Revisiting Park Bo-gum’s Encounter with Song Hye-kyo: A slow-burn of an intensely absorbing, healing romance

On Park Bo-gum's birthday, here's revisiting his show Encounter with Song Hye-kyo, one of the highest-rated shows in South Korea.

On Park Bo-gum's birthday, revisiting his soulful romance with Song Hye-kyo (Photo: Netflix)

There are some shows that start like a light breeze — something to while away the hours — but slowly evolve into a tornado of emotions that sucks you in. Park Bo-gum and Song Hye-kyo’s Encounter is one of them, a saccharine yet absorbing tale of a man, falling in love with a woman much older than him -a CEO of a company, no less. It was interesting to see the roles reversed; in K-dramas it’s usually the man in stiff coats and slick hairstyles looking down at the seemingly ordinary woman who is just a cog in the corporate machine. It’s even more interesting to note that in the male-centric dramas, the male CEO don’t face the flak for being in a relationship with a woman in the company, while she faces criticism. For a minute I wondered whether the pattern would be different here, except Song Hye-kyo’s character continued to face flak from everyone for ‘dating a younger man’, while Park Bo-gum was congratulated as if it was an important achievement. So all in all, the woman still suffers.

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Nevertheless, Encounter is aesthetically pleasing, and soothing in terms of its musical OSTs as well as the gentle chemistry between the charismatic leads. The story between two strangers begins in Cuba, with strong Before Sunset vibes, where the rather restrained Cha Soo-hyun is on a work vacation. After being robbed and losing her slippers, she runs into the free-spirited, bright-eyed and bushy-tailed Jin-hyuk and they spend a memorable evening together, As it’s time to return to South Korea, as fate would have it, Jin-hyuk realises that he’s going to be working as her subordinate. Slowly, they evolve from an uncertain more-than-friendship bond to a close relationship in a rather wholesome manner — from indulging in ramen (the K-world’s version of flirting), to hangover soups, and making sand-castles.

No love story is without difficulties and evil people of course and it would be rather impossible to visualise a K-drama without the quintessential conniving villains. In this case, it happens to be Cha Soo-hyun’s former mother-in-law, another prominent businesswoman. Evil is as evil does, and she is less than pleased about her ex daughter-in-law’s new flame. However, after a point her role in the story diminishes as the inner turmoil in Cha Soo-hyun herself begins to implode and she worries about what world is she dragging Jin-hyuk into. Nevertheless, after several tears, it’s time for a happy reunion. The story is quite basic, but it’s the power of the leads that makes it an engrossing watch, with quiet, heart-ringing drama, juxtaposed with comforting musical South American instrumentals.

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Encounter is one of Park Bo-gum’s best and most endearing performances, even more profound than Record Of Youth, because without seeming like the male manic pixie, he genuinely seemed to be like the person that you want to hang out with. He knows the best restaurants for food, and somehow always knows how to cheer up a person—you would want him around if you have a bad day. His vibrant personality served as a comforting balance to Song Hye-kyo’s constraint — one of the few roles where she emoted with her eyes, rather than letting heavy exposition drive the narrative.

One of the most memorable scenes of the show is when he sees Soo-hyun at his doorstep, as she had sacrificed an important event that could put her in further trouble with her mother-in-law. Park Bo-gum’s Jin-hyuk stands there looking rather gobsmacked. He manages to say, “I’m in trouble.” There’s something his countenance that pulls at heartstrings, and one fact is established, he’s a wonderful crier (remorseless as that sounds). When their break-up occurs, he really convinces you of exhaustion, mixed with his frustration and anger. He masters the quivering of the lip, when he asks her rather brokenly, “Why are you abandoning me?” There’s always been something devastatingly real about stressful scenes with Park Bo-gum; he just knows how to draw you into his world of heartbreak.

Encounter is one of the most absorbing K-drama romances — strangely unpredictable at some points, you know what’s going to happen next, but you’re not quite entirely sure if you’re right. A comfort to watch on bleary days

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