MBC's new daily drama 'The Woman Who Swallowed the Sun' kicked off to a smooth start, recording a nationwide household viewership rating of 3.8% (according to Nielsen Korea) with its first episode.
Marking actress Jang Shin Young’s return to the small screen after three years, the drama opened with a powerful start. Jang Shin Young plays Baek Seol Hee, a single mother who runs a small eatery called Miso Bunsik while raising her daughter, Baek Miso (played by Lee Ru Da), on her own.
From the first episode, Seol Hee’s sense of justice immediately drew attention. While out on a delivery, she witnessed a case of school violence and said, “I just can’t walk past this,” before video calling the police and confronting the bullies. Her transformation from an ordinary shop owner to a neighborhood heroine provided a satisfying moment for viewers.
The strong bond between mother and daughter was also movingly portrayed. During a school consultation for an international high school, Miso said, “My mom raised me well even without a dad. She did the job of two people.” Seol Hee humbly replied, “She’s the kind of kid who takes care of things on her own. I didn’t do much.” Their close relationship amidst the realistic challenges of a single-parent household touched many hearts.
The drama also introduced an intense power struggle within a chaebol family. At Minkyang Distribution, a fierce rivalry ignited between half-sisters Min Kyung Chae (played by Yoon Ah Jung) and Min Soo Jung (played by Ahn Yi Seo). When Soo Jung provocatively said, “Maybe it’s because we’re sisters that we look alike. Oh right, we’re half-sisters,” Kyung Chae shot back, “You don’t know your place. One day you’ll get a rude awakening.” Their tense exchange hinted at the fierce battles to come.
The highlight of the episode was the first encounter between Moon Tae Kyung (Seo Ha Joon) and Seol Hee. Just returned from the U.S., Tae Kyung saved Seol Hee, who was making a delivery on a broken scooter, from crashing into a child by diving in to protect them. The moment they fell together marked the beginning of their fateful connection.
Jang Shin Young’s performance stood out, portraying a wide range of emotions, from her bright, everyday energy and deep love for her daughter to her strong sense of justice, all with natural ease. It hinted at the character’s potential evolution into a figure driven by revenge.
At the press conference held on the 5th, Jang Shin Young expressed her dedication and said, “I’m grateful to the director for giving me the opportunity to play Baek Seol Hee. I was really thirsty for acting, and when this opportunity came, I told myself, ‘Give it your all.’ Every time I filmed a scene, I thought, ‘This is the last scene of this drama,’ or ‘This might be the last performance of my life,’ and poured my heart into it.”
The male lead, Seo Ha Joon, also revealed his character’s determination to uncover the truth behind his parents’ wrongful deaths, forming another axis of the revenge narrative. Audiences are eager to see whether the two leads will join forces to confront a powerful evil.
The Woman Who Swallowed the Sun blends the classic good-versus-evil narrative of daily dramas with the intrigue of a revenge thriller. Starring Jang Shin Young, Seo Ha Joon, Yoon Ah Jung, and Oh Chang Suk, the drama promises intense performances. Key points to watch include how Seol Hee and Tae Kyung will fight against the powerful antagonist forces and how the chaebol family’s internal power struggle unfolds. The second episode, airing today (June 10) at 7:05 PM, is expected to feature even fiercer confrontations.
SHARE
