in-law that she hasn't slept in the same bed as her husband for twenty years.
- Wicked Stepmother: Considerably downplayed, but when Se-ri was a child, her stepmother drove her to the beach in the dead of night and left her out in the cold; luckily for Se-ri that someone found her asleep or unconscious on the beach the next morning. To Han Jeong-yeon's credit, though, she realised My God, What Have I Done?, turned around, and tried to get Se-ri back. That doesn't stop her from later harbouring feelings of resent toward her stepdaughter, and defending and favouring her biological sons at Se-ri's expense, even as Se-ri herself is traumatised by the experience; but at least by the time the series begins, Han Jeong-yeon is doing her best to become The Atoner, and genuinely gets distraught when Se-ri nearly dies in hospital of a gunshot wound. By the series' conclusion, they've made up.
Yoon Se-joon & Do Hye-ji
Portrayed by: Choi Dae-hoon & Hwang Woo-seul-hye
Se-ri's oldest brother and his wife. At the start of the series, Se-joon is out of favor for picking a fight with a union leader.
- Foil: They act as this to the stoic Se-hyung and Sang-ah, who are a bit more active and willing to stoop to more dubious means in trying to inherit the company. Although Se-joon and Hye-ji are incompetent flatterers, they at least don't resort to conspiring to keep Se-ri in North Korea to inherit.
- Genki Girl: Hye-ji is an energetic Motor Mouth.
- Graceful Loser: Eventually they come to see that Se-ri is the most deserving of the CEO position and agree to work with her.
- Happily Married: Unlike Se-hyeong and Sang-ah, who eventually turn on each other and divorce while in prison, Se-joon and Hye-ji remain loving and affectionate (if bumbling) throughout the series.
- Jerk with a Heart of Gold: Eventually it's revealed that the two are more laughably boorish than anything, and never actively plotted against Se-ri.
- They even help her expose Yoon Se-hyeong and Go Sang-ah, clearly disgusted with their scheming. Se-ri rewards them with by making Se-joon the company figurehead.
- While Se-ri was hospitalized, they are both visibly relief that she is alive. Hye-Ji wanted to join Jeong Hyuk’s vigil, while Se-joon wanted to leave, thinking that it would be disrespectful to watch over the near-death Se-ri. It’s clear that both are motivated by genuine care.
Yoon Se-hyeong & Go Sang-ah
Portrayed by: Park Hyung-soo & Yoon Ji-min
Se-ri's second oldest brother and his wife. At the start of the series, Se-hyeong is out of favor for being conned out of a sizable sum by Seung-joon.
- Accidental Public Confession: The couple argues about Cho Cheol-gang taking out Se-ri, not knowing that there's a bug in the room that picks up their voices. This doesn't do them in since it was done without their consent, but it does inform the family what they've been up to.
- Big Bad Duumvirate: With Se-hyeong and Sang-ah. While Cheol-gang is far more active in the role, Se-hyeong and Sang-ah have far more resources.
- Cain and Abel: When they find out Se-hyeong sister Se-ri is in North Korea they are willing to keep her there, and when this knowledge threatens their positions when she returns, they are willing to have her taken out.
- Inadequate Inheritor: Se-hyeong is viewed as an inadequate heir to the family conglomerate; it's implied that letting Seung-joon swindle him is the latest in a longer string of failures.
- Lady Macbeth: Se-hyeong's wife Sang-ah, who is somewhat more dominant in their plans to keep Se-ri within North Korea, and is willing to have her eliminated or killed if it comes to that (which Se-hyeong was initially unwilling to do). She also schemes to take over Se-ri's company. Some of this however is due to Se-hyeong trying to shift blame on her when exposed to the rest of his family.
- Laser-Guided Karma: They are ultimately done in by the same men they had hired in North Korea, who send evidence incriminating them as part of Dan's avenging of Seung-joon's death.
- Never My Fault: Se-hyeong tries to shift blame to Sang-ah after the worst of their schemes are exposed, but she isn't having it.
- Power Hair: Sang-ah has a severe haircut to cement her status as a stoic, scheming sister-in-law.
- Stoic Spectacles: Unlike his more emotional older brother and more polished younger sister, Se-hyung wears glasses. They make him look more calculating; fitting as he's the one who conspires to keep Se-ri from coming home.
Se-ri's Employees and Associates
Hong Chang-sik
Portrayed by: Go Kyu-pil
Se-ri's team manager, who largely acts as her assistant in addition to this.
- Beleaguered Assistant: Being Se-ri's assistant stresses him out so much that hearing her voice causes him to break out into an allergic reaction. He does care about her, however; he is devastated by her "death" and remains loyal throughout the series.
Park Soo-chan
Portrayed by: Lim Chul-soo
Se-ri's insurance agent.
- Cassandra Truth: Soo-chan is largely seen as a conspiracy theorist for claiming Se-ri might still be alive, which the audience knows to be true. All parties involved are biased, though; Soo-chan is screwed if she's really dead since he's handling her pricey life insurance, while her brothers want her out of the picture so they can inherit.
- I Need a Freaking Drink: He is shocked to hear from Secretary Hong that she is missing. He immediately pounds down the entire beer sitting in front of him.
