In a K-drama landscape filled with heart-fluttering love stories, high school romances, corporate drama, and revenge plots, “Second Shot at Love” stands out for tackling a topic rarely explored in Korean entertainment: alcoholism. Starring Girls’ Generation’s Sooyoung as Han Geum Ju, a successful engineer with a not-so-secret dependence on alcohol, the drama peels back the layers of a woman who seems to have it all. With its realistic portrayal of addiction, emotional healing, and an unexpected reunion with a former friend-turned-recovery-coach, played by Gong Myoung, “Second Shot at Love” offers both comfort and confrontation.
Airing every week on Monday-Tuesday, this drama will not just tug at the heartstrings, but also spark reflection on issues rarely explored in mainstream K-dramas.
Warning: spoilers for episodes 1-2 ahead!
The National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism defines alcoholism, formally known as Alcohol Use Disorder (AUD), as a medical condition characterized by an impaired ability to stop or control alcohol use despite adverse social, occupational, or health consequences. It includes what many people refer to as alcohol abuse, alcohol dependence, and alcohol addiction.
While the general public is aware of what alcoholism means, their understanding is often clouded by a stereotypical image of an alcoholic, making it harder to recognize the disorder in reality. When people think of alcoholism, they might picture a homeless man who drinks cheap beer just to function during the day, or an abusive husband who lashes out after a few drinks. However, while personal struggles can increase reliance on alcohol, people with seemingly perfect careers, families, and relationships can also fall into addiction. And because their lives appear ideal from the outside, alcoholism often goes unnoticed in social settings until it’s too late.
Our female lead, Han Geum Ju (Sooyoung), fits this less-acknowledged profile. On the surface, she’s a well-respected mechanical engineer working at one of Seoul’s top corporations. She has a loving fiancé and appears to have everything under control. But in reality, she drinks alcohol like it’s water that is essential for her survival. When she discovers her fiancé has gotten another woman pregnant, she breaks up with him. To save face, she tells her mother the breakup was due to his complaints about her drinking. Unaware of the real reason, Geum Ju’s mother takes her back to their hometown, Bochun, where Geum Ju reunites with her high school friend, Seo Ui Jun (Gong Myoung).
Once a heavy drinker himself, Ui Jun has now quit drinking and gives talks on alcoholism to help others overcome their addictions. But alcohol isn’t the only thing he has left behind. Despite receiving job offers from prestigious hospitals in Seoul, he chose to serve his community and has been working as a doctor in Bochun, where he is revered for his dedication to the people.
The plot from there is seemingly simple: Ui Jun helps Geum Ju overcome her alcoholism. But what becomes clear over time is that Geum Ju will also help heal Ui Jun in return.
South Korea is famous for many things, and while Samsung, LG, Hyundai, Kia, K-pop, K-dramas, and spicy buldak top the list, drinking culture is definitely somewhere at the end of the same list as well. From dramas that feature characters taking endless soju shots with fried chicken to variety shows centered on drinking games, the presence of alcohol in Korean social life is impossible to ignore even without setting foot in Incheon Airport.
Yet, despite this cultural norm, the darker sides of alcohol use are rarely addressed in mainstream media. That’s why “Second Shot at Love” feels both refreshing and necessary. Its attempt to explore the consequences of alcohol dependency, especially through the lens of a strong, independent, and successful woman like Geum Ju, breaks the stereotypical mold of the “alcoholic” and helps audiences realize that addiction can affect anyone.
While the main focus of the drama is on alcoholism and Geum Ju’s path to recovery, potentially touching on her family’s struggles with alcohol as well, romance is far from sidelined.
Geum Ju and Ui Jun were once close friends in high school, even moving to Seoul for their studies and staying in touch for a time. Through a series of flashbacks, viewers can guess that there was an incident that caused their falling out, but the details have not been revealed yet. Now back in their hometown, with Ui Jun stepping in to support Geum Ju, their close proximity will not only rekindle unresolved feelings but also begin to unravel the mystery of what truly happened to Ui Jun.
The final scene sequence of “Second Shot at Love” makes it clear that the story doesn’t solely center on Geum Ju’s struggle with alcohol dependency; it also hints at Ui Jun’s own past with addiction. Maybe his now-resolved dependence may have led to a DUI incident that cost someone their life, adding a heavier emotional layer to his character and the narrative? Only future episodes will tell!
Watch “Second Shot at Love”:
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Javeria is a binge-watching specialist who loves devouring entire K-dramas in one sitting. Good screenwriting, beautiful cinematography, and a lack of cliches are the way to her heart. As a music fanatic, she listens to multiple artists across different genres and stans the self-producing idol group SEVENTEEN. You can talk to her on Instagram @javeriayousufs.
Currently watching: “Spring of Youth” and “Second Shot at Love”
Looking forward to: “Squid Game Season 3” and “Good Boy”
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