Lover In Paris

Lovers in is a 2004 South Korean television drama series starring Kim Jung-eun, Park Shin-yang and Lee Dong-gun. It premiered on SBS on 12 June 2004 and ended its run of 20 episodes on 15 August 2004. The show won numerous awards including best television drama at the Baeksang Arts Awards and both Park Shin-yang and Kim Jung-eun were awarded the Grand Prize at the SBS Drama Awards.

It is the first of three films in the Lovers trilogy by director Shin Woo Chul. This was followed by Lovers in Prague and the third titled Lovers was not set in Europe like the first two.

This drama tells about Kang Tae-young (Kim Jung-eun) is the daughter of a film director and, carrying on her father’s wish, she studies film in Paris. To make ends meet she works as a housekeeper for Han Ki-joo (Park Shin-yang) which she loves because she can watch his movies and drink his wine.

Unhappy with her services, he fires her. However, when he realizes that she is from the same hometown as the wife of a potential business partner, he hires her to act as his fiancee to warm up to his business partner. She agrees in exchange for her job as a housekeeper back. During the two dates that he takes her out, she is smitten by the fairy tale of the event. In turn he finds himself unexpectedly captivated by her. However, the fake girlfriend plan backfires, and both part ways on bad terms in Paris. Through a series of events she also meets Yoon Soo-hyuk (Lee Dong-gun) who is the nephew of Ki-joo.

Recalled by his father, Ki-joo returns to Korea, and Tae-young also returns to attend her father’s death anniversary. Both are reunited coincidentally in Seoul and have their misunderstandings resolved. She prepares to return to Paris but discovers her uncle has squandered away her family house and run away, leaving her with her young cousin and the debts he has incurred.

While trying to sort out her family problems and retrieve her father’s camera that was confiscated by the creditors, she meets Ki-joo again. Through multiple coincidental encounters, he finds himself attracted to her. Soo-hyuk also returns to Korea to track Tae-young down. He stays at her place and tries to win her heart. But he is devastated when he realizes that his uncle is also vying for her affection.

The situation is further complicated with the introduction of Moon Yoon Ah, the daughter of an influential politician whom Ki-joo's father has selected to be Ki-joo's wife. She also happens to be Tae-Young's classmate in high school and is determined to win Ki-joo as her husband.

Ki-joo and Tae-young open their hearts to each other. But a scheming Yoon Ah and an emotionally wounded Soo-hyuk plot to split them up. Meanwhile, a Director at GD Motors tries to bring Ki-joo down and created a scheme with Soo-Hyuk to spill the latest car design to the rival of GD Motors. The new car is announced and GD Motors is petrified by the fact that the latest design was stolen. Later, Ki-joo figures out that Soo-hyuk did this, but forgives him. The fact that Ki-joo forgave him so easily drives Soo-hyuk crazy. After getting into a car accident while blazing through the streets to attempt to erase his guilt, he gets amnesia and loses his recent memories. (He only pretends he has amnesia to let Tae-young be with Ki-joo.) Yoon Ah decides to let go of Ki-joo and throws her engagement ring into Han-River.

Ki-joo and Tae-young can finally get together. Unfortunately because of his families' dislike for her, they decides to be separated temporarily. She goes back to Paris and he stays in Korea. After 2 years, the new car is announced and is a success. Ki-joo, immediately catches a flight to Paris. For some time, they do not know where each other is.

Then one day, just as the series started, Ki-joo throws a coin into a fountain and wishes to see Tae-young again. As he turns he sees her standing there. The next scene shows them sitting by a river. Tae-young breaks the silence and asks, "If we had not met in Paris, do you think we still would have ended up together?" Ki-joo answers, "Most likely we would have."