Review: Fans won’t let sun set on “Sons of the Sun”

By Yerim Mo
GSS correspondent

SONGDO, South Korea — Until it ended last April, “Sons of the Sun” was one of South Korea’s hottest television dramas. But thanks to YouTube and Netflix, its popularity has gone beyond Korea and it is now the most popular drama in Asia. Even though the drama of a doctor and a soldier who fall in love despite many obstacles has concluded, the story won’t die if viewers have anything to say about it.

The author of “Sons” is Kim Eun-Suk, who also wrote other dramas that were extremely popular in Korea, such as “Lovers in Paris” (2004), “Secret Garden” (2011), “A Gentleman’s Dignity” (2012), and “The Heirs” (2013).

“Sons” is a love story between a doctor and a soldier. The doctor is named Kang Mo-Yeon and is acted by Song Hye-Gyeo and the soldier is named Yoo Si-Jin and is acted by Song Joong-Ki. The romance happens in a country called Uruk, a fictional country based on Iraq.

Yoo Si-Jin goes to Uruk with the Korean military and Kang Mo-Yeon goes there because her group of doctors and nurses got sent by a big university hospital in Korea. Yoo Si-Jin and Kang Mo-Yeon get closer to each other because they stay in the same base camp and they go through different disasters together.

The drama is even more entertaining because of the so-called “GuWon” couple. Actor Kim Ji-Won is a military doctor named Yoon Myeong-Joo and Jin Goo is a soldier named Seo Dae-Yeong. This couple is special because their love was always tragic. They cannot love each other because Myeong-Joo’s father doesn’t like Jin Goo as his son-in-law. Their sad love story brought tears to the audience.

However, the story ended happily, if a bit dramatically: After the military announces that Yoo Si-Jin and Seo Dae-Yeong were killed during a military operation, in the last episode of the story it is revealed that they are both alive.

Besides the ending, certain moments stood out that won’t be forgotten. One such scene involved an earthquake in which Dr. Kang had to make a choice between saving an old man and a middle-aged man. Both had loving families and were good people. When the old man notices Kang’s difficult choice, he willingly gives up his life for the younger man. This scene made many viewers cry because the old man reminded them of their own fathers.

Even though it began Feb. 24 and ran for just 16 episodes, “Sons” will likely stay popular for years to come. Attractive characters, plus the setting of the show — both Korea and a foreign country, even though it was a fictional one — made it appealing to viewers.

According to Nielsen Korea, a television ratings company,  an estimated 40 percent share of Korea’s television audience watched the episode in which Captain Yoo came to rescue Dr. Kang when she was captured by Argus’s gangs. The final episode got a 38 percent share of viewers.

If you’re interested in “Sons,” don’t worry — you easily can find short clips with subtitles on YouTube (type  태양의 후예 for “Sons of the Sun” in Korean) or click here for “Sons” on Netflix.

—Yerim Mo is a senior at Chadwick International School in Songdo, South Korea. Email Mo at ymo2017@chadwickschool.org.