Pachinko

 War, Family, Love

Kim Sun-Ja was the only child of Yang Jin and Hoon, who was born and raised in Busan. She was born during the Japanese occupation of Korea. Their lives were tough. She lost her father since she was young. Her mother runs a boarding house and she was a good cook too.

Kim Sun-Ja met a handsome fish broker at the market. The man was Koh Han-Su. He also rescues her from a group of Japanese boys who are sexually harassing her. They fall in love with one another. Koh Han-Su always shared with her about the world outside Korea. He was a Korean but he immigrated to Osaka since he was young. He used to be poor as she did, but it changes his life after he went to Japan. Some people said that he did not has a good personality, however, he pay them fairly.

One day, Kim Sun-Ja realised that she was pregnant. She looked for Koh Han-Su everywhere, however she did not see him. One of the neighbours told her that he did not come for a couple of days. He might possibly not come back anymore. Kim Sun-Ja was relieved when she saw him at the market. Koh Han-Su gave her a watch as a present. She also told him about her pregnancy. Koh Han-Su was glad to hear that. When she mentioned about marriage, Koh Han-Su told her that he can’t marry her. He already has a family with 3 daughters at Osaka. He told her that he did not love his wife. They are business marriage. However, he offered to take care of her and promised to buy her a house to raise their child together. Kim Sun-Ja felt being fooled by him and decided to leave him. Kim Sun-Ja was heart-broken.

Baek Isak came to Busan and stayed at the boarding house runs by Yang Jin. He had tuberculosis and he was very sick. Yang Jin took care of him until he recovered. Baek Isak overheard the conversation between Yang Jin and Kim Sun-Ja. Kim Sun-Ja told her mother about the pregnancy. Her mother comforted her. They did not have any power to fight against those from higher social class. Baek Isak advised Kim Sun-Ja to give up her baby. Kim Sun-Ja did not give in. She wanted to raise her child and love her child. Baek Isak then offered to marry her and asked her to come to Osaka with him. She agreed with it.

During her wedding, Kim Sun-Ja’s mother bought white rice for them. White rice was extremely expensive and only the Japanese can consume them. However, Kim Sun-Ja’s mother wanted to treat her daughter and son-in-law for the last time before they left Busan. Koh Han-Su heard that Kim Sun-Ja married another guy. He couldn’t stop her. He begged her not to leave Busan and he will take care of her. He did not have faith in Baek Isak to take care of his son and Kim Sun-Ja. He believed that she could not be able to forget about him. He asked her not to beg for him even if she asked for him in Osaka. Kim Sun-Ja rejected his offer.

Yang Jin packed her daughter’s belongings. She also advised her daughter to be patient and nice to her in-laws. She gave her daughter some money just in case she needed it. Kim Sun-Ja showed her mother regarding the watch that Koh Han-Su gave her. She cried a lot as she might not be able to see her mother ever again after she left. Yang Jin watched her daughter left Busan. She cried and upset. Koh Han-Su also watched them took off the ferry as well.

After a long travel, Baek Isak and Kim Sun-Ja arrived at Japan. Baek Yoseb picked them up and showed them the road to their accommodation. On the way, Kim Sun-Ja found a familiar face who looked like Koh Han-Su on the street. Baek Yoseb and his wife Choi Kyung-Hee welcomed Kim Sun-Ja. Choi Kyung-Hee cooked a meal and served Kim Sun-Ja with a white rice. Kim Sun-Ja saw the rice and she cried on the spot. It reminded her mother who cooked the last meal for her. Baek Yoseb disliked Kim Sun-Ja. He could not understand why Baek Isak married her. And yet she also carried with a child.

One day, a two gangster came to the house and demand for money. Baek Yoseb owed them money and was unable to repay them. Kim Sun-Ja decided to sell the watch and pay off the debt. By the time when Baek Yoseb arrived home, he was extremely angry. He felt that his wife disrespect him as a head of the house. He and his wife had an argument. He then left the house. Koh Han-Su knew that Kim Sun-Ja was going to sell the watch off to help the family. He bought the watch back and gave the pawnshop owner the money that he deserved.

Kim Sun-Ja suddenly feel stomach pain and she was going to deliver a child. Baek Isak went back home and found Kim Sun-Ja was in great pain. Kim Sun-Ja asked him to get Baek Yoseb back. He then left the house and looked for his brother. Kim Sun-Ja experienced a hardship during giving birth. With the help of her neighbour, she managed to deliver a healthy son. Baek Yoseb decided to name the child, Noa. Koh Han-Su found that Kim Sun-Ja has successful deliver a son. He was so happy about it. He told his wife about it.

Noa has grown up at the age of 6-7 years old. He attended the Japanese school. He loves his father, Baek Isak. One day, Baek Isak has been arrested by the police due to spreading demonstration activities among the villagers. Kim Sun-Ja did not know that until she met an acquaintance. She told her about what her husband did and why he was caught by the policemen. Kim Sun-Ja asked Baek Yoseb for help.

Baek Yoseb worked at the factory. He went to the police station to understand the situation. He also told his boss about his brother. His boss asked him to resign from the post instead. Baek Yoseb was helpless. Kim Sun-Ja worried that they might run out of money if Baek Yoseb did not get to find a job. She decided to make fresh kimchi and sell them at the market. She monitored how others did their business and learnt from him.

Koh Han-Su found his son was on his way to school. He talked to him about becoming the best of the best, so that Noa won’t be looked down by the Japanese. He encouraged Noa to study hard and learn smart.

-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Koh Han-Su used to live with his father in Japan. His father was a merchant and Koh Han-Su worked as a math tutor for the American. They were poor. His father took the money and borrowed it to his Japanese lover. Although he knew that both of them has no future, he did it because he loved her. His Japanese lover gave the money to her friend. When Koh Han-Su’s father asked her for the money because he needed to return it back to the boss, Ryochi, she told him that it is impossible to get the money back. Koh Han-Su told the boss that he would like to work for him in order to clear his father’s debts. His father did not want him to get involved in this matter. He persuaded him to go to America together with the American family so that he can get proper education from United States. Due to an earthquake happened in Japan, many lives have sacrificed. This included Koh Han-Su’s father as well as the American family that he worked for.

Koh Han-Su has no other family left. He has no way to go to. He then saw Ryochi on the street looking for his family. He followed him. Ryochi also protected Koh Han-Su from being captured by the Japanese. Finally, Ryochi found his family. They were safe from the earthquake. Ryochi introduced Koh Han-Su to his family and decided to take him in. As for that moment, Koh Han-Su became part of their family member.

------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

1890s, Kim Sun-Ja has a son, Baek Mozasu, who runs pachinko business and a grandson, Baek Solomon who was a white collar in a bank company. Baek Solomon was based in New York and his boss offered him to go to Japan to handle a deal so that they can build a hotel on that piece of land. Baek Solomon took this opportunity to visit his family at Osaka. There is a Korean woman who refuses to sell her land. Baek Solomon asked his grandmother for help and speak to her. Kim Sun-Ja and the Korean woman have a great conversation. They shared the same experience and faith when they arrived at Japan. It reminded Kim Sun-Ja of her homeland. After Choi Kyung-Hee passed away, she decided to take her ashes back to Korea.

When she arrived in Korea, she was extremely excited and happy. Kim Sun-Ja met her old friend, Bok-Hee. Bok-Hee told her about the incident after she left for Japan. She also handled her father grave which relocated to a new place. Kim Sun-Ja and Baek Mozasu paid a visit to her father. She also poured Choi Kyung-Hee’s ashes in the sea.

Baek Solomon thought that he has already get the deal done. Naomi, Baek Solomon’s colleague, told him to be aware of what happening in his surrounding and don’t be blinded by power and money. During the signing event, the Korean woman talked about the past and how they have been looked down by the Japanese and also what they had gone through. Baek Solomon could relate the incident of his grandmother and asked the woman not to sign the contract. Because of this, Baek Solomon has been fired by the company.

Baek Solomon as a girlfriend, Hana. He was unable to get in touch with Hana after he left for America. Hana was missing since then. Baek Mozasu has a girlfriend, Etsuko Nagatomi. She was Hana’s mother, they lived together in the same house. Etsuko Nagatomi spent a lot of money for the detective to find her daughter. She discovered that her daughter as AIDS and she needed treatment. Baek Solomon came to the hospital and visit her. Hana told him that she was not Hana that he used to know. Etsuko Nagatomi takes care of her daughter, and so did Kim Sun-Ja. Hana blamed Kim Sun-Ja for making her like this. She thought Kim Sun-Ja said that she was the one who ruined Baek Solomon. Kim Sun-Ja told her that what she said in the past was actually referring to herself, who ruined her another child’s life, Noa.

Baek Solomon confessed to Kim Sun-Ja that he was fired. When Solomon starts ranting about hard work and success, Sunja reminds him that it doesn’t matter what kind of success you have. It matters how you achieved that success, and that if Sunja wanted, she could’ve been rich too. Baek Solomon was jobless. There was a man who offered him to work at the pachinko.  Baek Solomon thought that it was a great offer. He told his father about it. Baek Mozasu stopped him immediately. He did not want his son to accept his job offer.

Hana was in her final stage of HIV. She was dying soon. Hana told Baek Solomon about her final wishes. She wanted to go to Hawaii. Baek Solomon made her wish come true.

https://asianwiki.com/Pachinko_(Drama)