A list of characters appearing in See You in My 19th Life.
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Main Characters
Ban Ji-eum / Yun Ju-won
Ban Ji-eum / Yun Ju-won
Debut: Chapter 1
Played by: Shin Hye-sun
A person who can remember her past lives. In her 18th life, a 12-year-old Yun Ju-won fell in love with a 9-year-old Mun Seo-ha, and the two promised to marry when they are older. However, her life tragically ended in a car accident while on the way to a theme park with Seo-ha. She wished to see and remember Seo-ha again and was shortly after reborn as Ban Ji-eum.
When a 9-year-old Ji-eum regained her memories, she started using her life experience to excel in school and eventually enter the company of Seo-ha's father. When a 23-year-old Ji-eum hears that Seo-ha has come back to Korea, she immediately asks for a transfer to Seo-ha's new workplace.
- The Ace: Both Ju-won and Ji-eum were exceptionally good in school, which isn't too surprising considering their total life experience. Unlike Ju-won, Ji-eum intentionally sought to stand out as a Teen Genius to counter her poverty and to become successful enough to meet Seo-ha, as they are from two very different backgrounds. She's only 23, but already an associate manager, the youngest in the history of the company after graduating early from university, and many companies have tried to recruit her (especially Ji-seok Lee from the Daehwan Group).
- Brutal Honesty: Ji-eum is known to be very straightforward and sometimes very blunt. She doesn't beat around the bush that she is into Seo-ha, which he finds very unnerving and refreshing at the same time.
- Cool Big Sis: She used to be one towards Seo-ha and Cho-won. As Ji-eum, Cho-won also thinks she is just like an older sister to her.
- Clingy Jealous Girl: Ji-eum shows signs of this when it becomes apparent that Seo-ha's best friend Ha Do-yun knows Seo-ha much better than her and that Seo-ha cares a great deal about him, too.
- Cunning Linguist: Ji-eum can speak Arabic, which is how she manages to convince an Egyptian sports team to stay at the Mi Hotel.
- First Love: Ju-won was Seo-ha's love. He later falls in love with Ji-eum, technically making her his Second Love, too.
- Friend to All Children: In her 17th life, she was Jung-ho Kim, a magician, who used to act like a Cool Uncle towards orphans. When she was reborn as Ji-eum, she visited one of the children Jung-ho cared for, Ji-sun Kim, and ask her for some money.
- Inconsistent Spelling: 살 윤주원 is romanized as Yoon Joo-won in some official subs.
- Mature Younger Sibling: Ji-eum has an older brother, who compared to her keeps piling on debt, doesn't go to work, and is overall a scumbag who pesters his sister for money. Almost any other person would have been in a Foolish Sibling, Responsible Sibling relationship with him.
- Never Gets Drunk: No matter in which body, Ji-eum can seemingly take in ridiculous amounts of alcohol without ever getting drunk. She has to walk Cho-won and Seo-ha home at one point, and while Cho-won is a lightweight, Seo-ha can actually drink a lot, too, but that is nothing compared to Ji-eum. She doesn't even get a hangover on the next day.
- Older Than They Look: Actually, Ji-eum looks like a young woman in her twenties, which she is. Her mature behavior (which stems from the life experience of someone who already has lived 18 lives) makes her appear like she is older. Cho-won for instance instinctively assumes she is the little sister, when she is six years older.
- Parental Abandonment: Ji-eum's mother left her family when Ji-eum was 4. When Ji-eum turned 20, she cut all ties with the rest of her family, including her alcoholic father.
- Past-Life Memories: Ji-eum believes that everyone reincarnates. The difference between her and the rest is that she remembers her past lives when she is around 9 or 10. This is why she appears to be Wise Beyond Her Years.
- Proud Beauty: She knows she looks attractive and isn't ashamed to admit it. In Chapter 14, she counters Seo-ha's remark that she isn't his type by claiming that he isn't into beautiful women then.
- Riches to Rags: Ju-won's family is pretty well-off, which is why she intended to live a quiet and relaxing 18th life. Compared to this, Ji-eum was born into poverty and really struggled to earn money, especially because she has an irresponsible brother and a drunk of a father, while her mother abandoned her.
- Stage Magician: Ji-eum was Jung-ho Kim in her 17th life, a magician. As Ju-won, she showed some sleight of hand tricks to Cho-won and Seo-ha.
- Who Wants to Live Forever?: Ji-eum is in a way immortal, as she not only reincarnates, she remembers her past lives. However, with these memories comes the fact that she remembers her loved ones from her previous life that she has lost, and trying to reconnect with them only leads to pain. She usually wishes to not remember her past lives or to not reincarnate anymore, though she made an exception at the end of her life as Ju-won, because she wanted to see Seo-ha again.
Mun Seo-ha
Mun Seo-ha
Debut: Chapter 1
Played by: Ahn Bo-hyun
The son of the Mi Group's chairman. When Seo-ha was nine, Seo-ha's mother, Hyeonseong, brought her friend, Yu-seon's, daughter Ju-won to his home to play with him. While he initially didn't like Ju-won, he quickly fell in love with her. After his sick mother passed away, he eventually asked Ju-won to marry him and she accepted. However, on his tenth birthday, while on their way to a theme park, he and Ju-won were involved in a car accident which damaged his hearing. Ju-won didn't survive the accident.
While Seo-ha eventually went abroad and worked in Germany, he returns at the start of the story to act as the managing director of the Mi Hotel, the hotel his mother used to manage. That is when he meets Ban Ji-eum, who has turned his life upside down.
- Best Friend: He is Do-yun's best (and perhaps only) friend.
- Broken Bird: Seo-ha is very cynical, depressed, and plagued with guilt after the death of his beloved mother and his first love, Ju-won. He is still traumatized by what happened, as he cannot drive, refuses to sit in the backseat of a car, has not dated anyone for over 20 years after the accident, and fears talking to Ju-won's family. Coupled with his own Dysfunctional Family, he lives a very lonely life, if not for Do-yun and his family.
- Cool Big Bro: Seo-ha is this to Ha Do-yun's little brother, Do-jin. Seo-ha once saved Do-jin from five people who tried to extort money from Do-jin, which is why Do-jin came to admire Seo-ha and took up martial arts. Do-jin is the main reason Seo-ha and Do-yun ended up becoming friends.
- First Love: Seo-ha was Ju-won's first love and they even gave each other a Childhood Marriage Promise. When Ji-eum was born and remembered her past lives, she wanted to meet Seo-ha again to see how he is doing and quickly fell in love with him again.
- Hates Being Touched: He doesn't like being touched by other people, as it reminds him of Ju-won's death. He felt her lifeless body losing its warmth over time, which added to his trauma.
- Inconsistent Spelling: His name 문서하 is alternatively romanized as Moon Seo-ha.
- Insecure Love Interest: Seo-ha still mourns Ju-won's death. Despite slowly becoming aware of his feelings for Ji-eum, he refuses to act on them as he fears that he is Loving a Shadow and that she will end up like Ju-won, if she tries to stay by his side.
- It's All My Fault: Seo-ha can't help but feel that he is responsible for Ju-won's death. If he hadn't invited her to the theme park on his birthday, she could have still been alive, or so he believes. He still has a vivid memory of that day and suffers nightmares. In Chapter 59, Ji-eum's older brother tells Seo-ha that the "accident" was actually a murder attempt on him, meaning Ju-won's death was Murder by Mistake. Seo-ha doesn't take it very well.
- Lonely Rich Kid: Downplayed. Seo-ha isn't completely alone, as he is friends with Ha Do-yun, his younger brother Do-jin, and their mother. Their friendship has helped him stay humble, as he is aware how privileged he is.
- Missing Mom: Seo-ha's mother was overworked and later spent most of the time at her home.
- Older Than They Look: He is 32 in the present, but it wouldn't be a surprise if people guessed him to be ten years younger.
- Pretty Boy: People often comment on his good and young looks and Ji-eum calls him cute and adorable.
- Spoiled Brat: Seo-ha was one when he and Ju-won met. However, once she learned that he didn't want to be treated like a child so that his sick mother wouldn't have to take care of him, they became friends quickly and his brattiness toned down. Ha Do-yun is the other reason Seo-ha did not become someone like Ji-seok Lee's friends.
- Stronger Than They Look: As shown in Chapter 37 and revealed in Chapter 38, Seo-ha took martial arts lessons after Ju-won's death, which is why he is proficient in Taekwondo, Judo, etc.
- Trauma Button: Every time something reminds him of the car accident, he starts getting stressed which leads to a Heroic BSoD where he can't hear anything.
- Uptown Guy: Seo-ha is the son of the Mi Group's chairman. Ji-eum on the other hand has a very poor background, which is why some interpret her advances on Seo-ha as her being a Gold Digger or a Social Climber.
Ha Do-yun
Ha Do-yun
Played by: Ahn Dong-goo
Seo-ha's secretary and best friend. Early in his life, Do-yun lost his father in a work accident that could have been prevented, but instead of paying reparations or apologizing, the company blamed his father. From that day on, Do-yun grew to hate rich people. To help his family, Do-yun worked secretly and studied hard, which earned him scholarships, which is how he met Seo-ha in high school. Thanks to Seo-ha helping Do-yun's little brother, the two eventually became friends. He was later hired by Seo-ha's father to stay by Seo-ha's side and report on his activities.
Do-yun has known Yun Cho-won since his high school days and is aware of her interest in him, but he keeps avoiding her.
- Beleaguered Assistant: Do-yun often gives off that vibe when it comes to Seo-ha. However, he never is serious about it.
- Best Friend: He is Seo-ha's best friend. The fact that he knows Seo-ha very well annoys Ji-eum a bit.
- Cloudcuckoolander's Minder: Downplayed. As Seo-ha's secretary, Do-yun is also his caretaker. While he finds his boss mildly annoying sometimes, he genuinely wants to protect Seo-ha.
- The Confidant: Seo-ha confides in Do-yun when he needs advice. Ji-eum also later regularly consults him after he learns Ji-eum's secret, since he knows Seo-ha best.
- Cool Big Bro: His little brother Do-jin adores him. Do-jin knows what Do-yun has done for their family after their father passed away.
- Hates Rich People: Do-yun came to dislike big corporations and rich people, as the CEO of the company his father worked for, who was responsible for Do-yun's father's accidental death, didn't even apologize to his mother. In school and in the present he also was and is mocked by Spoiled Brats for his poor background. That said, meeting Seo-ha and Cho-won made him not groundlessly hate on richer people.
- The Mole: Seo-ha's father hired Do-yun to keep an eye on Seo-ha. Do-yun has to regularly give reports on what Seo-ha is doing. That said, he has no interest in reporting Seo-ha's deepest secrets, no matter how much he is paid for.
- Promotion to Parent: After Do-yun's father passed away, he became a sort-of father figure to his little brother Do-jin.
- Secret-Keeper: As Seo-ha's closest friend, he knows of Seo-ha's disabilities, his Trauma Button, and the box that Seo-ha was gifted by Ju-won which is why he ends up believing that Ji-eum really is Ju-won's reincarnation after he accidentally listed to a conversation between Cho-won and Ji-eum.
- Servile Snarker: He can be quite snarky with Seo-ha, especially when Seo-ha
- Spell My Name With An S: His name 하도윤 is sometimes romanized as Ha Do-yoon.
- Tall, Dark, and Handsome: Do-yun is described as a handsome man, in contrast to Seo-ha, who looks visibly younger and thus is more of a Pretty Boy. This has garnered Do-yun a lot of attention from women, though many in high society immediately give up on him when they learn that he isn't particularly wealthy.
- Triple Shifter: Do-yun used to work part-time on top of going to school and helping his mother in her restaurant. It put such a toll on him that he collapsed at one point.
Yun Cho-won
