[비즈한국] The popularity of ‘Welcome to Samdal-ri’ (JTBC) is no joke. Starting with a 5.2% viewership rating for the premiere, it reached a series high of 9.8% in its 12th episode. ‘Welcome to Samdal-ri’ tells the story of Jo Sam-dal (Shin Hye-sun), who was born and raised in the small village of Samdal-ri on Jeju Island and became a "dragon from a humble stream" (a successful person from a small town) in Seoul, only to hit rock bottom after an unforeseen incident and return to her hometown. The narrative of being wounded in the city where one once dreamed of success and returning to one's hometown (or a place that feels like one) to heal has been featured in various works like ‘Little Forest’ and ‘Hometown Cha-Cha-Cha,’ consistently receiving positive responses. Just what is it about a hometown that makes it so special?
Jo Sam-dal, who harbored ambitions of finding her "Yeouiju" (magic bead) and becoming a dragon since she was a child, eventually became a success story in Seoul. After spending her childhood with a camera in hand, capturing the beauty of Jeju, she moved to the capital, navigated university, studied abroad, and endured harsh years as an assistant. She eventually became a top-tier photographer in Korea, with a world tour exhibition for a prestigious international magazine just around the corner. However, her life falls apart in an instant when her former assistant, Bang Eun-ju (Jo Yun-seo), falsely accuses Sam-dal of power abuse and verbal violence, leading to a suicide attempt. It is truly ironic that the name of Sam-dal’s exhibition, which was prepared but evaporated due to the controversy, was titled ‘Human: My People.’
After 18 years in the capital and 15 years as a photographer, the acquaintances she thought were "her people"—the top stars, magazine editors, and companies that once clamored to work with her—were all too quick to cut ties the moment the controversy arose. No one cared to hear her side of the story, and no one asked if she was okay. Except for Jo Yong-pil (Ji Chang-wook), whom she encountered in the most humiliating state after fleeing back to her hometown of Samdal-ri.
The stream to which Jo Sam-dal returns is the small village of Samdal-ri on Jeju Island. It is a place where her parents reside, where her friends, known since childhood as the "Eagle Five Brothers," live, and where her destined partner—her ex-boyfriend Jo Yong-pil, who was born on the same day and spent 30 years by her side—remains. Unlike Sam-dal, who went to the mainland to chase her dreams of becoming a dragon, her mother Go Mi-ja (Kim Mi-kyung) and father Jo Pan-sik (Seo Hyun-chul) stayed to protect Samdal-ri, earning a living through traditional diving. Her friends also ventured to Seoul for their dreams but eventually returned. Yong-pil, who had always said his mother and Sam-dal were his dreams, grew up to be a highly skilled forecaster constantly pursued by the Korea Meteorological Administration, but he remains in Samdal-ri, the place where he and Sam-dal were born and raised.
Unlike Seoul, filled with "fake people" who turned their backs on her due to the scandal, Samdal-ri is teeming with "my people" who step up without hesitation to protect Sam-dal. Watch as the villagers and her friends roll up their sleeves in episode 12 to confront Bang Eun-ju, who tries to drag Sam-dal back into the world of cyberbullying, and see her mother, Go Mi-ja, douse her with a bucket of vinegar used for tangerine farming. There is nothing more reassuring than that.
At this point, I have to ask again: What on earth is a hometown? As someone born in Seoul, I don't have a hometown in the same sense as Sam-dal. I was born in Seodaemun-gu, passed through Gangdong-gu, and grew up in Seocho-gu for a long time until adulthood, but none of those places feel like a "hometown." Having grown up and lived in Seoul, I naturally feel a sense of familiarity, but I have never felt that any place would accept me even if I returned after failing, like Sam-dal and the Eagle Five Brothers. In fact, people in Seoul subconsciously fear that if they fail, they will be sent away to somewhere that isn't Seoul.
This is due to the social atmosphere where not getting into a "Seoul-based" university or a decent company within Seoul is seen as a failure, while settling down inside Seoul, even on the fringes, is considered a success of sorts. So, while I cannot fully empathize with the word "hometown," I do feel a slight envy toward Sam-dal's hometown. A space that would embrace me even if I returned broken, and people who remain the same—it's a beautiful concept. Do all people with a hometown see it as their last bastion and sanctuary like Jo Sam-dal? Or is this just a romance projected by city dwellers like me, who have no spiritual hometown? Regardless, ‘Welcome to Samdal-ri’ gently soothes the weary hearts of city dwellers who lack such a place.
I don't agree with everything in ‘Welcome to Samdal-ri.’ Jo Yong-pil’s love—still pure after eight years of separation, despite being forced apart and despite how people change over time—feels truly like a fantasy. The devotion of Bu Sang-do (Shin Jae-won), who only watched over Sam-dal and Yong-pil's relationship from the sidelines, and the obsession of Jo Sang-tae (Yoo Oh-sung), who cannot forget his late wife even after 20 years and hates Go Mi-ja for the perceived responsibility in her death, make the "first love is everything" sentiment prevalent in this drama a bit heavy to digest.
And yet, on the other hand, perhaps this heavy purity—which, along with the "dragon from a stream" trope, is considered extinct in today’s world—is the very factor behind the drama’s popularity. We live in a harsh world where one is expected to find a partner of the "right level," and any relationship outside that tier is dismissed as greed or a lack of conscience. In such a world, isn't it surprising to have a drama that speaks of heartbreaking feelings—where you can't forget each other even if you split due to parental opposition—and an innocent love that doesn't rely on dopamine-triggering "makjang" (absurdist) plot devices?
‘Welcome to Samdal-ri’ now has four episodes left. It might be the expected, satisfying path for typical dramas if the "villains" Bang Eun-ju and Sam-dal’s ex-boyfriend Cheon Chung-gi (Han Eun-seong) meet their downfall through the logic of karma, and Jo Sam-dal returns to being a dragon, reunites with Yong-pil, and leaves for Geneva, Switzerland, where the WMO (World Meteorological Organization) is located.
However, regardless of how the happy ending is achieved, ‘Welcome to Samdal-ri’ has already provided us with comfort. Instead of the typical "cider" (cathartic) ending of a makjang drama, it gave us the warmth of asking, "Are you okay?" This is the healing we truly want. There’s no need to feel anxious about how things will be resolved in the remaining time; just sit back and enjoy. If you haven't watched the drama yet, welcome! Come to Samdal-ri quickly.
Who is the writer, Jung Soo-jin?
I have worked across various magazines, covering and writing about movies, travel, and popular culture. I don't want to fall behind on trends, but I have become an "old soul" who predicts the obvious clichés in the next scene while watching the latest dramas. I am drifting through the vast world of OTT platforms, trying to regain my lost intuition, and my current wish is for an integrated OTT subscription plan.