[Drama 2020] Old School Intern/Kkondae Intern, 꼰대인턴

[chickfactor]

Ep. 9 (17-18):

 

- Ga Yeol-Chan confirms to Lee Tae-Ri that she is his "ramyeon muse."   She kisses him. He realizes that he likes her and tells her later. She responds that she used to like him but doesn't anymore because he is too much of a "kkondae." 

 

- Tak and Yoon-Soo are dating, and she accidentally sends him something on their group chat room so the whole team finds out. Yeol-Chan yells at them for dating when they're having problems with selling their new octopus ramyeon. Everyone is mad at him. He drinks alone later and call them to join him but they ignore his calls. Even Man-Sik says no. 

 

- The soup-and-rice restaurant owner ends up dying after being in a coma for years. Man-Sik and Yeol-Chan both admit to having contributed to his suicide. Man-Sik had him sign a contract with Ongol but his soup taste changed for the worse so they stopped working with him and his business failed. He sued Ongol but lost.

 

On the day Yeol-Chan went to see the owner, he had made soup and rice for Yeol-Chan to eat - but he ran out to vomit and said that it tasted terrible - which the owner saw and that was what made him end up trying to kill himself again. All very sad.

 

Man-Sik admits that he decided to blame Yeol-Chan for this man's suicide because he wanted to shift blame.

 

- Okay, so the bombshell at the end:

 

Man-Sik's wife comes to the company and finds out her husband is not an executive but an intern.

 

And...

 

Spoiler

Lee Tae-Ri is Man-Sik's daughter! 

 

[sadthe1st]

 

 

7 hours ago, chickfactor said:

And...

 

  Reveal hidden contents

Lee Tae-Ri is Man-Sik's daughter! 

 

 

this totally caught me offguard 

 

[cenching]

2 hours ago, sadthe1st said:

 

this totally caught me offguard 

 

His face after the kiss is hilarious.....

[sadthe1st]

@cenching 

[fluffyloaf]

Wow yesterday's episode was a roller coaster 

 

I cried so bad when MS and GYC finally discussed about what had happened in the past. I am so glad that MS isn't the mean Kkondae he appeared to be initially and that he did not ruthlessly stole the recipe. But it's so sad but awww when MS tries to comfort GYC and insists that he should carry the burden for what has happened  This bromance broke my heart more than any other romance scenes. GYC curling up between the table and the pillar at the funeral place also look so pitiful 

 

The kiss from Lee Tae Ri was just GYC's excuse to finally own up to his feelings for her hahahaha. So funny though when she rejected him. It's terrible but I find GYC being super hilarious when he is in his pissy mood and grumpy at everyone else in the office being chummy. I like how she was being so realistic and didn't immediately accepted him once he confessed.

 

I also super like how GYC and YS is slowly feeling like a bit of MS and GYC. YS went from hating GYC to gaining some respect for him after he made more effort to write thoughtful constructive comments for his work just like how GYC is slowly gaining respect for MS now. I like that LTR questioned GYC if he were doing a lot of things out of looking cool. Because now GYC appears to be growing in his depth of being a good leader and mentor instead of trying hard to prove himself to be different from a Kkondae like MS used to be.

 

And wow what a twist that MS is LTR's dad. Is that why she did not get mad at him for shipping off her hair hahahahaha. I am just excited to think about how GYC will be dating MS' daughter hahahaha. It's no longer a bromance. It is a father-in-law-mance hahahahahaha.

[sadthe1st]

actually, i find it more comfortable to see LTR with the CEO's son...  ... GYC-LTR shippers dun use rubber chicken and hit me please!!

i'm not sure if GYC's feeling for LTR is really romance or a long term fantasy for the spicy chicken ramen fairy...

but most importantly, i ship the GYC-LMS bromance more!!! 

 

 

[nonski]

21 hours ago, chickfactor said:

And...

 

  Reveal hidden contents

Lee Tae-Ri is Man-Sik's daughter! 

 

 

13 hours ago, sadthe1st said:

this totally caught me offguard 

@chickfactor @sadthe1st me too, that was unexpected and a makjang twist that didn't feel makjang, lols 

11 hours ago, cenching said:

His face after the kiss is hilarious.

@cenching hahaha so true so hilarious!

 

4 hours ago, fluffyloaf said:

It's terrible but I find GYC being super hilarious when he is in his pissy mood and grumpy at everyone else in the office being chummy

this is the counterpart of the super aegyo of PHJ in Forest and totally loving his antics in this show!

and booooy! I like LTR!

1 hour ago, sadthe1st said:

actually, i find it more comfortable to see LTR with the CEO's son...  ... GYC-LTR shippers dun use rubber chicken and hit me please!!

Hahaha! why do i feel that too?  Maybe cuz LTR can maybe change NGJS?  Tho it's fun I'd rather they not dwell on the love lines... but make use of it to spice up the office drama.  This is after all what everyone signed up for.  

 

 

[cenching]

No worries @sadthe1st, I prefer LTR with Chaebol too. I like LTR as a person and also think she’s a good match for the uptight GYC but seeing the kiss made me feel weirded out.... 
 

 

[fluffyloaf]

22 minutes ago, nonski said:

and booooy! I like LTR!

 

YES. She's got sass and attitude. She's brutally honest. I like how she told the boss' son off about having multiple girlfriends. I like how she's so chill towards YS being all competitive. I like how she owned her ex with the cockroach case. I even like her crazy poofy hair hahahahah. Not forgetting how she downed those ramyeon samples! I even like it when she tells GYC off. Every boss needs a LTR in their life to keep them aware of their blind spots.

[sadthe1st]

on a sidenote, i think NGJS isn't really being competitive for the managing director role.. he is perhaps just being a kid trying to get his dad's attention and apparently his dad is using GYC either as a shield or a catalyst to spite his son for motivation... see all the paintings he has done? his interest is probably on the arts, not on business management.. 

 

i wonder what's the CFO secret agenda... 

[tulip06]

Imagine being an intern with your dad. So strange...

[cenching]

I was dead and resurrected....repeatedly....

 

Spoiler

The close up eyes contacts with their lips glued together is killing me....

 

[sadthe1st]

just finished ep10...

 

so i guess, Namgoong Pyo is trying to use GYC as a bait to lure out the wily fox Ms Koo? is she in cahoot with that Director Cheon to buy out NGP's shares in Joon Su Foods?  GYC is not interested in the junior md position, but Ms Koo is threatening GYC with the 3 interns' future and reputation... and now all the earlier episodes of conspiracies between NGJS, Mr Anh and LMS are all coming into light... oh my, it's getting messy for the next few episodes 

 

sidenote, i love LMS' creative strategy of selling the handphone  those scenes where he bunked in with LTR in her house are really cute! 

 

[tulip06]

What is with Ms Koo? I though Yeol Chan was her protege? 
 

omg, little dubbu and keeping his omma’s hair scrunchie and telling papa he wanted omma back. Too cute!

 

As for CEO Joon Soo, I suspect he will end up in art school.

[fluffyloaf]

18 hours ago, sadthe1st said:

just finished ep10...

 

so i guess, Namgoong Pyo is trying to use GYC as a bait to lure out the wily fox Ms Koo? is she in cahoot with that Director Cheon to buy out NGP's shares in Joon Su Foods?  GYC is not interested in the junior md position, but Ms Koo is threatening GYC with the 3 interns' future and reputation... and now all the earlier episodes of conspiracies between NGJS, Mr Anh and LMS are all coming into light... oh my, it's getting messy for the next few episodes 

 

I just watched it too and I am a little confused as well because I thought Namgoong Pyo is actually try to bait Namgoong Joon-Su to work harder and fight for the company if he wants the position so bad. I thought all his favourable actions toward GYC was just to trigger jealousy in his own son. But your theory on luring out Ms Koo might be right as well. Feels kind of sad that GYC is like a chess piece. I think he finds himself going from feeling favoured by the boss to feeling like he is disposable at any point of time (since Namgoong Pyo had even brought up the prospect of firing GYC). Maybe I am not very good with office politics but I don't really seem to fully read Ms Koo's intention clearly. She is doing all of this to help Namgoong Joon-Su? Or does she have her own intentions?

 

GYC is actually more innocent and naive than he appears to be. I think ultimately he just wants all of his hardworking team members to be treated fairly and get a job. And his ambitious drive is actually lower than his personal ideal of having everybody succeed together with him (just my thoughts). Part of him seems to still hold on to hope that he can possibly be the MD eventhough the chances appear to be fairly slim with Namgoong Pyo and Ms Koo both appearing to have their own hidden intents.

 

18 hours ago, sadthe1st said:

 

sidenote, i love LMS' creative strategy of selling the handphone  those scenes where he bunked in with LTR in her house are really cute! 

 

 

Yesss I think he was the one who really used selling techniques and convincing in his pitch. The rest were creative but less of a sales pitch.

 

The father daughter relationship is very heartwarming. It's kind of sad that it appears that MS intends to give up his opportunity for the younger generation and more specifically LTR.

 

But what I did like about the last two episodes were that it reminded us of how the interns were hired because they had the worst performance. It was intended to bring GYC down but turns out that the worst of the bunch can be made into the best of the bunch under the right leadership. I like how they portrayed the relationship between the team members and their leader GYC to be super imperfect and GYC himself had a lot of flaws. But I guess leadership isn't about how high and mighty the leader actually is but moreso how a leader who is humble enough to take time to guide, forgive (and admit faults as well as apologise), understand and cooperate with his members can nurture the best out of them. Nobody can make it on their own. 

[sadthe1st]

3 minutes ago, fluffyloaf said:

She is doing all of this to help Namgoong Joon-Su? Or does she have her own intentions?

at this point i think Namgoong Joon Su is also a pawn on Ms Koo's plan? he seems quite aloof and gullible, and assumes that he will definitely take over his dad's position... this makes him easy to be manipulated as well.

 

as for GYC, i think Namgoong Pyo did remarked before that he needs to learn to be more unscrupulous instead of taking responsibility for everything... for that, i'm not sure if he is really planning to train GYC up for a higher management role or just a casual comment. 

[Helena]

https://koreajoongangdaily.joins.com/2020/06/23/entertainment/television/kkondae-mentor-leader/20200623172500301.html

Drama series ask when does mentoring cross the line to 'kkondae-ing'

 

June 23, 2020

 

Scenes from the MBC drama series "Kkondae Intern." Yeol-chan (played by Park Hae-jin), left, finds himself in charge of his ex-kkondae boss Man-sik (played by Kim Eung-soo) five years after quitting as an intern. [MBC]

In Korea, just the mere utterance of the word “kkondae” leads to eye-rolling, head-shaking and exasperated sighs as people's memories are flooded with unhappy thoughts.   
   
Kkondae is Korean slang and is used to describe a condescending person, usually male, who forces their ideologies and experiences on others. It is not a compliment.  
   
In Korea, where people are very age-sensitive and use honorific language when talking to elders, kkondae is often used to describe older men, in particular bosses and teachers, with an outdated way of thinking.    
   
The term became the subject of various local office drama series in the early 2010s, with stories that set the main protagonists as office workers who were struggling with their bosses but ultimately were able to defeat their superiors in one way or another. Such shows offered catharsis to viewers who were weren't able to achieve the same in their own lives.   
   
But the tvN drama series “Misaeng” (2016) has decided to take on a different plot centered around "kkondae" - instead of painting the characters in black and white, the story shows various sides of bosses, who genuinely care for the workers.    
   
MBC also tried to take a different angle in its drama series “Kkondae Intern,” which is currently airing, by adding an interesting plot twist: what would happen if your ex-kkondae boss ended up working under you?  
   
   
Young kkondaes  
“Kkondae Intern” highlights another widely-discussed subject: young kkondaes.  
   
Kkondae no longer represent a specific age group, and there are even tests that one can take online to see if they have become a kkondae. (Questions include: ‘As a senior who’s lived a longer life, do you advise juniors on personal matters’ or ‘Do you think that youths nowadays only complain without really trying.’)  
   
In the drama, Yeol-chan (played by Park Hae-jin) was once an intern who was bullied and harassed by his horrible boss, Man-sik (played by Kim Eung-soo). Their positions are reversed after five years when Man-sik is offered voluntarily resignation and becomes an intern at another corporation where his boss turns out to be Yeol-chan.    
   
Although Yeol-chan detests kkondaes from his dreadful experience with Man-sik and promises himself that he would never become one, having Man-sik on the team brings out his kkondae side.    
   
“The series does have aspects that probe into people’s desires to have their superior under their feet,” culture critic Jeong Deok-hyun said. “But that’s not all there is to it. The story is more about how their relationship evolves—when a kkondae boss becomes an intern and an intern becomes a kkondae and they get to understand each other’s positions, perspectives, and learn how to interact. By doing so, the series throws in the question of ‘What is the meaning of true kkondae?’”

 

Scene from the drama series. By reversing the positions, the audience is faced with the question "What is the meaning of true kkondae?" [MBC]

 

 

Kkondae or mentor: two sides of the same coin  
Since “Misaeng,” various types of characters in superior roles began appearing across television screens.  
   
While there are still the traditional kkondae characters, there are also mentors, such as doctor Chae Song-hwa (played by Jeon Mi-do) in the hit tvN drama series “Hospital Playlist” (2020). Polite to her superiors and kind to her juniors, she can also be stern when a junior is rude to a patient. But she doesn’t hold any grudges against them and is trusted to the point where she is often sought after for personal advice.    

In the JTBC drama series “Diary of a Prosecutor” (2020), chief prosecutor Cho Min-ho (played by Lee Sung-jae), seems to only be interested in achievements. But as he is shown with his juniors, Lee Sung-woong (played by Lee Sun-kyun) and Cha Myung-joo (played by Jung Ryeo-won), he turns out to be a kind boss and leader, who cares about those closest to him.   

 

So what is the difference between being a kkondae and being a mentor?   
   
With the emergence of young kkondaes, the previous norms which only saw the term being used in relation to older people has vanished. In fact, some of these seniors are now revered by the younger generation, such as 73-year-old YouTuber Park Mak-rae and 68-year-old fashion YouTuber Chang Myung-sook. They have a total of some 1.3 million and 570,000 subscribers respectively on their YouTube channels but the advice they offer through their online platforms is not interpreted as kkondae-ish.    

“There is duality that exists among the younger generation,” professor Kwak Geum-joo, professor of psychology at Seoul National University pointed out. “They do want to hear and take advice from their elders with more experience. But they don’t want to hear unnecessary nagging. I think this is inherent in all of us, but it’s most visible in the youth of today.”  
   
One thing that professor Kwak advises to elders if they don’t want to be categorized under kkondae is that they should never give advice with the mindset that they’re teaching the youth.    
   
“For instance, they [the elders] should never start the sentence with ‘back in my day,’” Kwak said. “They don’t have to inform the youth [about they’ve been through] and no matter how much they try, the young people won’t be able to understand or completely sympathize. Nevertheless, being young doesn’t mean automatically mean inexperience, and they may have more creativity and ideas to contribute than the elders give them credit for. A leader, I believe, takes notice of such things.”  
   
The professor hopes that the younger generation can be more understanding toward their elders too.    
   
“Although youths may consider their elders’ attitudes as outdated and old-fashioned, the majority of the superiors really do want the best for the youngsters — they’ve already been through that period and want to help the juniors — but they just don’t know how to communicate with them.”    


BY LEE JAE-LIM   [lee.jaelim@joongang.co.kr]    

[nonski]

On 6/17/2020 at 2:48 AM, fluffyloaf said:

 

@cenching @nonski sorry I mean what is building up in the background of the plot! I tend to phrase my words in a confusing manner, apologies!

No worries!

 

@tulip06 Kkondae intern is a 12=episoder drama.  It's supposed to end this week but the last episode will be aired on July 01

 

Kim Eung Soo Reflects On His Behavior After Witnessing Park Hae Jin Change In “Kkondae Intern”

DRAMA PREVIEW

Jun 11, 2020

by L. Kim

 

MBC’s “Kkondae Intern” has released new stills ahead of its next episode!

“Kkondae Intern” is an office comedy about a man who finally gets sweet revenge on a former boss who once made his life miserable. Park Hae Jin stars as Ga Yeol Chan, who becomes the head of the marketing team at Jun Su Foods after moving up the corporate ladder at lightning speed. Kim Eung Soo stars as Lee Man Shik, Ga Yeol Chan’s boss at his former company but now his subordinate at Jun Su Foods.

Spoiler

Previously, Ga Yeol Chan, who had traveled to Mokpo to develop a new menu, was increasingly becoming anxious about Cha Young Seok’s (Young Tak) tremendous achievement. Determined to create new products and beat his rival, he passionately dove into work, but his passion brought out the worst side of his personality.

In the newly released stills, Ga Yeol Chan struggles alone at the company until late at night to come up with a new product, but he eventually collapses due to a stomachache.

Spoiler

Lee Man Shik watches Ga Yeol Chan from the side and feels a sense of kinship with him. After witnessing Ga Yeol Chan change into a different person because of his ambition, Lee Man Shik realizes that his similar behavior in the past could have hurt many people.

Spoiler

Viewers are eager to find out if Lee Man Shik will eventually form an alliance with Ga Yeol Chan instead of Namgoong Jun Su (Park Ki Woong) and if Ga Yeol Chan and the rest of the marketing team will be able to revive their teamwork.

https://www.soompi.com/article/1406067wpp/kim-eung-soo-reflects-on-his-behavior-after-witnessing-park-hae-jin-change-in-kkondae-intern

[nonski]

“Kkondae Intern,” “Oh My Baby,” And “Fix You” See Rise In Ratings

TV/FILM

Jun 19, 2020

by E. Cha

 

MBC’s “Kkondae Intern” has successfully defended its reign over Thursday nights!

On June 18, Park Hae Jin’s office comedy drama enjoyed a slight increase in viewership from its previous two broadcasts. According to Nielsen Korea, the latest episode of “Kkondae Intern” scored average nationwide ratings of 5.1 percent and 6.1 percent for its two parts, with a peak of 8.3 percent in the Seoul metropolitan area.

KBS 2TV’s “Fix You” also saw a modest rise in viewership, scoring average ratings of 1.7 percent and 2.1 percent for the night.

tvN’s “Oh My Baby” scored an average rating of 1.772 percent nationwide, similarly marking a slight increase in its viewership, while JTBC’s “Mystic Pop-Up Bar” held relatively steady with an average rating of 3.009 percent for the night.

https://www.soompi.com/article/1407737wpp/kkondae-intern-oh-my-baby-and-fix-you-see-rise-in-ratings

Spoiler

“Kkondae Intern” Holds On To Top Spot As “Fix You” And “Mystic Pop-Up Bar” See Slight Rise In Ratings

TV/FILM

Jun 18, 2020

by C. Hong

 

MBC’s “Kkondae Intern” held on to its top spot among Wednesday night dramas despite a slight dip in ratings.

According to Nielsen Korea, the June 17 episode of “Kkondae Intern” recorded average nationwide ratings of 4.1 and 5.5 percent. This is a slight decrease from last week’s ratings of 4.4 and 5.8 percent.

KBS’s “Fix You” and JTBC’s “Mystic Pop-Up Bar,” on the other hand, saw a slight increase in ratings compared to last week. Airing an hour later than “Kkondae Intern,” “Fix You” recorded ratings of 1.5 and 1.9 percent. On the cable side, “Mystic Pop-Up Bar” recorded ratings of 3.139 percent.

Also on the cable side, tvN’s “Oh My Baby” recorded ratings of 1.674 percent, a decrease from last week’s 2.004 percent.

https://www.soompi.com/article/1407468wpp/kkondae-intern-holds-on-to-top-spot-as-fix-you-and-mystic-pop-up-bar-see-slight-rise-in-ratings

“Kkondae Intern” Production Crew Praises Park Hae Jin And Kim Eung Soo’s Realistic Chemistry

TV/FILM

Jun 13, 2020

by L. Kim

 

MBC’s “Kkondae Intern” released behind-the-scene stills of Park Hae Jin and Kim Eung Soo.

“Kkondae Intern” is an office comedy about a man who finally gets sweet revenge on a former boss who once made his life miserable. Park Hae Jin stars as Ga Yeol Chan, who becomes the head of the marketing team at Jun Su Foods after moving up the corporate ladder at lightning speed. Kim Eung Soo stars as Lee Man Shik, Ga Yeol Chan’s boss at his former company but now his subordinate at Jun Su Foods.

Spoiler

In the previous episode, Ga Yeol Chan and Lee Man Shik went to Manji Island during their new ramen development trip and were isolated on the island for several days due to a stormy weather. Without enough supplies or money, they had to undergo hilarious experiences in order to survive in the wilderness.

The behind-the-scenes photos capture the bromance between Park Hae Jin and Kim Eung Soo while filming the stranded scene. They admire the taste of ramen boiled with seafood, share bread that had fallen onto the ground, and play cards to pass the time.

Spoiler

The production crew commented, “Park Hae Jin and Kim Eung Soo acted realistically as if they were actually on an island, and despite the accumulated fatigue from the long shoot, they maintained pleasant tension, making the atmosphere even more lively.”

They shared that rain poured and wind blew, just like a real typhoon, and the seawater also gradually rose due to the tide. In addition, they weren’t able to receive cell phone signals, which created an environment that suited the situation in the drama. Because of this, they were able to create a realistic scene without any special effects.

https://www.soompi.com/article/1406476wpp/kkondae-intern-production-crew-praises-park-hae-jin-and-kim-eung-soos-realistic-chemistry

[tulip06]

@nonski So, no episode tomorrow?